preparing for the checkride

[clumpinglitter]

I'm supposed to be getting ready to take the checkride for my PPL. But I'm completely choking. I had a rotten flight lesson today -- I couldn't do anything right. This was supposed to be the last lesson before the ride, but I'm going to need at least two more now. I know that I'm doing many things wrong, and I can even tell you in detail how to fix most of it. But I still am constantly screwing up these maneuvers. And they're so incredibly simple -- what is going on here? Is this a normal thing to have happen? Help? I am completely at a loss about what to do. Repetition and practice don't seem to be working. I have another prep lesson tomorrow, and I'm dreading it.

-C.

 

[Lead Sled]

Sounds like you're coming down with a case of checkrideitus. It's something that nearly all of us fight, to one degree or another, prior to taking a checkride. How to deal with it? We're all different and what works for me may or may not help you.

Remember, your examiner isn't looking for perfection, they're basically just looking to see if you stay within tolerances and are safe. To date, throughout the entire history of the world, no one has ever flown a perfect checkride (or flown a perfect flight for that matter) and you will not be the first. Just do what you've been trained to do and everything will turn out just fine. But, if you find yourself crosswise with any given manuever, simply correct yourself and move on. Unless you've done something totally off the wall it probably won't even be mentioned.

As far as the oral goes, be very careful not to tell the examiner more than you know. Answer the questions simply and directly, nothing more. He/she will be able to tell very quickly when you're in over your head.

Remember, anyone can bust any checkride on any given day. I'm not telling you this to get you wound up, but simply to let you know of the possibility. If worse comes to worse it's really no big deal, you just have to go back and demonstrate the manuver(s) that you were found lacking in.

If you're going to make aviation a career, then you'd better get used to the fact that you're going to have to take checkrides on an ongoing basis. It doesn't matter if you're flying charter, corporate jets, or for the airlines, you're going to have to take what amounts to a instrument and type-rating checkride every 6 months. After a while, it's not a big deal; but I admit it's not my favorite thing to do.

Relax.

'Sled

 

[JAFI]

Clump, You are puttimng too much pressure on your self. Relax - - I know this is easer said than done, but many many other students have been in your place before, and you will not be the last. I recommend that for your next lessons you prepare by chair flying (yes sitting in a chair and going over all the manuevers by the book just in your head, talk to yourself out loud, review every part of the flight and each manuever over and over until you know what to do by heart. Then just do each flight (this time in the aircraft) as you practiced sitting in your chair.

This has worked for many others.

Relax and try to enjoy the private exam. It is a piece of cake, The next ones are much harder.......

JAFI

 

[Tarzan]

Put it like this..... This is a license to learn. Can you go out and not kill yourself and do have knowledge of what your trying to do. If the PTS standards were strictly adhered to, most would not have their private until they had a few more hours (except me, I'm super-pilot). As spoken of before, chair fly the stuff and talk out loud.

 

[BLing]

I freaked out right before my first few checkrides. But when it was all said and done, they were some of the most enjoyable flights I ever had. Examiners dont want to bust you, they do want to see you pass. Like Led Sled stated, nobody has ever flown a perfect flight. Examiners are allowed to give some leway during a ride. A checkride should be held to a high standard, but at the same time if you relax and come prepared they arent that bad! Hang in there, your going to be just fine!

 

[hydroflyer]

One thing you might want to do is to pull out your PTS, or look it up online, and take a look towards the front where it details "unsatisfactory performance." I found that helpful to look at because it gave me a better idea of my tolerances and what I should do in the event that I mess something up.

Here's something else to remember, and you can use it for your next lessons as well as the checkride. Just focus on the task at hand, nothing that happened before, and nothing that is coming up. When you take your checkride, the examiner is supposed to tell you if a maneuver or task was unsatisfactory. If you have a manuever that you felt wasn't good and disappointed you, but the examiner didn't say anything, forget it and continue on. Nothing you can do about it and it apparently didn't hurt you. I used this on my instrument checkride after a shakey ILS approach, but relaxed and did well on the rest of the ride.

Something else I would do is the day before a checkride, I would take the plane up for a short flight, usually less than an hour, and just fly around a little bit to relax me. Maybe I would do a maneuver or two, maybe a landing or two. I didn't do much, but just relaxed and enjoyed it.

Finally, having one bad flight shortly before a checkride isn't a bad sign. It just may mean you got that out of your system before the flight that counted. If your instructor has scheduled your checkride already, it means they feel you are ready for it. Try to relax and have fun. Getting that certificate will be your second most exciting day of your flying, right after the first solo.

Good Luck.

 

[clumpinglitter]

Remember, your examiner isn't looking for perfection, they're basically just looking to see if you stay within tolerances and are safe. To date, throughout the entire history of the world, no one has ever flown a perfect checkride (or flown a perfect flight for that matter) and you will not be the first. Just do what you've been trained to do and everything will turn out just fine. But, if you find yourself crosswise with any given manuever, simply correct yourself and move on. Unless you've done something totally off the wall it probably won't even be mentioned.

What's especially dumb about this is that I know exactly what to expect from the DE. It shouldn't be difficult at all -- in fact, this ride should be ridiculously easy. Including the oral part.

Remember, anyone can bust any checkride on any given day. I'm not telling you this to get you wound up, but simply to let you know of the possibility. If worse comes to worse it's really no big deal, you just have to go back and demonstrate the manuver(s) that you were found lacking in.

Yeah, I'm already pretty wound up. Apparently, none of my instructor's students has failed a checkride with this DE, but I'm not sure if that's helpful information to have or not.

If you're going to make aviation a career, then you'd better get used to the fact that you're going to have to take checkrides on an ongoing basis. It doesn't matter if you're flying charter, corporate jets, or for the airlines, you're going to have to take what amounts to a instrument and type-rating checkride every 6 months. After a while, it's not a big deal; but I admit it's not my favorite thing to do.

Right.

-C.

 

[clumpinglitter]

I freaked out right before my first few checkrides. But when it was all said and done, they were some of the most enjoyable flights I ever had. Examiners dont want to bust you, they do want to see you pass. Like Led Sled stated, nobody has ever flown a perfect flight. Examiners are allowed to give some leway during a ride. A checkride should be held to a high standard, but at the same time if you relax and come prepared they arent that bad! Hang in there, your going to be just fine!

I'm not looking for perfection. Just staying within PTS would be good enough. It's stupid, because I actually want to do the checkride and have my certificate. You would think that would make this process fun and not stressful. I'll try the chair flying as suggested, even though I (supposedly) know how to do all the maneuvers.
*sigh*
-C.

 

[jimpilot]

At the training centers we change the IP when a student is not progressing. One of the first things I teach my IPs is you can't teach all of the people all of the time. In my opinion the best IPs are the ones who realize this and get an IP change before the client even knows it's a problem.

Some times a different way of explaining or demonstrating makes all the difference in the world.

Just a thought

 

[Kream926]

I recommend that for your next lessons you prepare by chair flying (yes sitting in a chair and going over all the manuevers by the book just in your head, talk to yourself out loud, review every

i prefer the toilet flying method