Check-ride Nerves.....

[Icebergclub]

How does everybody handle there checkride nerves? I would sure like to hear from anybody who has had a hard time in the past with checkride butterflies and how they have overcome them.

I am starting to see folks who get so nervous before a checkride that it effects there performance in the sim, from shaky legs and stuttered speech all the way to big items that cause them to bust the ride.

I would like to think that years of experience, flying many hours and just having seen lots of checkrides equates into a cool head and enough confidence to NOT get nervous for a checkride. But usually this is not the case, I am seeing guys with 19,000+ hours loose the game mentally.

Has anybody gotten professional help for nerves?
What are your tips or tricks for not getting nervous?
Does having a cocky or over confident attitude help?

In my opinion the training department has a huge effect on this, they set the tone of the training and most importantly the quality of the training. I am seeing checkrides given to a higher level than the training was done to. This does not seem fair or right.
Also the checkairman giving the ride during the pre-brief can also have a huge effect on the pilots nerves, I have seen guys set a very harsh tone....."one knot below ref" or "one foot below MDA" and the ride is done. Or most guys who set a nice friendly tone and try to chit-chat or tell some jokes to help make the guy relax.
During my 737 type I heard something that I have never heard before and that was, that the checkairmen is to a certain degree trying to make you nervous to see how you handle it. With the reasoning being that they want this guy who could be a captain of a 737 to be able to handle some stress.
My questions to this is: Isnt checkride stress complety different from flying the line and having a problem stress? In my experience it is different.

Anyway, just looking for other folks experience's in this matter to help myself and many others that this seems to effect. Do we have any shrinks out there for some professional help????

Thanks in advance for any replies...........

Godspeed in all your endeavors

 

[bigD]

I'm not an airline pilot yet, so I'm not sure if you're looking for a response from someone like me, but oh well - he goes:

For me - the initial nervousness never seems to go away. After a few checkrides, I thought it would. But it never did. I get the butterflies, and usually toss and turn for hours and hours in bed the night before. I don't think I've ever taken a checkride on any more than 3-4 hours of sleep. I've tried everything I could short of medication and professional help. Some say that preparation is key, but I've gone into checkrides feeling like I knew anything and everything for the oral, and could fly the hell out of the PTS. Didn't seem to matter.

But on the flip side - once I sit down with the examiner or get in the plane, it's all business. The nervousness just disappears. Maybe I'm too focused on the tasks to get nervous, but whatever it is, I'm completely comfortable once the test begins - especially once I step into the plane. Granted, I've only taken 4 real checkrides, but in each case, I flew better on the checkride than I ever did during the training.

It's stange, and I figure that sooner or later after taking all of these checkrides, the initial nervousness will go away. But looking at your profile Iceberg, perhaps it doesn't.

 

[bobbysamd]

Checkitis

A lot depends on the purpose of the ride. Certification rides carry a lot of pressure because your career success can depend a great deal on your pass rate. Bust one ride and it's no major deal. Bust two and it might be a problem. Bust more than two and you've probably dug yourself into a hole. Therefore, people are under pressure to pass every ride. Don't forget to factor in the possibility of an unfair or grumpy examiner who takes out his/her mood on you, the hapless applicant.

I was nervous before every FAA ride I took. I was nervous as he!! before my first ERAU 141 ride. My (extremely strict but extremely knowledgable) instructor had given me a somewhat negative writeup and I was led to believe that I would not be hired if I busted. I did fine. I found out many months later that people were given second and third chances to pass their 141 rides. I remember being completely at ease for all my subsequent Riddle 141 rides; in fact, I recall that my initial 141 ME ride nine months after I was hired was an extremely pleasant and relaxed affair.

It goes without saying that you must be prepared and well trained. Maybe overtrained to better than standards to compensate for any deterioration in performance. I found that after I got going with the examiner the tension eased greatly, but never 100 per cent.

Good luck with your rides.

 

[aviatrix]

I love the adrenaline rush! It usually makes me perform better! What I cant stand right now are the anxiety attacks late at night when ! think of how bad this industry is at the moment and how pitiful the job search has been!
Good luck to everyone out there dealing with these times!!!
If karma exists (and it has to) we will all be sitting better in the near future, looking back on these times and smiling!

 

[hobbsmeter]

I think being nervous for a checkride is a normal part of the process. For me, I look at it as a chance to demonstrate what I have learned during the training process. Being confident helps, being too confident leads to cockiness, which in my opininon is not a good thing during a checkride or flying in general, after all the examiner has many many tricks up his/her sleeve to throw at you, as does Murphy's law. I try to stay humble and make it as fun as I can. Like BigD, I also have a hard time sleeping. I got a whopping 1 hr before my initial CFI ride, but I did fine anyway.
I haven't needed any professional help yet, maybe before my first type ride I will

 

[Timebuilder]

The nervousness is normal, to a point. It's a part of the "flight or fight" response. Expect it. Deal with it. Meet it as an adversary, and turn it into an ally.

Train well, and feel confident, not over-confident, about your ability. Know that you can accomplish the tasks. If the checkairman tries to psyche you out, psyche yourself right back in.

A good rest, along with a decent meal, will help. As a friend says, have the heart of a Klingon. Revel in the battle! Glory! Success! Kaplach!

 

[navigator72]

Checkride stress

I get very little sleep the night before a checkride. I usually toss and turn
and stare at the alarm clock until it starts going off. Except for the commercial
ride. The night before my commercial checkride, My CFI took me out for dinner and drinks to review what I needed to know (she was great like that!). I had one beer then 2 then 3 then 4 and so on....... next thing you know it is the morning of the checkride and I don't suffer from a lack of sleep, I suffer from a lack of brain cells. It all ended good though, A great checkride and very little stress.....

Disclaimer:
The author of this post does in no way endorse the use of alcoholic beverages to help pass checkrides. I do however endorse the use of alcoholic beverages after you pass the ride!!!!!

 

[Icebergclub]

Thanx for all the responses!

 

[Dieterly]

Beeing a former checkairman I know the realxed approach during the pre-brief really helps most guys. I liked to say "Let's go in there and have a good time, and hopefully WE can all learn something from it", also liked to add "hey, let's have a few beers when we are done", that got most guys calmed down a bit.

 

[cwuflyboy]

One thing that helped me was to Chew gum during the flight, I also heard that spearamint helps you to remember things, don't know if its true though .