So I got failed on my -II today....

[say again]

what doesn't kill ya will make you stronger.

Alcohol certainly isn't making me any stronger!!!!!:beer: Bigger, but not stronger.:laugh:

 

[B-J-J Fighter]

I use to work at the place you took your checkride, for the man you took your checkride with. You should have use Clyde "Let it Slide" Shelton or Joey Sanders near BHM. I did my CFI ride with the same person you did and the stars must have been aligned for me that day. Busting a CFI ride is not a show stopper when you go to get your next job, I wouldn't worry about it. Bring back your money and redo the portion you messed up on and I would bet theres a 99.999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% chance you will pass. Good luck, oh yeah bring cash!

 

[Terry Hunter]

Truth is most people ding a checkride here or there. I failed one as well, and I think it was the best thing that happened to me; It reminded me to hold every checkride as a very serious matter that can't be looked past. And to keep my attitude in check too.

Review, and go back to the same guy.

 

[hindsight2020]

Thanks for the advice, I'll dust off and schedule the re-examination. I do agree with the comments regarding the decision-making aspect of accepting to go through with the checkride, I admit I was trying to get this thing done (not writing down the mock clearance is perhaps testament to this).

It's only the holding task. Next time two radios, a piece of paper to write down the clearance and a more conservative check on the winds aloft.

I'll keep ya fellas posted on how the re-check goes. Thanks.

 

[CA1900]

I read the account, and it strikes me that you were expecting the whole thing to be a gimme. You even said it yourself: "Busted in the easiest checkride of them all heh?" I never heard that said about the CFII.

Based solely on your account, you weren't taking the ride or the examiner seriously, and he picked up on it. You lost SA as the "instructor," and that can get you killed down the line. Say what you will about his attitude, I'd have dinged you on it too.

I'm sure you'll do fine on the retest. But do understand that while the examiner is only required to test the area of operation that you failed, he has the discretion to test as much other stuff as he likes. He can do the whole ride over if he likes. So stay sharp.

 

[FlyingFisherman]

The CFII ride was cake. Of course...I went into it over prepared and with a good attitude. Trying to be super pilot king of the skygods by not writing down your clearance should get you failed right off the bat and if I was the DE I'd stop the flight then and there.

 

[Apathy]

Alcohol certainly isn't making me any stronger!!!!!:beer: Bigger, but not stronger.:laugh:

:laugh:!!!!!!!! :beer:

 

[wmuflyguy]

At least give me that holding on an intersection with a single VOR receiver, with considerable crosswind, no DME to alleviate triangulation, and no frequency swap button, in a 172, with an a$$hole DE with the sh$tiest attitude, is not necessarily the easiest thing to perform

I'm pretty sure you have to supply an aircraft that allows you to accompliosh all tasks in the PTS. You could have said unable, for a DME or intersection hold. (though i wouldn't let you off the hook for the intersection hold, It is doable, but not easy).

 

[hindsight2020]

There was no problem with the airplane as it went configured for the checkride. I went into the aircraft with the expectation of it having an operational DME, when it didn't I made the mistake of continuing with the checkride. That decision right there was directly responsible for the dissaproval, because at that point I had set myself up for a whole lot of difficulties, particualrly with the intersection hold. The single VOR had GS capability (which covers the ILS) and the aircraft had an ADF, which enabled me to proceed with the VOR approach that required "DME or ADF"..so once again, I screwed myself by taking a knife to a gunfight. Plus you had to see how choppy it was, I'm not making an excuse, you just had to be there to understand how miserable the conditions were. Somebody touched on that point with the question of whether or not you would have performed an instrument lesson in those conditions. Well, in spite of it being SKC VFR the answer would be no, since it would have not been conducive to learning. By implication then, a -II checkride surely wouldn't have been productive either, alas it wasn't. So I think that assertion goes to the heart of what my error was.

One day at a time though, I take pride in the fact that I managed to satisfy all other tasks successfully and only have to perform the hold next time (if God smiles on me that day and the DE is reasonable). As for "not letting me off the hook" for the intersection hold bust, it was a statistical crapshoot at that point, I have done them successfully in my CFII training and in single pilot IFR currency flights, so I'm not in the least concerned about my ability to tackle them on a day to day basis. Like I said before, what I did take from the experience was a re-evaluation of external factors to the flight and how it plays into my decision-making process.

Besides, talking to pilots about pilot performance is like asking people in prison "what you in here for?" : "Well... you didn't know? We're all innocent here!" You'll get 1000 replies of "I could have done that in my sleep, that's cake" and maybe one reply of "could have happened to me bro" That comes with the territory so it's all good. The advice was still appreciated though.

 

[kaj837]

I have always thought the retest concept was somewhat flawed. Many years ago I failed my initial CFI ride because I stupidly forgot to tell the Inspector to do clearing turns before "teaching" him straight ahead stalls. I then had to take an hour or so of dual and go back and have him do clearing turns. I screwed up badly, but going back doing a couple of turns and one power off, straight ahead stall seemed silly. I have never neglected them since though and that was a loooong time ago.

As far as the aircraft equipment goes even though in the bad, old days we did fly IFR regularly with one 27 channel transmitter, tunable receiver Narco Omnigator, usually with an ADF, would I do it today? Hell no. Too much work, and too much chance of screwing up. Now if stuff starts failing once you are already there probably you will get special handling from ATC to ease the workload.