CFIs who take their students to their checkride, how do you pass the time?

My instructor did this to me. Had a cocktail during a celebratory lunch we had after I passed. Then on our way back a fog layer started to gel and oh boy we had a good laugh about if we had to divert because he couldn't shoot an approach for us (he was in the backseat).

We got in.

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FromTheHangar@reddit

Good move to be in the back seat. But still not a brilliant idea to have a cocktail at that point...

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dieseltaco@reddit

Superior ADM.

Alcohol Decision Making

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grumpycfi@reddit

I was a fully certified and current PPL and he had a single drink. I can't say I see the problem now any more than I saw it then. Yeah, the weather was a bit of a surprise, but had we not been able to (safely) get home we'd have diverted and had a laugh and gotten the airplane the next day or something.

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FromTheHangar@reddit

Maybe a safer choice in the US. In France a CFI took the blame for a crash (VFR into IMC) where he was in the back seat, because a CFI flying with a PPL will always have a big authority gradient and be unofficially involved in the decision making.

I think that outcome wasn't fair, but it does mean I would not have a drink and get in the backseat of the plane with one of my students. Just doesn't feel like a good decision.

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redcatjoe@reddit

Having a drink probably makes it easier to get off if something happens. What investigator is going to say “Hey CFI, we know you were under the influence of alcohol. Your judgment/motor skills were potentially compromised and you should’ve taken control of the situation.”

Yeah, not happening.

If the CFI is stone cold sober and doesn’t stop something bad from happening, then there’s more of a case for going after the instructor.

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godawgs695@reddit

That’s a valid point, but in the flip side, the situation incentivizes a potentially impaired CFI in the back seat to unofficially get involved. Imagine something happens and you’ve got a brand new PPL in the front seat. You think they’re not going to try and get you involved? And if you’re in the backseat, you’re just going to close your eyes and plug your ears and hope that your (no longer) student makes it all work out?

With anything in aviation, it’s not black and white, but I could see how this would be a conflict of interest in general. I don’t think it’s a dangerous situation per se, but sets a bad precedent that can be a slippery slope, especially when something happens and the FAA comes asking.

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bhalter80@reddit

Let's take that to the extreme though that means any IP or LCA whether jumpseating or sitting in the back is setup to take the blame for whatever happens because they were unofficially part of the decision making process.

I'd be curious to see the actual BEA report because it sounds like there's more to it than that

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bhalter80@reddit

Just say no to primary students

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damp-potato-36@reddit

People dislike gaming laptops because they sound like a320's getting g ready to rotate, but they definitely pass the time. Assuming the fbo has good wifi

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peyoteman47@reddit

Had a DPE that would give us $20 (usually from the stack the student just paid him lol) and his car keys and let us take his car into town and get lunch. It was quite nice

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RememberHengelo@reddit

What a gentleman. $20 bucks? Sounds like - story from the 80’s 😂

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brucebrowde@reddit

You can still use $20 to feed a hamster today, so it's something.

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spacecadet2399@reddit

Watch flight on ForeFlight, go to Arby's and have lunch till they're heading back...

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BigBadBurg@reddit

Browse insta, Reddit, the occasional vape break. Very anxious they pass the oral. The flight I’m occasionally looking at ads-b

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LandingGearTestPilot@reddit (OP)

In this case it’ll be the occasional Zyn break

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Stewardess-Slayer@reddit

I used to just flirt with (harass) the girl at the FBO counter

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Maddog11499@reddit

For my CMEL ride my standby instructor spent the day playing Kerbal Space Program on his laptop. He told me "I have high confidence that I won't have to retrain someone today so I'm making ballistic missiles :)" great guy.

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T_iT_o@reddit

Just meet new people I guess

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Own-Ice5231@reddit

Wouldn't it be instructor billable time spent waiting?

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BluProfessor@reddit

I'm curious how common it is for CFIs to go with heir students to checkrides. I've never had an instructor go with me and they've always been a solo XC to a new airport.

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ltcterry@reddit

I do mostly AMEL so I always go on those. The rest I ask.

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ltcterry@reddit

Read. Surf the net. Talk to people. Schedule other students. Count the money I’m making. Use the courtesy car to go get a Duet Coke because the vending machine was removed. Watch the flight portion on Flight Aware.

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Patri_L@reddit

I had to teach myself to resist looking at flight tracking apps. When my first handful of students were on check ride I would always be checking their flight paths stressing every time I saw something that looked problematic like a bad hold entry or large variations in altitude during a steep turn. It rarely ever reflected what was actually happening in the students' flight. Eventually I made a ritual of leaving the airport to get food or coffee to distract me while waiting for them to finish.

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user1928473829@reddit

This comment single-handedly make me extremely thankful I’m not a CFI anymore. I remember how much anxiety I had during checkrides. My mental health was at an all time low when my students all had checkrides at the same time.

I’ll take the worst day as an airline pilot over that experience.

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Patri_L@reddit

Being a CFI was such a great experience but ultimately I agree. Sending students on check rides was never fun, no matter how well prepared they were. That and sending students on solos.

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carl-swagan@reddit

Checkrides are anxiety-inducing, solos are straight up terrifying. So much liability on our shoulders, and if anything ever happened to one of my students I would never forgive myself.

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Patri_L@reddit

That's it exactly. I felt like my time as a CFI was cast against a timer that was counting down to zero. I never knew what the face of the timer read I just knew I needed to finish my hours before it got there.

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phliar@reddit

I keep a book in my flight bag.

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Decollates@reddit

Reading or doing some creative writing.

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LonguesSurMer@reddit

How do you keep yourself busy while in the waiting room for a doctors appointment?

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Agile_Definition_415@reddit

Jerk off

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TheBurningTankman@reddit

Making intense eye contact with the receptionist, daring her to call someone else's name

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Reputation_Many@reddit

Not a CFI, but I flew out to with people on there checkrides quite a bit, but I do exactly the same thing I do on my deadheads at work. Watch movies on my phone and remember to download a few movies just incase you don't get service where your at.

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tempskawt@reddit

Find another CFI around, get to talking, and commence

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globesdustbin@reddit

Have you heads of reading?

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LandingGearTestPilot@reddit (OP)

What’s that?

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