Looking For Advice on Checkrides

[jwn57030]

I am getting ready to do my checkride for my sports license in a couple of weeks. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts of what I should expect? Was their anything that you had any particular problems with or maybe didn't expect? Was it easier or harder than expected? Any advice on what you would do differently to prepare? Any other helpful thoughts would be appreciated.

[Jim Stewart]

Go over the PTS Special Emphasis items. Remember your clearing turns, runway markings and passenger briefing. If you are flying at an uncontrolled field, check the full length of the field visually before taxiing out. As I started my checkride, I made the correct radio calls, listened for radio calls, started taxiing out and saw a jump plane getting ready to take off from the other end of the runway. I smartly did a 180, cleared the runway and advised him I was clear. A few seconds hesitation would have caused the examiner to take control and fail the checkride. Be ready for anything.

Most important, no matter what the examiner says or how badly you think you did a maneuver, if he/she gives you another maneuver, you are still in the game. Forget about the last one and get into the next one. My DPE kept up a running commentary of all the things I did wrong, but never asked to see anything done over. Later speculation was that this was his method of trying to distract the applicant because he did it to others.

[drseti]

If your flight school has more than one instructor, ask yours if he or she can set you up with another instructor (preferably someone you've never flown with before) for a practice checkride. This is standard practice at many flight schools, and is often called a recommendation ride, or phase check. This will give you an opportunity to experience the nerves and try the maneuvers, before you have to do it for real. You'll go into the actual checkride much more relaxed. And, since the person playing the role of examiner is an instructor, you might just pick up some useful pointers along the way.

[langj]

Definitely do a practice check ride it really helped prepare me. I actually did a mock check ride with the examiner the week before so I knew the whole routine. Also remember if you screw something up ask to do it again, they will sometimes give you a second chance if you realize your mistake and they don't have to tell you. And as my instructor taught me during the oral only answer the question less is more you can screw your self up if you keep talking.

[Jack Tyler]

Check out the DPE's rep with others - instructors and recent 'graduates'. Inevitably, each DPE has his/her own itches that need to be scratched. Knowing some of them - and perhaps practicing a bit when they relate to flying - can be helpful, both WRT skills and psychologically.

Some Q's in the oral are going to be very straightforward. 'What does that symbol on the Sectional tell you?' But others will be more procedural and open-ended. 'Tell me what you would be thinking if your destination airport is KXYZ and you are 15 NM out & beginning your approach.' Two things are happening there: You're being tested on what you might *know* (is the overlying MOA active? how would you know?) and also on how you *think*. So don't be in a rush to offer up the first or obvious answer at such times, just as the previous poster suggested. Sure, you can acknowledge the obvious answer...but allow yourself time to see around corners a bit. Give yourself time to 'think'. To the DPE this will most likely look like a judicious, reasoned approach to problem solving, not like you are a dimwit. <s>

Good luck to you!

[FrankR]

This is a good thread, from the Purple Board.


http://www.purpleboard.net/forums/showthread.php?t=5602

[jwn57030]

Thanks for all the great advice. My instructor is setting me up with another instructor for a mock check ride. Hopefully that does help.

[newamiga]

I strongly agree with the suggestion of not offering more than you are asked. Also remember it is ok to look up some things. Obviously you can't look up everything but if you get stuck, knowing where to find the answer is a good thing too. I found that looking at the legend on the sectional was a really good idea. I got lucky and had a great DPE. He followed the PTS but made it an enjoyable learning experience.

I know many folks will tell you this but your CFI won't say you are ready for your ride unless you are ready. Going with a second CFI is a great idea. I found this very valuable to get a different set of pointers.

The other area I found really useful was reviewing the Gleim study guide. Going through it until I could answer most of the practice questions really helped.

I would offer too that your decision making is critical to a good ride. When I pulled the plane out of the hangar the winds weren't too bad. By the time we strapped in and I ran the before starting engine checklist I looked ahead and the wind sock was pointing straight out at 90 degrees to the runway we would likely get, then it flipped around almost 90 degrees straight out. I called the flight for weather. The DPE really liked the decision making.

The one thing that really struck me during the flight portion was that it all happened so fast that it was really over before I knew it and we were taxiing back in. It was a really incredible feeling of accomplishment. I will offer too that my real learning has begun after I got my SP cert. Once you get through training I highly recommend going out on some cross countries. The more exposure you get to different length and width fields the better. I found this to be one of the more challenging things after finishing my training and getting my cert.

Good Luck.. Carl

[jwn57030]

Thanks for the reply. I definitely will be flying to other airports. Doing my cross countries I have already been to 6 different ones and I definitely know what your talking about. It was really interesting the first time I experienced thinking I was higher than I really was because the runway was much narrower than I am used to. It was also fun to land on a 150' wide runway. It seemed like the paint marking for the centerline were almost as wide as my airplane.