PPL Checkride
Posted by Complete-Tomatillo33@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 38 comments
Have my PPL checkride on May 12th what's the most forgotten thing people don't focus on while preparing for the checkride?
Posted by Complete-Tomatillo33@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 38 comments
Have my PPL checkride on May 12th what's the most forgotten thing people don't focus on while preparing for the checkride?
changgerz@reddit
oof i'm actually surprised i don't remember, i used to work at ATP and at one point i was tasked with finding the most common reasons for failing each checkride. Had a big spreadsheet with every checkride fail for every ATP student in the country over the past year or so. for instrument the #1 and 2 most common were by far either not tuning the right frequency for an ILS/VOR approach or not pressing the CDI button to get the nav1 into VLOC mode.
if i had to guess, for private, on the oral it would be something to do with airspace/cloud clearance requirements (you are 100% getting asked these) and on the flight portion probably just being out of standards on a maneuver or landing
whys_this_so_hard@reddit
We have cloud clearance requirements?
Complete-Tomatillo33@reddit (OP)
I'll make sure to have those areas down before hand thank you.
bgrant902@reddit
If the DPE were to ask for a pencil, you would hand it to him, you wouldn’t describe all the different types of pencils you know and how each of them work and were created. Now apply that logic to the rest of the checkride. “How does density altitude affect an aircraft’s performance?” “Poorly.” He’ll almost always move on.
Accurate_Drag_8490@reddit
If you receive an LOI flag while using LNAV minima as you cross the FAF while in Class G airspace above 1200’ AGL but below 10,000’ MSL and after civil twilight, with the aircraft currently in VFR conditions but the reported weather at the destination airport now showing 2 statute miles visibility and 500 feet overcast, your pitot tube just iced over causing an unreliable airspeed indication, the nearest VOR is out of service per the latest NOTAM, you have only 45 minutes of fuel remaining, and your passenger is starting to get airsick while demanding you ‘just land already’ — what are you going to do as PIC, and why does every single regulation from 91.155, 91.205, 91.213, AIM 1-1-17, and the approach plate notes suddenly matter right now?
HateJobLoveManU@reddit
Tell the passenger to quit being a little bitch
nammerbom@reddit
I would simply perservere and overcome the situation, i think. Also, I turn on ICS isolation so I dont have to hear the complaints of my weak passengers
flyghu@reddit
Meow.
strivegaming22@reddit
I think u just broke my brain
Accurate_Drag_8490@reddit
I believe “your controls” and “cry” are the only answers
ATrainDerailReturns@reddit
That’s resignation you have to turn in your license now
Mundane-Reality-7770@reddit
I'm gonna discontinue
OddAd1067@reddit
Remember that you are the PIC on this checkride. Had my student bust yesterday morning because of the same issue.
ApartmentForRentt@reddit
Just passed mine a week ago so here’s what’s still fresh in my mind and advice that stuck with me the most:
when it comes to answering questions, LESS IS MORE. My neves made me fall unnecessarily, it opened up a new line of questioning and I failed ground. Talk to your cfi about this.
the check ride ends when you tie down. If you land back at your home airport confident you’ve passed, don’t get excited or distracted just yet.
be fluent with your navlog. Be able to explain every number / terms and how you calculated them
you will mess something up. Period. Anticipate this happening and don’t let the mental dominos start falling. Losing some altitude in a steep turn? Acknowledge aloud and say what you’re doing to correct it. If you get rattled and feel you can’t shake it off, then discontinue.
Good luck! I had way more fun than I expected. Trust in your training and in yourself. And wear a gym shirt bc I sweat my ass off!
TxAggieMike@reddit
https://goldseal.link/privatecheatsheet
Flight Insights Private Pilot Study Guide: https://www.flight-insight.com/ppl-pdf
Different_Hour2257@reddit
Rest before your checkride and read this (they give helpful tips) : https://www.airheadatpl.com/blog/checklist-challenge-11-things-to-focus-on-before-your-checkride
TxAggieMike@reddit
This is from Ron Levy, a very experienced flight instructor I had the privilege of knowing in my early days
Captain Ron said:
Relax and enjoy it. Nationwide, about 90% of applicants pass on the first try, so look around and see if you think you’re as good as 9 out of 10 other students. Also, your instructor desires to maintain a pass rate of at least 80% in order to attain the FAA Gold Seal on his certificate. So he’s not going to send you up unless he’s pretty darn sure you’ll pass – otherwise, he has to find four other people to pass to make up for you, and that’s not always easy.
Go over with your instructor the logbooks of the aircraft you're going to use the day BEFORE the checkride to make sure it's all in order (annual, transponder checks, ELT ops and battery, 100-hour if rented, etc.). If the airplane's paper busts, so do you. Run a sample W&B, too – get the examiner’s weight when you make the appointment. If you weigh 200, and so does the examiner, don’t show up with a C-152 with full tanks and a 350 lb available cabin load – examiners can’t waive max gross weight limits.
Relax.
Rest up and get a good night's sleep the night before. Don't stay up "cramming."
Relax.
Read carefully the ENTIRE ACS including all the material in the Appendices. Use the checklist in the appendix to make sure you take all the stuff you need -- papers and equipment. And the examiner’s fee UP FRONT (too much chance a disgruntled applicant will refuse to pay afterward) in the form demanded by the examiner is a “required document” from a practical, if not FAA, standpoint.
Relax.
You’re going to make a big mistake somewhere. The examiner knows this will happen, and it doesn’t have to end the ride. What’s important is not whether you make a mistake, but how you deal with it – whether you recover and move on without letting it destroy your flying. Figure out where you are now, how to get to where you want to be, and then do what it takes to get there. That will save your checkride today and your butt later on.
Relax.
You're going to make some minor mistakes. Correct them yourself in a timely manner "so the outcome of the maneuver is never seriously in doubt" and you'll be OK. If you start to go high on your first steep turn and start a correction as you approach 100 feet high but top out at 110 high while making a smooth correction back to the requested altitude, don't sweat -- nail the next one and you'll pass with "flying colors" (a naval term, actually). If you see the maneuver will exceed parameters and not be smoothly recoverable, tell the examiner and knock it off before you go outside those parameters, and then re-initiate. That shows great sense, if not great skill, and judgement is the most critical item on the checkride.
Relax.
During the oral, you don’t have to answer from memory anything you’d have time to look up in reality. You never need to memorize and know everything. Categorize material as:
Things you must memorize (i.e. emergency procedures, radio calls, airspace, etc).
So if the examiner asks you about currency, it’s OK to open the FAR book to 61.56 and 61.57 and explain them to him. But make sure you know where the answer is without reading the whole FAR/AIM cover-to-cover. On the other hand, for stuff you’d have to know RIGHT NOW (e.g., best glide speed for engine failure, etc.), you’d best not stumble or stutter – know that stuff cold. Also, remember that the examiner will use the areas your knowledge test report says you missed as focus points in the oral, so study them extra thoroughly.
Relax.
Avoid this conversation:
Examiner - Q: Do you have a pencil?
Applicant - A: I have a #2, a mechanical, a red one...
Examiner - Q: Do you have a pencil?
Applicant - A: I also have an assortment of pens, and some highlighters...
Examiner - Q: Do you have a pencil?
Applicant - A: Yes.
Examiner - Thank you.
One of the hardest things to do when you’re nervous and pumped up is to shut up and answer the question. I've watched people talk themselves into a corner by incorrectly answering a question that was never asked, or by adding an incorrect appendix to the correct answer to the question that was. If the examiner wants more, he'll tell you.
Relax
Some questions are meant simply to test your knowledge, not your skill, even if they sound otherwise. If the examiner asks how far below the cloud deck you are, he is checking to see if you know the answer is “at least 500 feet,” not how good your depth perception is. He can’t tell any better than you can, and the only way to be sure is to climb up and see when you hit the bases, which for sure he won’t let you do.
Relax
Remember the first rule of Italian driving: "What's behind me is not important." Don't worry about how you did the last maneuver or question. If you didn't do it well enough, the examiner must notify you and terminate the checkride. If you are on the next one, forget the last one because it was good enough to pass. Focus on doing that next maneuver or answering the next question the best you can, because while it can still determine whether you pass or fail, the last one can’t anymore. If you get back to the office and he hasn't said you failed, smile to your friends as you walk in because you just passed.
Relax and enjoy your new license.
Ron Levy, ATP, CFI, Veteran of 11 license/rating checkrides, including 4 with FAA inspectors
changgerz@reddit
I remember hanging out in an FBO one day and an instructor and student show up at the DPE's office for a checkride. The instructor was carrying a DUFFEL BAG that had on the side, written in sharpie, "N12345 logbooks" and I knew immediately that they were in trouble.
Of course, the DPE refused to do the ride in that plane lol
RevolutionaryRun7744@reddit
Have personal minimums and stick to them.
sebasto69@reddit
On your xc make sure you have the right heading for that day and know your points. Also remember oxygen requirements, as well as your PPL limitations. Know a few stuff about airfield like aircraft speed limit on a taxiway (my DPE asked me this and i didn’t know lol). How well do you know your aircraft systems and maintenance? (big one) and a good night sleep.
MNMoneyMan@reddit
Remember, if you don't like the approach, perform a go-around rather than "make it work"... for the sake of safety, good judgement, and show's you're considering all your options.
TxAggieMike@reddit
ORAL EXAM PREPARATION
First, I am not a fan of the "store bought" preparation kits. This includes items like the ASA Study guide and the videos series from the various vendors such as Kings and Sporty’s.
They can be expensive, have little value, be unrealistic, and set you up for potential challenges since they won't reflect how your examiner does the exam.
Now, for some solid preparation, there is a law of learning you can leverage when preparing for your exam called "Law of Primacy".
From the Aviation Instructor's Handbook:
Short and sweet, here is what I tell my students on how to prepare for the oral exam...
Oral Exam preparation
The suggestion of purchasing a prepared store bought item would set you up for a very frustrating time of memorization without much understanding or comprehension.
The task could look so large and be so frustrating, that you choose not to do it.
And when you do choose to work on it, you're not excited about doing it.
My way makes it more interesting and fun. Not to mention much less expensive.
And you actually learned the correct associations between questions and answers, understand them, can apply them, and can make correlations between two or more disassociated topics. (for the CFI's reading... RUAC, baby!)
TxAggieMike@reddit
Please include reading this in your preparation
https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/acs/acs_companion_guide_pilots.pdf
mookfangers@reddit
Most forgotten? Probably not over-talking your answers to generate new questions. You can turn a simple question into a really complex one very easily.
My advice is to not overthink it.
run264fun@reddit
What color is the sky?
Blue
Let the DPE ask if it’s cloudy or nighttime
PhilRubdiez@reddit
What is this?
a pen
Thomas-Ligotti97@reddit
lol I always tell my students not to give a golden shovel answer. It might sound good and insightful but that doesn’t mean it can’t branch out and dig yourself into a hole
swanky_bubbles@reddit
Getting a good night sleep the night before
clopmaster18@reddit
Can confirm, did my oral (clouds never cleared as forecasted and we discontinued) this morning after a full 8 hours and the knowledge was just there. Surprised myself with a 90min commercial oral.
Dbeaves@reddit
During my airline oral i was asked a question, closed my eyes, took a deep breath and then answered. My check Airman loved it. He wished more people didn't spew word salad all day.
flyghu@reddit
Get there early and fly just before. It's strangely calming. I only had time to stay in the pattern and land twice. But it worked. This was advice from my DPE and I'm really glad I listened.
Orzorn@reddit
Be prepared to do a full set of climb calculations for a given density altitude. My DPE gave me the classic "you want to fly to somewhere in the Rockies in Colorado. Can you? Okay, you can get there, what happens if you need to go around?" He wanted more than just "No I wouldn't because the 172 wouldn't do well." Be able to calculate the numbers and show exactly why its unsafe (in my case, you can get there but you can't safely go around because you cannot get to pattern altitude before you'd need to descend back. The climb rate is just too poor).
ATrainDerailReturns@reddit
Proper crosswind correction technique
Mundane-Reality-7770@reddit
Making sure you're actually eligible for the checkride
ProperIntern7989@reddit
RemindMe! 1 day
pilotshashi@reddit
It’s your first certificate, so take note. It’s challenging.
ProperIntern7989@reddit
!remindme 24 hours
rFlyingTower@reddit
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Have my PPL checkride on May 12th what's the most forgotten thing people don't focus on while preparing for the checkride?
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