flight postponed

[XP1900]

i now have 15 hours left before my ppl checkride.  tonight i went to do some hood time.  the 150 that i have flown since i began was out for its 100 hr check.  so i was going to fly the other 150 that the school has.  well did the preflight and fire it up.  when i did the mag check the left mag caused a 600 rpm drop and it was running real rough.  taxi back to parking and tied it up.  noway was i going to fly that with a sick engine.

[Brett_Henderson]

I've never tied to "de-foul" a set of plugs sporting a 600RPM drop before but I have for 400RPM..

Both mags on.. 1700RPM.. lean til it drops a little.. then 2000RPM for 90 seconds.. then re-check per normal.

I think for 600RPM, you made a wise choice  ;)

[beefhole]

Ya, there's no way I'd be going up with that.... yet to have engine trouble on runup for myself tho.

[beaky]

I've tried the defouling trick before; usually works like a charm (although 600rpm is a lot). But it's always best to get a mechanic's opinion, especially if it's the mechanic who last worked on that engine... I was lucky for a while; one of my CFIs was also the school's mechanic... always felt safe riding with him...

BTW, how do you know exactly how many hours you have left before your check ride? For what it's worth, I think it's better to just make sure you're ready once you meet the minimum-hour mark, rather than ticking off the minutes, then being bummed out because your CFI says you're not ready or the ride is delayed...
Took me way longer than I'd expected to take mine, for many reasons (including having to wait for the examiner to have time)... focussing on studying, chair-flying, and taking quick flights helped me take my mind off  the disappointment.
Good luck!!

 

[Brett_Henderson]

Yeah.. don't try to think or force yourself into a checkride after 40 hours of trainin/solo-flying.

I was more than double that. My instructor even got impatient saying, "every pilot eventually clips airspace around here" (it's very complex.. 3 class D airports, in around and under Columbus' Class C) "and with all the cross-country you're flying (I had more than enough cross-country PIC for an instrument rating by the time I took my PPL ride) It'll be on my head as your instructor when you do "(I never did).

I guess what I'm saying is, even if your CFI thinks your ready.. don't hurry.. 'cause all you really gain is the legal right to take PAX up with you.. and you should have well over 100 hours before you do that anyway

[XP1900]

tried the defouling but no luck so that was when it was time to park and call it a night.  

as for knowning if 15 hours is what i have left, my instructor told me that i will be ready for the checkride before i reach the 40min, but since 40 is the min i have to wait until then.  i understand that i may need more time, but my instructor doesn't think i will.  right now i would be perfectly comfortable doing the checkride both the oral and flight portions if he told me that it was tomorrow.

[Rocket_Bird]

Dont do your flight test until you absolutely think your ready!  Even if your flight instructor said so, because my flight instructor said that to me.  I soloed a couple more times after I finished everything, and I tell ya, dispite knowing everything, theres always something to be learned.  Myself, I just finished my flight test today, and had I not been soloing on my own to find out my weaknesses, I would have never passed  ;D.  Had the pleasure of doing the worst possible takeoffs and landings on my test, the soft fields, and I tell ya, I realized how bad I would have had it had I not did a few ugly ones the day before

[beaky]

tried the defouling but no luck so that was when it was time to park and call it a night.  

as for knowning if 15 hours is what i have left, my instructor told me that i will be ready for the checkride before i reach the 40min, but since 40 is the min i have to wait until then.  i understand that i may need more time, but my instructor doesn't think i will.  right now i would be perfectly comfortable doing the checkride both the oral and flight portions if he told me that it was tomorrow.

Hey, it's his call. Good for you; sounds like you're ready.