| Route | U42 → KTVY → U42 |
| Total Legs | 1 |
| Passengers | DPE (Practical Exam) |
Taking a checkride just one week after my dad passed away on November 5, 2021, was a profound lesson in understanding hidden mental load. Though I felt fine walking out to the airplane, the weight of grief and stress showed up in subtle ways once we got airborne.
Departing South Valley Regional (U42), we headed northwest toward the practice area. Unlike a Piper Archer, the Piper Seminole climbs like a rocket. After clearing the 6,500-foot shelf of Salt Lake’s Class Bravo, I initiated a climb intended to level off at 8,400 feet.
A few moments later, the DPE asked, “How high are you going to climb here?”
Looking at the altimeter, my heart sank—I saw 8,800 feet, well into the Bravo airspace above us. Assuming I had busted the airspace and faced a notice of disapproval, we immediately initiated a descent while discussing how to proceed with the remaining practical tasks. But almost instantly, I was passing 7,500 feet. We checked our Sentry track logs and realized that both of us had misread the three-pointer altimeter—I had actually only climbed to 7,800 feet.
Sensing I was rattled by the false alarm, the DPE generously gave me a reset on steep turns: “I didn’t get a good look at the altimeter before you started that turn. Set up and start again so I can make sure you’re in standard.” With a reset mind, I nailed two crisp, locked-in steep turns.
After flying slow flight, VMC demonstrations, and simulated engine fires without issue, we set up for a single-engine instrument approach into Tooele Valley (KTVY). Under the hood, I tracked vectors onto the ILS Runway 17.
Midway down the final approach course, the DPE reached over and placed his notebook on the dashboard, completely blocking my forward vision.
When I asked if applicants cheated that often, he mentioned it happens constantly. I asked if I had done something suspicious to prompt it, and he wordlessly pointed to the CDI needle—it was nailed dead-center on the localizer and glideslope. I just shrugged and kept flying the needles down to minimums.
At Tooele, we completed engine failure scenarios both prior to and immediately after rotation. Heading back to U42, all that remained was the short-field landing.
Coming in slightly fast, I chopped the power and planted the Seminole firmly on the pavement to guarantee hitting the target landing mark.
The DPE offered a final classic takeaway: “If you had popped a tire, I wouldn’t be able to pass you. That’s about as rough a landing as you could have on a checkride and still pass.”
Rough or not, it was a pass—and a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.