Checkride scheduled!

MacFlier

Pre-takeoff checklist
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MacFlier
My PPL checkride is scheduled for next week.
I've reviewed all my flight planning with my CFI and will fly this weekend, solo, for one last practice at landings, short/soft T&L, S-turns and steep turns.

Any "final week" advice? I know one is to relax but that has been hard... :)
 
Don't forget your log book and check book. Good luck!!!
 
Breathe...and if you have a little mistake or two early in the checkride, don't assume you'll fail. Keep calm, fly on, and good luck!!!
 
I got tripped up on the oral. The DPE asked how I know all of the ADs on the aircraft were performed? I rattled out the answer. He said okay now do that. I had never actually gone through the process, and fumbled with it. Knowing the answer wasn't enough, make sure you actually do all of the stuff you've learned how to do.

Fly as much as you can between now and then. My DPE was fun to fly with, it was a no stress flight. It was the first time anyone said my stick and rudder was "above average", and I attribute that to flying every day for 5 days before the ride.
 
Good luck. Make sure that the DPE takes checks. Many prefer cash.

Use good judgment. If you are screwing up a landing, go around. A go-around is okay. A bad landing will probably be a fail. Just make sure you nail the followup landing.

Don't forget your clearing turns prior to maneuvers. You can do the best steep turn in the history of aviation but if you didn't clear first, you'll likely fail.

Don't BS during the oral. If he asks you something that you don't know, just say so. As long as you answer the great majority of the questions correctly, one or two "I don't knows" will not doom you. But be prepared to tell him where you think the information can be found, i.e. FARs, AIM, PHAK, etc.

Be sure that you know the reasons for various maneuvers. He might ask why knowing how to recover from power-off stalls or power-on stalls is important or when they might accidentally be encountered.

Know the current special emphasis topics. Know them well. TFRs, interception procedures, Special Use Airspace, LAHSO, runway incursion, etc.

Know Crew Resource Management, especially how it applies to single pilot. Know your resources.

When it comes time to go under the hood and back out of it, be sure to exercise good positive exchange of control technique.

I'm sure your CFI has adequately prepped you but these are some things that trip up some pilots and you are a pilot. Now go prove it.
 
I got tripped up on the oral. The DPE asked how I know all of the ADs on the aircraft were performed? I rattled out the answer. He said okay now do that. I had never actually gone through the process, and fumbled with it. Knowing the answer wasn't enough, make sure you actually do all of the stuff you've learned how to do.

Fly as much as you can between now and then. My DPE was fun to fly with, it was a no stress flight. It was the first time anyone said my stick and rudder was "above average", and I attribute that to flying every day for 5 days before the ride.
It's hard for me to fly during the week, but I've been flying each weekend before the checkride and I'll fly this Saturday and Sunday.
 
Good luck. Make sure that the DPE takes checks. Many prefer cash.

Use good judgment. If you are screwing up a landing, go around. A go-around is okay. A bad landing will probably be a fail. Just make sure you nail the followup landing.

Don't forget your clearing turns prior to maneuvers. You can do the best steep turn in the history of aviation but if you didn't clear first, you'll likely fail.

Don't BS during the oral. If he asks you something that you don't know, just say so. As long as you answer the great majority of the questions correctly, one or two "I don't knows" will not doom you. But be prepared to tell him where you think the information can be found, i.e. FARs, AIM, PHAK, etc.

Be sure that you know the reasons for various maneuvers. He might ask why knowing how to recover from power-off stalls or power-on stalls is important or when they might accidentally be encountered.

Know the current special emphasis topics. Know them well. TFRs, interception procedures, Special Use Airspace, LAHSO, runway incursion, etc.

Know Crew Resource Management, especially how it applies to single pilot. Know your resources.

When it comes time to go under the hood and back out of it, be sure to exercise good positive exchange of control technique.

I'm sure your CFI has adequately prepped you but these are some things that trip up some pilots and you are a pilot. Now go prove it.
Nice list! Thanks!
 
Bring the aircraft's maintenance books with you for the oral. Locate the various relevant info in these books so you can find them if he asks you (annual, ADs, etc).
Make sure you give him a pax briefing, even if he, like mine, is already strapped in and ready to go before I even climbed inside.
Check out other member's write ups on here, there are a few very helpful ones.
Good luck!
 
Remind yourself what privileges the PPL gives you, the currency requirements, medical types and duration (not just for your age).

When the oral ends and they same something similar to "let's go flying" you're 90% of the way done. It sounds counter intuitive, but no CFI would sign you off if they thought the flight portion wouldn't be smooth.
 
My PPL checkride is scheduled for next week.
I've reviewed all my flight planning with my CFI and will fly this weekend, solo, for one last practice at landings, short/soft T&L, S-turns and steep turns.

Any "final week" advice? I know one is to relax but that has been hard... :)

Just took mine on 11/18.

If your CFI signed you off you'll do great. Go over the ACS multiple times, everything you can be asked is in there. Personal Minimums are a special emphasis area. Make sure you know all the airspace along your xcountry route.

Most important thing be the PIC.

You got this!
 
My PPL checkride is scheduled for next week.
I've reviewed all my flight planning with my CFI and will fly this weekend, solo, for one last practice at landings, short/soft T&L, S-turns and steep turns.

Any "final week" advice? I know one is to relax but that has been hard... :)

When I went for my checkride, I found out what my DPE was interested in and got him talking about different things. Really helped “break the ice” and after a while it just kind of blended in to the oral test. Oral lasted about 1.5-2 hours and I’d say a good 45 minutes to an hour of that was me just listening to him tell stories lol. I’m sure that won’t happen for everyone and is largely dependent on your DPE’s personality, but it’s worth a shot to try and loosen them up and take some tension out of the room.
 
I've been going thru it and had my CFI ask questions from it last week... that was a great exercise to not only see what questions I missed but also where to find the answer in the AIM...
 
Be confident but not cocky, remember you are pilot in command. Don't BS em. Remember being a pilot you are professional- even if its just a hobby and will never be for pay ever you must have a professional mindset.

Mine hopped in plane and put lapbelt on but failed to attach shoulder strap... i pointed it out in my before engine start checklist. He said "oh its fine, the rule is passenger doesn't have to attach shoulder strap besides for take off and landing, and it makes note taking harder" He seemed so confident, and he was the FAA's hired hand he must know I the rules I thought for a second, and then replied: "Kevin, I can't site chapter and verse the last technicalities of that, however I am Pilot in Command of this flight and I need you to buckle your shoulder belt prior to the starting of the engine, wether its technically required or not it is when I'm flying" He politely complied and I was told later by a CFI that just demonstrating the ability to not be intimidated by a passenger and to have truly taken on the role of Pilot In Command was the point where I had passed the check ride if I didn't completely blow the flying.

You got this, deep breath, confidence in yourself and your ability and go show him or her how well you can fly!
 
Macflyer, did you pass?
Not yet... It turned out I had an issue in the paperwork with a middle initial not matching between the iacra forms, the student pilot cert and the written...
Very frustrating, especially that I learned about it only after flying to meet the dpe...
At least I got my first taste of class B as Approach cleared me direct to destination thru it, which was pretty cool.
So I rescheduled it for tomorrow, fingers crossed!
 
My IFR checkride is scheduled for 12/23. Going to cost 400 which I thought was reasonable.
 
Update: plane had to go to the shop last night and it would be ready this afternoon. However, weather has been deteriorating and ceilings will be around 2000 so not ideal for a checkride.
Postponed it to first week of January... :(
Now I have to schedule some flights in between to keep skills sharp.
 
Don't worry. It will be here before you know it. Just look at this a an opportunity to do more studying. o_O
 
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