4 checkride fails
Posted by LaLaPooPoop@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 44 comments
CFI-I / MEI here, 500 hrs. Failed CPL, MEL, CFI, CFI-I all once. Have a flying gig teaching. I already know my chances at the airlines are zero but want to fly corporate. Doing my best to make connections, fly new airplanes, etc. am I cooked flying professionally?
Thomas-Ligotti97@reddit
There’s atleast 100 other posts exactly like this one. Hope nobody answers your truthfully
JumboTrijet@reddit
Lighten up, Francis
Thomas-Ligotti97@reddit
When I’m wrong I will admit I’m wrong, yet in this case I know I’m not so try again
JumboTrijet@reddit
I don’t need to try again. You are wrong and it is clear that you cannot admit it. If anyone needs to try again, that would be you.
Thomas-Ligotti97@reddit
Oh except I’m clearly not wrong lol. He deleted his post and I don’t clearly remember what he failed his checkrides in but I remember it was ATLEAST CPL, and CFI….. respectfully failing only one of these I can sympathize with a story but BOTH? lol no. Especially since he clearly has a history of failing checkrides.
So in conclusion: this is not a story of bad luck or evil DPE’s, but rather a ‘pilot’ who struggles to discipline himself to prepare himself for checkrides. (Correct me if I’m wrong but it’s quite obvious you can’t)
JumboTrijet@reddit
I clearly can and you proved yourself wrong. What was wrong was the snark with which you replied. There is a good reason that your comment was removed by the moderators.
Thomas-Ligotti97@reddit
Proved myself wrong? You can hate the style of it but we both know the actual substance is true lol.
JumboTrijet@reddit
So what? I am glad that you’re so proud of yourself for being right on the substance. However, you’re still missing the point. You can’t nervously “lol” your way to legitimacy.
Thomas-Ligotti97@reddit
‘Nervously “lol” your way to legitimacy’ genuinely what are you talking about? I’ve been asking you what I got wrong and…. You can’t tell me besides saying my tone could’ve been better?
Do you hear yourself right now? If I was blatantly or even somewhat wrong I’ll admit it but it was objective truth. Sorry I offended you
JumboTrijet@reddit
Yes. I can see right through it. You didn’t offend me a bit and you still don’t get it because you’re not reading very well. I acknowledged that the substance of what you said was correct. Where you were wrong was your snark towards the OP. Got it now?
You know that one could give an objective truth without being a jerk, right? You must be fun to fly with🙄
Thomas-Ligotti97@reddit
Attacking style because you can’t attack the substance is pretty weak tbh.
People like this need tough love if anything lol, because obviously he hasn’t faced reality of it yet.
JumboTrijet@reddit
Just keep calling your behavior a “style” if that makes you feel better. #incorrigible
Thomas-Ligotti97@reddit
Huh? Calling my tone ‘style’ and what I’m saying as ‘substance’ is literally literary terms in arguing……
You are objectively attacking the STYLE of how i portray my substance…..
Thomas-Ligotti97@reddit
Also just to clear it up: what did I get wrong exactly?
One_Rip_5535@reddit
People are so bitter on here lmao
Thomas-Ligotti97@reddit
Acting like I’m wrong which is the funny part lol. Be honest: how many genuinely good pilots have you seen fail this many checkrides? He need a a reality check because clearly one checkride failure isn’t enough which is astounding
yogaballcactus@reddit
If we didn’t have “I’ve failed a bunch of checkrides am I cooked?” And “I’m 35 and want to career switch” we wouldn’t even have a subreddit tbh. People gotta relax. There’s not that much new content every day, so we might as well rehash the same shit over and over again.
One_Rip_5535@reddit
It’s also probably way more fun to ask and get responses than to read old posts
yogaballcactus@reddit
I really enjoy the people asking, even if it’s the same old shit. Some things you can look up, but sometimes people point out things I never would have thought of.
One_Rip_5535@reddit
True. Plus things change so quick in this industry it doesn’t hurt to get a current opinion, could be different by the week honestly
Helpful-Lion-6316@reddit
Don’t forget “I have 6 hours and can’t land, am I cooked?”
Nama2005@reddit
Jeez
Thomas-Ligotti97@reddit
Acting like I’m wrong? As a cfi I haven’t even submitted this many people who have failed lol. Fail one and it’s whatever, but fail THIS many times? Yea that’s a character issue
NakedRaincoat@reddit
I always find it a little funny when people think they can just fall back on a corporate gig because an airline won’t touch them like it’s just that easy. Surprise, high net worth individuals also care about the quality of their pilots
Are you cooked? I wouldn’t say so. Crazier things have happened but you’re going to have to spend some time improving your resume and putting distance between you and these failures. Maybe you’ll be lucky and network your way in
Thomas-Ligotti97@reddit
I knew somebody at my part 141 school who failed his private eoc FOUR TIMES and gave me the ‘yea…. Idk I think I’ll look at corporate and maybe work up to the airlines’ like what?
Flaky_Summer_9800@reddit
I’ll top that. I had to ferry the plane with another student who failed his EOC 5 times, than proceeded to fail the actual checkride with the DPE. He was a Saudi student though, so I don’t think the fails really matter for that. I didn’t even know how to react when his instructor told me that. Not beating someone up for failing, I’ve got some fails. Not 5 on on one ride though. Absolute insanity.
Thomas-Ligotti97@reddit
5 in one ride is 100% pure laziness imo. Like that’s not justifiable in any way. Scary to think he probably pushed his way into PPL.
Also side note: my part 141 schools considered the EOCs the checkrides…. Meaning they get their cert/rating if they pass but if they fail it’s technically not on their record. (Although many airlines and cadet programs specifically ask about EOC failures aswell, probably to combat that)
Civil-Resolution8645@reddit
Might want to consider another occupation.
Flaky_Summer_9800@reddit
Idk. Honestly. I wish I had a better answer for you. I’m somewhat in the same boat. 3 fails though. There are people with 4 plus fails at every single legacy airline. There not common, but they do exists. The point is no one truly knows. What’s a thing now isn’t going to be 5 years from now. There’s more to a pilot than just checkride fails. 4 fails in the current market is almost certainly going to be a no, but that doesn’t mean it would be a no go in the future. You certainly need to diversify your experience. Absolutely do not fail any more rides. There are jobs for you, it just may not be what you want.
Worried-Ebb-1699@reddit
It’s not lights out. But it’s definitely an uphill battle you have to defend and explain.
I’d spend a lot of time learning why they happened and how to prevent it going forward
FlyingShadow1@reddit
I have 4. I managed to network into a turbine (turboprop) but as an instructor.
1600+ TT, 150 ME, 30+ Turbine.
Passed MEI first try. Got gold seal.
The rest is copy-pasted from another post:
I've had many automatic rejections or no reply at all (more so the latter). I'd say maybe 100 of the 200 applications I've sent out asked about checkride fails so some of those rejections had nothing to do with checkride fails.
I also have had interviews at some places but did not get selected. Checkride fails were never brought up during the interview or application process except at one interview. That company asked about fails both on the interview and on the application so I don't think the fails is what caused the rejection because why bother interviewing me?
Skywest sent me the survey a while ago which was... surprising, only because I did not expect it as every airline on airline apps asks about checkride fails. Envoy and Republic gave me the TBNT within a week of submitting the application and every other airline has ghosted me. We'll see if they bother to move on to the documents request.
It is hard in the sense that many doors are going to be closed at the beginning for you but there does appear to be light at the end of this tunnel. It's going to take longer and I have no clue if I'll even make it to a major/legacy or if I'll be a regional lifer. I would love to fly a 767 for a legacy (that was the first airplane I ever flew on) but I may just end up stuck in an RJ for the next 30+ years. My plan is one of the AA WOs but I have no clue if that's going to happen given PSA/Piedmont not saying anything to me.
flyingforfun3@reddit
Guy here from a “small 91 outfit”
We take in the big picture. But we only hire 3000+ hour with previous types. The right person with the right personality changes that.
You need to get some shitty 135 time and a couple types to be able to explain that away.
A type rating ain’t cheap. I’ve gotten 4 on a handshake that I’d NOT ONLY pass on the first try but then also stick around for at least a year.
Don’t give up, but look into why you have the failures. This is what interviewers are looking for. Can you pass a type on the first try or will they have to pay more?
KehreAzerith@reddit
Better than having 5
Don't fail again, especially type ratings.
HighRiskInv143@reddit
Not exactly cooked but you gonna need a couple years of Part 135 before 121 will look at you, no failures of course.
Sugar_Cane_320@reddit
Four failures on four different check rides…just gonna be blunt and say it’s not a good look homie
One_Rip_5535@reddit
It’s not impossible though, right? Or is it? I mean I guess it isn’t. OP has a teaching job already. Just stay there till something opens up. It might eventually.
I think if OP doesn’t have a degree then getting one, and getting really good grades, would also help show airlines that they’re not the type that’s gonna fail out of training. Preferably something harder (not communications). But idk.
LaLaPooPoop@reddit (OP)
Have a bachelors in aviation science, graduated 3.7 GPA
One_Rip_5535@reddit
Oh that’s good then. Yeah I don’t think you’re cooked by any means. The debt sucks though. If this is what you really wanna do, and you stick with it and network and put everything you got into it, you should be good I would think. It’s cyclical, too. Sadly I think this war in Iran is going to keep things slow for a while but it’ll pick back up at some point!
You’re 22, super young. Don’t have kids anytime soon (unless you already did in which case congratulations, children are a gift, cherish these years, etc) and just keep chugging you should be fine I would think
LaLaPooPoop@reddit (OP)
Have a bachelors, graduated cum laude
quackquack54321@reddit
If you fail your first type ride, you should find a new career.
banana1and@reddit
You should just start applying at the places people have shit on in here; those are probably realistically the type of places that would give you a shot with that resume
Right-Suggestion-667@reddit
If you actually wanna fly corporate and that’s your dream you should be chillin. Might not make it to netjets or flexjet but find some smaller 135 or 91 outfit and network your way in
LaLaPooPoop@reddit (OP)
@ 22 y/o and financial ruin
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
CFI-I / MEI here, 500 hrs. Failed CPL, MEL, CFI, CFI-I all once. Have a flying gig teaching. I already know my chances at the airlines are zero but want to fly corporate. Doing my best to make connections, fly new airplanes, etc. am I cooked flying professionally?
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