PPL Checkride Fail, a lesson learned

Posted by gr8monkeyman@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 41 comments

Been flying 3x a week for the last 8 months, scored a 90% on written. Passed 2 phase separate phase checks. Thought I was so prepared for my checkride.

Oral goes great, DPE commends me on level of my knowledge on certain topics and flight plan. Lasts 2 hours.

Then we head out to the plane, taxiing, take off all is great. Turn my cross wind. Turn downwind,

Mistake #1 I read the altimeter as 1900, so I switched from tower to flight following frequency. Without permission. I was thinking the class Delta has a ceiling of 2k feet. It's actually 2.5k

Mistake #2 Ask for flight following, that interaction goes smooth. Center is tuned in. DPE then asks me to divert. I figure out heading, distance and headed to the diversion airport. I then again switch center to standby WITHOUT permission so I can put in the diverting airport CTAF and make my calls. DPE then says we're not gonna land at diverting airport, and let's head to the maneuver area.

I start heading toward the maneuver area, which is past the ILS approach path of my home airport. DUMBASS me, switches the frequencies again to tower so we can monitor traffic in the area. So now flight following is just left hanging.

Instructor failed me as soon as we got to maneuver area for bad radio comms. I asked to continue regardless.

I ace the maneuvers, landings, slip, radio comms around the pattern. We head home, I'm devastated.

Lessons learned:

Over the last month or so, I've been so in "checkride prep" mode. Just practicing maneuvers, landings, emergency descents etc. I did my cross countries a few months ago, I was excellent on the radio comms while solo and even w my instructor who had commended me as my strong suit.

Proper protocol for hand offs was just not a skill I practiced recently since I was done w my XCs. I was rusty on it.

I did not need to request flight following. Even though the DPE told me I should do it prior to the flight. After we landed, she mentioned she never said I "had" to actually do it. This was frustrating to hear.

Maintaining a frequency, then throwing in diversions and maneuvers is tough. Don't actually ask for FF unless explicitly asked or doing a checkride near a Bravo.

I ended up going up again the next morning for a recheck. The DPE was understanding, and knew it was an honest mistake. We spoke about how a small detail like frequency maintainence is a massive risk to safety. Went up again, simulated FF and FSS, flew for 10 miles. Turned around, landed and got my pass.

Always ask to continue, unless the DPE has to take the controls. In which case, maybe not. The checkride is a rare opportunity, demonstrate all the skills you can even if you receive a disapproval for a similar reason.

My ego was hurt, but I truly did deserve the failure. I've learned from it, and will never make that mistake again!

[-]

rFlyingTower@reddit

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

Been flying 3x a week for the last 8 months, scored a 90% on written. Passed 2 phase separate phase checks. Thought I was so prepared for my checkride.

Oral goes great, DPE commends me on level of my knowledge on certain topics and flight plan. Lasts 2 hours.

Then we head out to the plane, taxiing, take off all is great. Turn my cross wind. Turn downwind,

Mistake #1 I read the altimeter as 1900, so I switched from tower to flight following frequency. Without permission. I was thinking the class Delta has a ceiling of 2k feet. It's actually 2.5k

Instructor failed me as soon as we got to maneuver area for bad radio comms. I asked to continue regardless.

I ace the maneuvers, landings, slip, radio comms around the pattern. We head home, I'm devastated.

Lessons learned:

Over the last month or so, I've been so in "checkride prep" mode. Just practicing maneuvers, landings, emergency descents etc. I did my cross countries a few months ago, I was excellent on the radio comms while solo and even w my instructor who had commended me as my strong suit.

Proper protocol for hand offs was just not a skill I practiced recently since I was done w my XCs. I was rusty on it.

I did not need to request flight following. Even though the DPE told me I should do it prior to the flight. After we landed, she mentioned she never said I "had" to actually do it. This was frustrating to hear.

Maintaining a frequency, then throwing in diversions and maneuvers is tough. Don't actually ask for FF unless explicitly asked or doing a checkride near a Bravo.

My ego was hurt, but I truly did deserve the failure. I've learned from it, and will never make that mistake again!

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IllustriousAirBender@reddit

I am curious if the examiner asked you to take flight following or not?

BuzzTheTower12@reddit

Congrats on passing the second time! I like that you have a humble attitude and own up to the mistake. Switching frequencies without permission is actually a mistake that I myself made at the beginning of my training, but my instructor at the time scolded me so badly that I never did it again 🤣.

reluctantredditguy@reddit

You need about 500 hours before things start making "sense." I failed my PPL ride, and in the second attempt, I must've had a lucky rabbit foot. Regardless, shake it off, and you'll be good to go. When I was an instructor, I once had a student forget his map and still attempt the xcountry portion. And another who got "tired" of waiting in line for gas and said if they hurried, an hour of gas would be good enough..... anyways

x4457@reddit

So really what you have here is one fundamental weak area. That happens, we all have blindspots, and the system worked as intended here to discover yours.

You know where you need to improve, so get out there and do it.

gromm93@reddit

I was about to mention something about the examiner's use of flight following as a method to make the student ask questions, instead of blindly following what they're told.

It's another method they use to find your weak areas, and your explanation is a better one than mine, which was to determine if you can make good decisions overall and assume the responsibilities of being a pilot in command.

At the end of the day, they're a passenger, not giving you orders. Likewise for ATC. They can give you directions, but you're the one looking out of the cockpit at the situation from your point of view. If you can see some hazard ahead that contradicts their point of view, be it another aircraft or even a mountain in the way, you're not supposed to fly into a mountain because they said to! Or within 500 feet of a cloud they can't see on radar for that matter.

Vegetable-Fan8429@reddit

That happens, we all have blindspots, and the system worked as intended here to discover yours

I absolutely love this. That’s a great mentality to have about regs

Professional_Read413@reddit

Well of all the things to fail for that had to be the easiest one to retest on haha.

DaciaSanderoLover@reddit

I busted on a landing while out on maneuvers a high cross wind developed(27 knots) I had already done short and soft and I landed it but dpe wasn’t happy so I had to go back and do a single landing with no retest fee but it was annoying

hartzonfire@reddit

What about the seatbelt one? Didn’t some guy on here like not buckle the seatbelt all the way or something? The DPE discovered it at the end of the ride and failed him. He had to go out to the plane the next day, put the seatbelt on, taxi, and park. I feel like I’m butchering that but I remember reading something like that on here.

PiperArrow@reddit

There was the guy that had a missing grommet on the seatbelt that got failed. Maybe that's it?

I think that’s actually the one I’m thinking about.

The whole stupid story.

Yup. Bingo.

Wow, that just sounds like a DPE milking a retest fee

KehreAzerith@reddit

I remember something like that posted here in the past

SwoopyStack@reddit

First time I’ve heard of FF on a checkride. That seems like it’d be too much extra workload on you.

Is this common in your area?

themusicman1990@reddit

I did my checkride out of a busy class D thats only a few miles south of a busier class C. The xc portion neccessitated a transition through the class C. I got vectored off course a few times for airliners arriving ahead and got "bonus points" for maintaining situational awareness and still being able to point to where we were on the chart. Unfortunately the vectoring ate up valuable time and daylight so we discontinued and got some maneuvers in on the way back home. Finished the last 1/3rd of the flight about a week later and nailed it.

Imjoshdadshirt@reddit

FF is worth its weight in gold if you’re doing your ride near busy airspace. Having them call your traffic and secure you for transitions through BCD areas without you having to tune to each tower and request it is a huge asset.

Lee72@reddit

I had my training check rides at an airport in a TRSA, so I always had flight following on departure.

burnheartmusic@reddit

I’ve had flight following on every checkride. I’m near van nuys/burbank though so it’s busy airspace and you’re an idiot if you’re not using it up there because there is a lot of traffic. I’ve just gotten used to using it on every flight

R0GERTHEALIEN@reddit

Yeah I don't think I'd want FF for a checkride

WhiteoutDota@reddit

Yeah, generally leaving ATC frequencies when you're receiving their services without permission is a huge problem. It's fine to communicate on other frequencies but always be listening to the frequency ATC is communicating to you on!

the_silent_one1984@reddit

I was told by a chief CFI that even switching my transmitting frequency to comm 2 such that I'm now merely monitoring the one ATC is following me on is wrong. I got scolded for tuning FSS to open my flight plan on comm 2 while still monitoring approach for flight following on comm 1.

I don't think that's a problem, but you need to be able to respond to ATC if they need you to do something immediately. If you can't, simply let ATC know you want to leave their frequency for a moment to open a flight plan and they'll usually say that's fine and to let them know when you're back with them.

emperormanlet@reddit

Dumb question - how would you go about tuning different frequencies while listening on the ATC frequency? Do you just switch back and forth? What should OP have done here?

Rexrollo150@reddit

If you have two Comm radios (most planes do) you can put it on your #2 radio

dmspilot00@reddit

"Cessna 123 request frequency change"

VileInventor@reddit

Sorry, 3 times a week for 8 months and you’re at PPL? Your school took the piss out of you.

JDK1995VT@reddit

I know the Denver area has a 2-4 month wait for DPE availability, to keep up proficiency for a checkride those hours aren’t too unbelievable.

didsomebodysaywander@reddit

Average in the SF Bay Area is 80-90 hours right now. 3x weekly might only be 4 hours on the Hobbs. Crowded airspace and busy GA airports limit how much pattern work you can do, and 15+ minute commutes to maneuvering areas really adds up. I'm <15 hours in and have budgeted 100 hours worth of savings $.

That sounds brutal.

TheNameIsFrags@reddit

Don’t sweat it, it happens.

At one point on my Private checkride I was so focused on physically flying that I was ignoring radio calls at my local field. At one point the examiner asked “what did that guy just say?” and I had no idea. Take it and learn from it, you got it next time.

I fly around Quebec and I have no clue what they're saying half the time.

OneSea3243@reddit

The fact I almost busted a stage check during private like this is wild. I got flight following like you and switched to CTAF to make my radio calls. Quickly switched back to center to cancel flight following before I forgot about it

BenSimGuy@reddit

Great attitude all around, keep that up. In aviation and life. Congrats and all the best 👏

dodexahedron@reddit

Hey, you did one thing I haven't seen often in students, once their DPE unsats them.

You asked to finish the rest.

That was smart, so long as you weren't too rattled. While certification itself is all or nothiindiit is still made up of dozens of individual items that are passed or failed independently, so you may as well finish the practical. At minimum, you find out other weaknesses you need to work on. Best case, you pass everything else but what you busted on and only have to fix that in your mulligan.

IdahoAirplanes@reddit

Sorry for your trauma but I’m amused by all the failed PPL checkride postings because the DPEs seem like nitpickers. I took my checkride 40 years ago. I passed because I could fly the airplane safely in the middle of Pennsylvania void of anything other than Class E airspace. I made all your modern mistakes after my PPL was issued. I make a mistake every time I fly but I learn from it.