There is something seriously wrong with the simulator today, I'll have the sim techs fix it while we talk a little bit :)

While we are waiting for them to turn the sim from a truck to a plane, I have a few questions for you about our airplane. On a renewal checkride I technically don't have to ask any questions but I'm going to anyway, just to make sure you were awake during most of your recurrent groundschool training. As you have already completed your initial checkride and this is a recurrent, I'm not going to bother asking you the usual questions like "How fast can the plane go" as I know you know the answers to them.


(I have taken these questions from a list of ones I asked Kitsch when I conducted his checkride last month, along with his answers)

1. Are there any times when the fuel pumps function in the off position?

They function even when they are in the off position during engine start and when fuel crossfeed is selected.


2. What happens when you press the red engine fire button on either engine?

On whatever engine you press the button on, it closes the firewall fuel and hydraulic shutoff valves, field trips the generator and arms both the fire bottles, in addition to deactivating the thrust reverser on that side.


3. What is the maximum tire groundspeed?

It's 165 knots (about 200 mph)

4. If you suffer a complete electrical failure, how will pressurization be affected?

It won't be.

5. You are landing at Moosonee (blog readers: Moosonee is a fairly remote airport in Northern Ontario not accessible by road) and the temp is -30. Runway is paved, bare and dry. What, if any, are the limitations on thrust reverser useage?

Below -18c you are limited to 92% engine fan speed during thrust reverser operation. There is also a limitation saying you can't use the thrust reversers for more than 15 minutes at once, which we never run into - we typically only use the thrust reversers for a few seconds during landing, 10 seconds at most.


6. You have landed in Moose. You wish to hangar the airplane. The available hangar is 50 feet per side and 24 feet tall. Will the plane fit?

Mostly, but not completely. The wingspan is 50.7 feet wide so we'll have to chop a few inches off each wingtip to make it work.

7. You go to get fuel and all they have available is Avgas. Can you depart? Are you subject to any limitations?

Yes you can use avgas in the jet, suject to: no more than 500 gallons of avgas can be used before the engine has to be overhauled, max altitude limited to 18,000' (not a very fuel-efficient altitude for a jet), and the fuel boost pumps must be on for the entire time.


8. What is the length of the pressure vessel?

20.9 feet but seriously, that's not a reasonable question. Ask an engineer if you want to know stuff like that.

9. Can you land on a gravel runway in this plane?

First of all, Hell no! It would chip all the paint on the belly and wing undersides and the owners would kill me. Secondly, the 550 is not to be operated on gravel unless a gravel kit has been installed. We don't have one installed, so no bad runways for us. This is not necessarily a bad thing from a pilot perspective :)

10. Can you legally stall this airplane?

Yes, but no intentional stalls are permitted above FL250 (25,000') altitude. Unintentional stalls are just fine, however. Umm, maybe just forget about that last part ;)


That all sounds good. Here's a quick sheet with the info you'll need to do your simulator flight, as well as a flight plan I have made up and printed out for you. Take as much time as you need to get familiar with the info, and to calculate the various airspeeds and power settings you will be using.



As you can see, we are heading from Memphis to Peachtree with a few passengers. The plane just came out of maintenance and I suspect you might encounter a few mechanical issues despite your most thorough walkaround :)

// 10 minutes pass while candidate calculates the airspeeds and power settings required, and gets familiar with the route on the flight plan.

Alright, are you ready? Good, let's head down the hall to the simulator room. Your checkride shouldn't take more than about 90 minutes, depending on the mood of the air traffic controller. Oh wait, that's me :) I'm going to have a quick nervous pee and you might wanna do the same before we head in. Okay, I'll meet you there in a couple of minutes.