Preflight On Checkride
Posted by Melodic_Visual1595@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 38 comments
Has anyone else taken several checkrides where the DPE doesn’t seem to care about the preflight whatsoever? I’ve shown up so prepared to discuss systems and never once have I had a DPE actually ever want to be involved during the preflight portion. Is this just a total anomaly?
UNSC-Swordbreaker@reddit
On my PPL checkride the DPE asked what the purpose of castellated nuts are. YMMV 🤷♂️
Strange_Code_68@reddit
Bro if he did this and wasn’t joking, that dude is actually a dick lol. Just straight up not nice.
UNSC-Swordbreaker@reddit
Luckily i have maintenance background so I knew exactly what the purpose of them was. I don't think he would have held it against me for not knowing though
Feckmumblerap@reddit
My sample size is pretty small as i only have private but my dpe didn’t care at all, just chilled in the fbo and told me to come get him when we were good to go. Also made me skip the passenger brief, pretakeoff safety brief, diversion, and forward slip to land (although i utilized a forward slip in my emergency procedures so that may be why). I would’ve thought he was asleep during half the flight if not for the occasional head shake paired with a deep sigh lmao
literal_flying_ace@reddit
I was told in my training to become a stage check pilot (141 school) to not watch the student preflight because they almost always do it wrong and will fail
Burgershot621@reddit
Only time I did a full on walk around with at DPE was for my CFI. That’s how he did the systems part. Every other time I did the pre flight, then they just asked me a couple random questions while we walked out got in the plane
flyingron@reddit
I got questions while doing both my private and instrument preflight s
1E-12@reddit
They are still watching you even if they don't ask questions. My DPE was taking a phone call while I was preflighting but he had his eye on me.
ExpensiveCategory854@reddit
Mine never came out while I was doing it.
ParagPa@reddit
So, I had a mixed experience with this. On my IFR, the DPE knew I had done a pre-flight, and was fine with me not doing a full pre-flight in front of him. But he did say "just show me a quick run-down of how you pre-flight". In hindsight, I should have done a 100% new pre-flight. The worst thing is a "sort-of pre-flight". I walked him through it high level, and in doing so, left the dip stick door open, and got in the airplane. Neither of us noticed.
My CFI was walking out, saw it open, walked over and closed it while the DPE and I were in the airplane (before I started the engine). Luckily the DPE was cool about it. He asked me what would have happened had I taken off that way - and since the dip stick was firmly seated, there shouldn't have been a real issue - but still...
So lesson learned: If the DPE asks you for anything resembling a pre-flight, do the full thing, checklists and all.
Jwu6@reddit
My DPE for my private just told me to go preflight it and he would be out in bit. He never asked one question about it.
healthycord@reddit
My dpe told me to go preflight. They came out when I was mostly done and they did their own quick preflight including flight control movement check. And then observed me sump fuel. I think they asked me what the static wick was and what it did.
Some DPE’s do not care as much. Or, perhaps they know your school does a good job teaching preflight so they aren’t as concerned. Or, they can tell you’re a thorough pilot based on the oral portion.
EnthusiasmHuman6413@reddit
I’ve never had a DPE that seems to care even remotely about traffic.
Next_Juggernaut_898@reddit
I had to explain the brake reservoir on my private. Didn't even realize he was doing it. "Hey, what's metal thing"
MrPlake@reddit
On my first attempt at PPL examiner was pretty thorough and asking me lots of question on Preflight on 2nd attempt didn’t care at all. I think it depends on the DPE as long as your safe and don’t skip anything crucial they seem to not care
cmmurf@reddit
This is in the range of normal. These are many things you should know that just can't be asked by the DPE due to time constraints. It's a sample of your knowledge. Their job is to find weaknesses, so maybe they know your CFI does a good job preparing in this area so the DPE skips it.
Turbulent_Juice_Man@reddit
Normal. I preflighted and the DPE was in his office. He came out, asked a couple questions about it and that was it.
Sqoobe@reddit
The most challenging part of my preflight was when the DPE asked me about my club’s windscreen cleaning policy.
nightlanding@reddit
I am not sure this falls under preflight, but on my commercial ride the examiner asked me if I knew about the school tour. I did not and he told me I should have checked. There was a whole horde of 3rd graders all over the ramp we had to get through. He cheered back up when I suggested we get out and push the plane past all the kids, he though that was a good idea. I think he was waiting for me to start the engine and then bust me for some kind of poor decision making.
nightlanding@reddit
I can't recall a DPE caring that much about the preflight at all. We did all fly to Virginia for our CFI rided to escape the local FSDO examiner. He famously made you do a preflight to the level of detail usually reserved for an annual inspection and more often than not would ground the plane and make you call for a ride home.
nl_Kapparrian@reddit
It's typical for them to ask a couple questions before getting in the plane but they certainly aren't going to stand around and watch the whole preflight.
Anthem00@reddit
Do the most thorough preflight you can imagine on every single checkride. He won’t fail you for doing all your checks but he can fail you if you miss one. Sometimes they seem that way, but they just want to see that you have done them all.
SSMDive@reddit
After PPL every checkride the preflight was a question ‘Is the preflight done?’
In my CPL SES I tried to pump the floats and the DPE looked shocked and a bit annoyed.
tincancan15@reddit
I only had a PPL checkride so far. The DPE didn’t even come out of the FBO.
MehCFI@reddit
Count your blessings and move on lol
Ok-Selection4206@reddit
This is it...I would spend weeks getting ready for my annual PC, systems, op specs, flight ops manual, limitations, profiles, emergency procedures, all this on an airplane I have been flying on and a ck airman. We sit in the briefing room in the allotted 1 hr before sim, we talk about football, the contract, great layovers, might ask me one question about using engine run up procedures in cold wx now that its winter. We walk out and high 5 each other.
The next ck airman wants you to draw the whole wiring diagram for the emergency bus because he has a hard on for that. So I am glad I had a 3 mo course on electro mechanical switching and relays in college. Take the win, and always prepare.
HighVelocitySloth@reddit
My DPE simply asked if my preflight was done and if I found any discrepancies. He wasn’t there when I did it
OrangeIsAStupidColor@reddit
My DPE said she was gonna give me a few minutes then meet me at the plane and as soon as she got out there, said to come get her when it was fine because it was cold and windy. She only asked "how do you get in?"
lil_layne@reddit
My DPE stayed in the FBO while I did my preflight and then pointed to a few things of the exterior of the aircraft and asked that they were like the alternator belt and elevator trim.
drowninginidiots@reddit
My ppl was the only one the DPE was standing there for and he walked away a couple of times just to chat with my instructor. Everything else I was just asked if it’s done, or I did it while the DPE had his lunch.
Worldly-Alternative5@reddit
I know my DPE was really only concerned about the special emphasis items, and the stuff I got wrong on the written. I missed a couple of questions about the compass, so I basically had to explain compass physics, explain how to check it was working, call out that it was aligned with the runway, and do turns with the DG covered. He did check fuel himself, but otherwise was quiet, as he briefed he would be.
SciencesAndFarts@reddit
I only did my preflight with the DPE on PPL. Both of my type rides have had a virtual walk around portion during the oral.
Pilot-Imperialis@reddit
Pretty normal and what I experienced in my own checkrides. I’m not a DPE but I’m a check airman and I myself will only verify if people know how to do preflight for private (it’s their first certificate) or CFI (because they’ll be teaching it). Multi progs too if they’re not multi rated.
Sleepy_Pylote@reddit
Typically the only time I see a DPE ask questions is a private, CFI, or multi ride. Sometimes they will just ask random questions if they aren’t as familiar with the plane, but it just depends with the examiner. I’d also be willing to bet how good you did with systems on the ground would play a part
Kycrio@reddit
Most of the checkrides I've taken were that way. Even private, she checked my planning but didn't watch my preflight.
Screw_2FA@reddit
On my PPL ride the DPE observed my preflight and asked a couple of questions about different parts but since then every check ride I’ve taken the examiner just told me to preflight and then hopped in when I was finished.
KBC@reddit
Not unusual. The only checkrides where I was asked about my preflight was private and CFI.
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
Has anyone else taken several checkrides where the DPE doesn’t seem to care about the preflight whatsoever? I’ve shown up so prepared to discuss systems and never once have I had a DPE actually ever want to be involved during the preflight portion. Is this just a total anomaly?
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