ATP checkride experiences

[AZaviator]

I would like to hear from anyone who could share their ATP checkride experience. I'm mainly interested in hearing from people who did it at places such as ATPs or Sheble's, or other flight schools.

A few questions I have are:

How long and how in depth was the oral?
What was on the flight portion?
What was your opinion of the training you received for your ATP checkride? Did you feel ready?
What kind of aircraft did you do the checkride in?

I've read the PTS and know what to expect, but wanted to hear of some first hand experiences from people who have taken the checkride.

Thanks in advance for all responses.

 

[TMMT]

My ATP oral was the hardest part, it lasted a bit over 4 hours.

I took mine in conjunction with a type rating at SimuFlite some years ago, so it may be a bit different for you.

My oral focused on systems and operations of the jet I was flying, regs and touched briefly on meteorology, physiology and one or two questions on high-speed aerodynamics.

I was told to know the POH inside and out, which I did because the oral would be very systems exact and detail concentrated.
The more you know the better off you’ll be, a good examiner will pick up on this and may cut you some slack if you are confident and know your plane.

My flight portion took place in a sim, lasted about two and a half hrs, (I was in no hurry and took my time with stuff) then I swapped seats and flew the right side while my sim buddy was abused and molested on the way to his type rating.

TMMT

 

[surplus1]

One thing I've never been able to figure out is why on earth some examiners get carried away with orals of rediculous duration. There is no reason whatever why an oral should last for 4 hours.

Assuming the examiner knows the airplane himself, it should never take him more than 2 hours to discover if you do. Combine a type ride with the ATP and one more hours is more than enough. I often wonder what these guys are trying to prove.

Same with your time in the box. Two hours is all it takes and all it should take.

Can't really answer the original poster's question. It was too long ago.

 

[tarp]

All ATP's

Oral was 1.5 hours, Flight was 1.7 hrs. Not bad at all.

I was ready - there is nothing like a motivated student. All ATP's offers that 2-day thing which is 2.3 practice and 1.7 checkride. I hadn't been in a Seminole in quite a while and getting in a new 2000 model there were differences ( Hey who moved the switches?).

I took the 4-day (10 hour course) because I thought the 2.3 wasn't enough to scrape off any rust or transference from the four other planes I regularly fly.

ATP checkride is basically an IFR checkride with precision. The oral was heavily into systems, FAR/AIM stuff. All ATP's had good gouge on local DE's.

Ride was quite a while ago, but I would still recommend using these guys if nothing else for the new Seminoles. The entire course was $1700 - I don't know where you can get a brand new Seminole and Instructor for $170/hr around here.

As instructor said - he didn't need to teach anything really - he just needed to be a confidence builder, error correcting mechanism and philosopher. Someone with 1500 hrs usually knows how to fly a plane.

 

[bobbysamd]

Sheble's

My ATP with Sheble was just over thirteen years ago, so things may have changed since then. It was in Blythe, California. Of course, he's moved to Nevada since then. I believe he now uses a Travelair.

They were using a Duchess then. I had a friend who had gotten his Commercial Multi at Sheble's four months before (all 3.0 hours worth) and he gave me all the study guides, V speeds and whatnot. I had memorized all that information. I had also practiced the BLH approaches many times in the sim, so I felt I was ready for them, though I had no idea what NDB approach they'd use.

I got there and found out the NDB approach would be given in their "sim." I say "sim" because it didn't fly like an airplane or any other flight training device I had flown before. It flew like an Etch-A-Sketch. I recall the approach had a racetrack procedure turn. I was tracking inbound to the IAF and a parallel entry was appropriate, per the AIM. I did it and my instructor was satisfied.

The next morning we flew the airplane. I didn't have a lot of multi at the time and had no time in Duchesses, but I apparently did well enough to satisfy my instructor. Then came the practical.

The oral must have lasted five minutes. Ten minutes max. I don't recall what questions I was asked. I read the comments above about the four-hour orals and I agree. But, a ten minute oral is just as ridiculous. I didn't complain, though.

I believe the flight came next. I don't recall the details too well, except that I did steep turns, maybe one stall, maybe an all-engine VOR to a circle-to-land and a single-engine ILS. All under the hood, of course. I remember the examiner was yakking the entire time. I remember being not especially rested and somewhat nervous.

We came in and I did the NDB and the hold. I didn't track as straight during my parallel entry to the hold as I did the night before, but it was fine. The examiner told my instructor to have me try a teardrop entry (non-standard, per the AIM! ) to the hold, which I did while he watched. All the while, he was selling me on the merits of his teardrop entry. Then, I was through. He rubber-stamped my logbook and signed it. In the meantime, a lady at the desk had typed my temporary, which he signed, and I was out of there. In at 4:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon, out by 12:00 noon on Monday.

I would go to Sheble's again, but if you go, go well-prepared. I left happy and with my ATP, but, in thinking back now, I wished I would have been better prepared for the pace. I don't feel I received much training, but the place made no pretentions about giving you flight training. It just gives you an intro to the airplane and reviews the ride gouge with you.

Hope that helps.

 

[bobbysamd]

Mike Pappas

While I'm in ATP checkride story mode, I'll write a little about this fine gentleman.

I took my Citation type with Mike Pappas in 1990, when he was operating Professional Airline Systems in Carlsbad, California. He has since founded Flight Crew Systems, Inc., in Carlsbad, www.flightcrewsystems.com .

I had obtained my Citation type with Mike, but had told him that week I wanted to add a single-engine ATP to my certificate. The day after I got my type with Mike, I met him at the airport. He had lined up a Warrior for me. Oral consisted of about thirty minutes on charts. The flight was really about the same as a regular instrument ride. ILS approach, VOR approach (it may have been partial panel), steep turns, maybe a stall, all under the hood, of course. It's been twelve years, so my memories of the practical aren't that fresh. What I recall very clearly is that Mike is a real gentleman and professional, and the experience was very pleasant and enjoyable.

I recommend Mike Pappas highly. I'm sure that if you would contact Mike and tell him you'd like to take your ATP in a twin he'll be more than willing to accomodate you and help you find an airplane. Just another idea to consider besides Sheble's and the others.

 

[TWA Dude]

Re: Mike Pappas

Back in 1995, FlightSafety in Lakeland Florida in a Piper Seminole. Two hour oral, straightforward and very detailed into the POH and then several W&B problems with follow-up changes. We briefed for all maneuvers and approaches to be completed during the flight. On downwind vectors to a simulated single-engine ILS (the first of three briefed ILS') the "good" engine lost almost all power. The DE immediatedly told me that he didn't do it. While I was trouble-shooting he told me to just feather it. Cooperate and graduate, so I shut her down. After the obligatory emergency declaration (my first, but not last!) we continued to fly a real single-engine ILS though the WX was CAVU. The DE even thought to caution me about how different it would be to taxi and turn with the asymmetric thrust. Upon landing and parking I figured we'd have to grab another airplane and finish the checkride as we still had two more approaches to go. He told me to write up the plane and meet him in his office and when I got there he was typing up my temp certificate. Good checkride!

My only advice: fly like you know what you're doing at all times and handle your inevitable mistakes like the professional that you are. G'luck.

 

[414Flyer]

I did mine back in february in a Cessna 340.

Was not that bad, but the checkride itself was rather long.

Oral was not much..just some systems questions to make sure I knew about the aircraft, and that did not take long since I knew more about it than he did. Then some performance charts to go thru, and that was the jist of the oral. Maybe 30 min...

For the checkride, it took over 2 hours because had to fly 90 NM miles away to an airport with ILS approaches, so that was all part of the checkride.

Took off, headed towards Farmington, did steep turns, hold on the way there, two ILS approaches. I got lucky because the airport was so busy, the approaches had to be broken off before I could get down all the way to where it was most sensitive..I didnt complain.

Then headed back, pulled power one one engine but it wouldtn really hold altitude and that was more of his intent to show that, than to demand that altitude be held exactly.

LOC and VOR approach, and that was it really, but probably near 2.5 hour flight, and oral was less than hour.

 

[Unchilled]

Re: Sheble's

My ATP with Sheble was just over thirteen years ago, so things may have changed since then. It was in Blythe, California. Of course, he's moved to Nevada since then. I believe he now uses a Travelair.

FYI, Sheble's is now in IGM, Arizona now as well as their Henderson,NV location. I couldn't say for sure, but I believe the ATP is available at both locations.