Could you pass a Private Pilot checkride today, with no prep time?

Could you pass a surprise Private Pilot checkride, today, in the plane you used for it originally?

  • Yes

    Votes: 39 48.8%

  • Probably but the DPE would have to show me some grace

    Votes: 26 32.5%

  • No, I can barely keep the thing upright as it is

    Votes: 2 2.5%

  • Probably not, but I might get lucky

    Votes: 13 16.3%
  • Total voters
    80
RussR

RussR

Final Approach
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Russ
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Based on the commonly believed idea that "the most proficient you'll ever be is right after your checkride" and the "would you fly a passenger for the first flight after your checkride" thread, it got me thinking:

If the Feds showed up right now and said you need to pass a Private Pilot checkride (or your first military checkride I guess), in the plane you originally flew for your actual checkride, do you think you would pass? You don't get any time to practice.

Remember that the checkride consists of all the pertinent knowledge and flight planning components, as well as the following maneuvers, and you have to meet all applicable standards (let's say today's standards in case they're different):

Normal/Short field/Soft field/Crosswind takeoffs and landings
Stalls in various configurations
Ground reference maneuvers (turns about a point, etc.)
Steep turns
Slow flight
XC navigation
Basic instrument maneuvers including unusual attitudes
Emergencies, engine failure scenario, etc.

It's in the original airplane you used because many of us fly more advanced aircraft now. For example, I have checkrides twice a year for work, that involve most of these maneuvers, so sure I could pass a checkride in those airplanes. But put me in a 6-pack 172N? Now I'm not so sure.

As a CFI, I've certainly demonstrated all of these things in similar aircraft many times, so I think I'd be okay, although that's not the same as actually flying them. I imagine the most trouble I'd have is flying the 172, without an autopilot while doing navigation tasks and running checklists and such, since this isn't something I ever have a chance to do - I'm in heavier aircraft that don't get bounced around as much, and even when I'm hand flying for real or on the checkride, I have a copilot to do the non-flying stuff. So that's probably where I'd be most rusty. I'll give myself a solid "Maybe" on whether I could pass. Sure, if I could get in even a short practice flight that would improve my odds greatly, but that's why the scenario is "here's the airplane, let's go".

Yes there are a million holes in this scenario, but just answer however you feel is best.

Edit - sorry the options are out of order, I can't figure out how to rearrange them.
 
RussR said:
Based on the commonly believed idea that "the most proficient you'll ever be is right after your checkride" and the "would you fly a passenger for the first flight after your checkride" thread, it got me thinking:

If the Feds showed up right now and said you need to pass a Private Pilot checkride (or your first military checkride I guess), in the plane you originally flew for your actual checkride, do you think you would pass? You don't get any time to practice.

Remember that the checkride consists of all the pertinent knowledge and flight planning components, as well as the following maneuvers, and you have to meet all applicable standards (let's say today's standards in case they're different):

Normal/Short field/Soft field/Crosswind takeoffs and landings
Stalls in various configurations
Ground reference maneuvers (turns about a point, etc.)
Steep turns
Slow flight
XC navigation
Basic instrument maneuvers including unusual attitudes
Emergencies, engine failure scenario, etc.

It's in the original airplane you used because many of us fly more advanced aircraft now. For example, I have checkrides twice a year for work, that involve most of these maneuvers, so sure I could pass a checkride in those airplanes. But put me in a 6-pack 172N? Now I'm not so sure.

As a CFI, I've certainly demonstrated all of these things in similar aircraft many times, so I think I'd be okay, although that's not the same as actually flying them. I imagine the most trouble I'd have is flying the 172, without an autopilot while doing navigation tasks and running checklists and such, since this isn't something I ever have a chance to do - I'm in heavier aircraft that don't get bounced around as much, and even when I'm hand flying for real or on the checkride, I have a copilot to do the non-flying stuff. So that's probably where I'd be most rusty. I'll give myself a solid "Maybe" on whether I could pass. Sure, if I could get in even a short practice flight that would improve my odds greatly, but that's why the scenario is "here's the airplane, let's go".

Yes there are a million holes in this scenario, but just answer however you feel is best.

Edit - sorry the options are out of order, I can't figure out how to rearrange them.
Click to expand...
In the aircraft I originally trained in and without practice? Probably not.
Main reason is the glide ratio. Trainer had a >15:1 glide IIRC (Remos GX LSA). Nearly every hour since then has been in the arrow that glides like a greased brick. So I'm pretty sure my short field landings would put me far beyond the target touchdown point.

Also, I've become too dependent upon ForeFlight. I never had an iPad or nav system while training, so I got used to navigating by highways/railway/distant view of the city. But that was 6y and 800+ hours ago. Since then I have become pretty reliant upon FF/GPS. I wouldn't get truly lost (unless I'm flying in a whole new area) -- but I also would spend a lot more time navigating than I'm accustomed to.

If you let me take the check ride in my plane with my current setup, yeah I think I could do OK. I just have to force myself to do steep turns cuz I just don't enjoy doing those in low wing planes (read: I'm a wussy). For whatever reason I'm much more comfortable doing them in high-wing.
 
I haven't flown a Cessna 1xx in at least a decade. Guessing I would need some time in one to meet checkride standards. It wouldn't be pretty but we would survive. That's better than the likely outcome if I were to have tried flying my current lancair the day I passed the private pilot checkride.
 
I do takeoffs and airwork from time to time, just because. Landings are an unknown as I mostly just do normal ones, but those normal ones have gotten better since my check ride.
 
Filling out the nav log would take a minute. I'd be winging it on the oral, but I'm a lot more fluent with the material than I was back then. I have little doubt about the flying portion.
 
Yes, most likely, unless the DPE was actively searching for a reason to fail me.

Every three months or so I give myself a mini-checkride, so all typical maneuvers are covered. I'd need to study the POH a bit to remind myself of the proper speeds for my checkride plane.

For the oral part, I can still recall most of the essential knowledge. And if not, I'll tell the examiner the same thing I said during my checkride: "If it's pre-flight stuff, if I don't know it I know where to find it.".

I definitely fly a lot better than I did the day after my checlride. And my ADM is also a lot better.
 
Pretty sure I'd pass, only thing I don't do regularly is steep turns holding a specific altitude. All the rest I do every couple of months.
 
In the same plane I used for my checkride? Doubtful. I haven’t flown an LSA since 2019.

In my baby Beech that I fly regularly? Yes, and that’s what actually matters.
 
Plenty of PPL sample test online just take one and see how you do. Most PPL on the flying part might be a little out but still do a good job of flying, some don't.
 
I bet I could do all of the maneuvers in the 172 but I don't think I could land it without breaking something. Last time I randomly rented a 172 I thought I was going to die landing in a pretty brisk crosswind.

Edit: I guess one caveat is I for sure wouldn't know what all the speeds are
 
ArrowFlyer86 said:
In the aircraft I originally trained in and without practice? Probably not.
Main reason is the glide ratio. Trainer had a >15:1 glide IIRC (Remos GX LSA). Nearly every hour since then has been in the arrow that glides like a greased brick. So I'm pretty sure my short field landings would put me far beyond the target touchdown point.
Click to expand...
After I had flown my own Pipers for a while, I rented a Cessna. The first landing was a float-around.
 
Gilbert Buettner said:
Since I have been teaching all those maneuvers for more than 25 years, I better pass.
Click to expand...
This is a key statement, not from the standpoint of teaching them, but being familiar with the specific maneuvers.

I’m sure steep turns and stalls would go fine, along with takeoffs and landings, but I’ve been away from most Private Pilot ground reference maneuvers for so long that I don’t know the proper parameters to use in flying them, including the pass/fail criteria in the ACS.
 
Confident that I could. I keep up on knowledge, and keep up with reinforcing the basics as well as learning new things.

Normal/Short field/Soft field/Crosswind takeoffs and landings - I vary my takeoffs and landings, and pretty much every week get at least one of each of these.

Stalls in various configurations - I do stalls quarterly or more often, in particular to improve my STOL landings.

Ground reference maneuvers (turns about a point, etc.) - I do these at least weekly just flying around and looking at stuff.

Steep turns - every two or three weeks, just because they’re fun. I often go right to 60 degrees, and often do 90/90/90/90 degree turns in opposite directions.

Slow flight - pretty frequently. It’s often easier to just slow to 60 to fit in between J-3s and similar planes approaching an airport than to maneuver to create distance.

XC navigation - not as often as I should, but even on breakfast runs to the usual fields, I use the GPS, Foreflight, as well as pilotage. I plan and track fuel consumption, as well as try to hit checkpoints and arrival right at the planned time.

Basic instrument maneuvers including unusual attitudes - competent but rusty. I need some hood time and brush up on these.

Emergencies, engine failure scenario, etc. - done quarterly. I just had a flight review and the instructor (retired airline and longtime active GA pilot) said that he knows very, very few GA pilots who do any emergency procedures training or practice between flight reviews.

I took the private checkride in a Warrior. I’dbe comfortable jumping right into it. Most of my time is in Cessnas and Pipers with similar performance and equipment (mostly legacy instruments and avionics). I’d be in a bit of a jam going to a full glass cockpit.
 
In the airplane I took the PP-ASEL checkride? It's been 35 years since I last flew a 150/152, I'm not even sure an examiner and I would fit, much less remember and hit speeds with any certainty. In my RV-4? I'd like to think so, but there may be some confirmation bias there. :cool: And that's assuming I could (a) find a DPE who would fit in the back, and (b) is willing to do a checkride in an experimental taildragger with no throttle or rudder pedals in the back. (double :cool:)

Nauga,
who says, "Hold my beer...sir."
 
Probably but I just passed a CPL earlier this year and I'm(slowly) studying for another rating so....
 
It's been 44 years since I passed my Private ride. I can almost certainly state that I'm in a better shape to pass it today than I was back then.
About 15 years ago I did a BFR in a 152 (what I did my private ride in) and the instructor-owner of it challenged me to a few things that I blew the doors off him with.

I did a BFR several years ago and the instructor gave up and said he couldn't teach me anything new (and that was in his Archer, a plane I'd not flown in 42 years either).
 
flyingron said:
It's been 44 years since I passed my Private ride. I can almost certainly state that I'm in a better shape to pass it today than I was back then.
About 15 years ago I did a BFR in a 152 (what I did my private ride in) and the instructor-owner of it challenged me to a few things that I blew the doors off him with.

I did a BFR several years ago and the instructor gave up and said he couldn't teach me anything new (and that was in his Archer, a plane I'd not flown in 42 years either).
Click to expand...

I question the competence (or experience level, or maybe the attitude) of a CFI who can't find SOMETHING to teach every client.

And I'm not just talking about some nitpicky thing like how many rivets are in the wing.
 
RussR said:
I question the competence (or experience level, or maybe the attitude) of a CFI who can't find SOMETHING to teach every client.

And I'm not just talking about some nitpicky thing like how many rivets are in the wing.
Click to expand...
Depends on the CFI - some are brilliant others are quite average at best, like in any other selection. While generally learn something from each CFI, often teach them a few things as well. They don't know everything. And if they think they know how many rivets are in the wing, they don't.

As for passing the check ride, would sure hope and expect to.
 
RussR said:
I question the competence (or experience level, or maybe the attitude) of a CFI who can't find SOMETHING to teach every client.
Click to expand...
That's what he said. Actually, I learn a lot from him. It's just that we were done doing a refresher on landings.
That was two bfrs ago, the last one a different instructor decided it would be fun if she tried to teach me some commercial manouvers rather than the simple private pilot pattern work, stalls, and ground reference manouvers.
 
Yes, but it's because I'm prepping for the CSEL checkride. "Would it be OK if I do the short-field landing as a power-off 180?"
 
Did a BFR Tuesday and the CFI basically did a check ride sequence. Since it was in a Cessna 152 I had never flown before, it took a bit to get familiar with the plane. He said I would have passed a check ride.
 
AV8R_87 said:
Yes, but could you do it facing backwards?
Click to expand...
...which brings to mind yet another horse**** video someone thought it was vitally important for me to see:
backchannel panel.jpg

Nauga,
who thinks "Weird AI Yankovic" would be a great name for an AI video channel
 
I would feel pretty confident about passing barring my recent grounding. When I go fly for leisure I do practice various maneuvers to stay proficient and confident about the "edges" of flying my airplane. As a CFI, I often had pilots come to me for FR that only wanted to stay right in the middle of the air. Anything more than 20-30 degrees of bank, or straying near the bottom of the yellow arc, gets their heart pumping. I make sure to push their comfort zone.
 
RussR said:
If the Feds showed up right now and said you need to pass a Private Pilot checkride (or your first military checkride I guess), in the plane you originally flew for your actual checkride, do you think you would pass? You don't get any time to practice.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure why the "in the plane your originally flew" is part of the equation. When I did my check ride, I trained in that particular plane. It's been forever since I flew it.

Ignoring the dozens of small differences, there is no question I would need a couple hours just to readjust to a six pack instead of glass. That would fail me on the "you don't get any time to practice" part.

Could I pass a check ride in my current plane. Yeah, no question.
 
I'm gonna guess this is an unpopular opinion, but I purposefully go into all my flight reviews with ZERO prep work, because I am interested in this exact question: do I still know my $*(@ well enough to pass the private pilot test?

I allow myself a little prep for IPCs to brush up on some of the details.

But so far, the answer is... yep, still got it (at least a little!).
 
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