Jason's Checkride Advice
While the outcome of a checkride determines whether or not you are issued a specific certification, it is better to think of the checkride as a tool in the training process during which you can demonstrate the skills, techniques, and abilities that you have learned throughout your training. After you successfully complete a checkride, you do not emerge as a changed person or an ace aviator simply because you passed. You begin the checkride possessing the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully fly an airplane otherwise your instructor wouldn’t have signed you off. The oral and flight tests are simply a way to prove that you can talk the talk and walk the walk. This is an important mindset that will relax you during the entire checkride process. You will come out learning many things from the checkride, both new techniques and procedures you could have flown or talked through better. The checkride is not just a way to prove yourself as a pilot but more importantly it is an important step in the learning experience.
Get plenty of rest the night before the checkride. While cramming the night before may work to successfully complete a written exam, the same technique won’t work for either the oral or flight portion of the checkride. Your preparation for the checkride should begin well before the night preceding the test and you should feel confident knowing that your instructor thoroughly reviewed important material with you before recommending you. Also make sure you stay hydrated and eat a proper meal before the checkride. Pilots are known to get cranky when they are thirsty or hungry (I know I am).
Preparation is key. I cannot stress this enough. The FAA Practical Test Standards (PTS) define in great detail the aeronautical knowledge and in flight maneuvers that will be asked of you during the checkride. Use this to your benefit by following the PTS as a study guide. You may not know the specific question that an examiner or inspector may ask you but the items listed in the PTS actually give you a leg up by defining what topics may be asked of you during the checkride. Designated Pilot Examiners and Aviation Safety Inspectors are limited to those items listed in the PTS for testing. If a specific topic is not mentioned in the PTS, you technically cannot be tested on it.
The PTS defines tolerances you must meet to successfully pass a checkride, however it is also important to note the FAA’s definition of Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory Performance. They are listed at the beginning of every PTS document. Also remember that just because you lost 125 feet in a steep turn which is beyond the PTS tolerance of 100 feet does not mean you automatically fail the checkride. The FAA defines unsatisfactory performance using four main statements two of which are, “ Consistently exceeding tolerances stated in the objectives” and “Failure to take prompt corrective action when tolerances are exceeded.” If you recognize the error and immediately correct it the examiner or inspector may find that you demonstrated the maneuver satisfactorily. There are other qualifications that define unsatisfactory performance so read up on those in the PTS.
The oral exam is an opportunity to make sure you are “in the know” and possess the knowledge to safely operate an airplane. Listen to the examiner’s question in its entirety before you answer and ask for clarification if you believe it is unclear. Do not answer a question simply based exactly on the answer you prepared for a similar question out of an oral exam guide. The examiner may have asked for something different. Treat the oral as an opportunity to impress the examiner before you even step foot in the airplane in a casual and non-threatening environment. Yes the examiner technically can fail you on the oral, but try your best to stay relaxed and answer questions in a straightforward and simple manner (don’t talk yourself into a corner). The more information you can discuss freely without reservation demonstrates your superior understanding. Remember that you are allowed to use reference materials to look up a specific answer if you forget but use this privilege sparingly. If you completely forget how many feet below the clouds you must be in Class G airspace at night between 1200’ AGL and below 10,000’ MSL simply tell the examiner you are not sure and would like to use the FAR/AIM to confirm your answer. Don’t pull this card to look up material you should clearly have memorized (aircraft limitations, speeds, aircraft airworthiness requirements, etc). Only use it for the more abstract questions you legitimately do not know the answer to but be able to locate where the answer can be found.
Triple check all of your paperwork including aircraft maintenance records, logbook entries, logbook endorsements, FAA Form 8710-1 or the IACRA equivalent. If you catch mistakes before the checkride there is no harm no foul as long as its fixed before the checkride. It becomes a lot more difficult and time consuming if you don’t discover a mistake until the beginning or the middle of the checkride. Double and triple check to make sure you are legal to take the checkride (aeronautical experience), have the appropriate sign offs, and that everything was submitted correctly. IACRA mistakes are hard to fix on the spot during the checkrdide, especially if your instructor is not readily available near a computer to sign you off again should you need to resubmit your application.
While the examiner or inspector is required to grade you as objectively as possible using FAA accepted practical test standards, the professionalism and proficiency you demonstrate can make your checkride experience much more enjoyable. First impressions do not technically influence an examiner’s decision to issue a temporary certificate or a letter of disapproval but you can certainly make the process a lot easier by dressing nicely, speaking articulately and confidently, and ensuring you are well prepared for the material that will be asked of you in the PTS. First impressions are key, especially in aviation. Make it your goal to impress the examiner in a humble and tasteful manner. If the examiner asks you to calculate a weight and balance prior to the checkride, have it completed and make a copy of the CG envelope from the POH so you can demonstrate you are within limits. When the examiner asks you about this during the oral, all you have to do is pull out the copy which you marked up to show you are legal. You won’t have to fumble around or calculate anything immediately after the question is asked.
Do not allow what you just completed to bother you whether you think it was satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Press forward and try your best on the next maneuver or question. If you complete a maneuver or answer a question that you believe may have been unsatisfactory, continue anyway unless the examiner stops you. Often the examiner, who has a great deal of experience, may have found your answer or performance to be satisfactory despite what you may think. If you let the last thing you did bother you or distract you, that may influence your performance on the next task asked of you so try your best to guard against these thoughts.
Remember you already possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to meet the requirements of the certificate or rating you are being tested for if your instructor signed you off. You will not come out as a different person, just someone who now holds a piece of paper (eventually plastic in a few weeks) proving that you meet the legal requirements of a pilot certificate or rating. The checkride is just a small part of the process to becoming a pilot or advancing certifications. Your actual flight training is arguably the most significant portion of this process so use your previous experience to impress the examiner while meeting all of the PTS requirements.
Lastly, have fun! Checkrides may seem stressful but you will learn a lot from the process and it will become much easier the more flight tests you experience. Try your best to stay focused, excited, and professional throughout the entire process. Don’t “study” these techniques but rather use them as a guide to conduct yourself during the checkride. You’ll be surprised how much more comfortable you will feel while going through a rather formal regulatory process of obtaining a pilot certificate or rating. Enjoy the opportunity to prove you know your stuff and can fly an airplane.
