MAJOR UPDATE - !

I vaguely recall someone posting a pre-check ride list from someone about relaxing.

BTW, Kimberly, you'll do fine. :)
 
Henning said:
Yep, answer the question asked and shut up.
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This is very true. On my oral, the examiner asked a question about airspace, which I answered correctly, then I opened my mouth to continue...stopped, and said "and that is my answer." She smiled because she knew what I was doing.
 
Wow, I am overwhelmed at the response.

Thank you, everyone, seriously.

And especially those of you who I've talked to / met outside of POA - you know who you are - thank you for everything. The quizzes, the studying, the aviation humor, all of it. You know I would not be here if it weren't for you guys. Even if it was just a text message or a phone call it was appreciated and I really do think that those random acts of kindness made me push through my "dumb pilot days".

I credit POA (and in my earlier lessons SP) for this success.

Many times I thought of quitting. Not now.

I have a LOT left to do yet (IACRA application, meeting / flying tomorrow, flying Sunday, one day mid week next week, and one day solo, studying the books).......

But.......

I will make this happen.

And I WILL show up to 6Y9 a full / real pilot!!!!
 
Good Luck!

IIRC my checkride was $300 a few months ago. Bring cash, not all examiners take checks. Apparently when some people fail, they cancel the check before the examiner can cash it.

Relax before the test. Due to weather, I split the oral and practical, which REALLY helped. And since I took my test away from my home airport, I got a nice x-country in before the test to relax. If you have the option, I HIGHLY recommend flying to the examiner. You loose some home-field advantage, but I think its worth it.


And IF you fail........or know you botched a maneuver. Take a deep breath, and unless the examiner wants to return to the airport, finish out the practical test. People have bad days, its not the end of the world.
 
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BellyUpFish said:
Awesome. I remember those days. :)
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Thanks, and I hope I remember this day too. I shy away from the camera but since my memory is SO poor, I think I just might bring my "good" SLR and have the examiner snap a photo or two of me after I pass, perhaps holding whatever paperwork or something, in / near the little 152 that I love so much.
 
MBDiagMan said:
OUTSTANDING! You were on edge about the check ride date being set up, but it sounded like there was plenty of time for it to happen.

Think of it! You're going to be a certificated pilot before labor day!

Doc
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And I'm going to have a fancy book from a tail dragger pilot if I pass! Don't worry, Doc, I am still going to send you that headlamp even though "I won" our little bet together. In fact, maybe I'll send it to you early, so you can have it for your night training which will be coming up before you know it.
 
During my PP-ASEL I flew the worst steep-turns I ever had, even worse than my first. About halfway through the 360 to the right I knew I was going to blow through the 100ft so I said out loud "ahh crap we're going to need more power and backpressure than I normally do." I bumped the power, gave us a vein-popper, probably went about 125ft off the entry altitude. I didn't turn to look at the examiner, I didn't say anything about the maneuver. All I did was return to proper altitude, flew and held straight and level for a moment, and then we moved on.

During the debrief he mentioned popping the barrier, but it wasn't a problem because I didn't dwell on it which he said is usually why he has to pink someone (they can't get their head back in the game, which is the most important part: fly the plane). I joked that I couldn't let myself do a steep turn too well or he might have thought the altimeter broken.

So yes, you can break out of the tolerances and still get your ticket.
Calm down, get a hold of yourself!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvPugcb7QGE
 
I won't tell you about my PPL checkride (a long time ago) during which the trim cable broke and fouled in the rigging. Trimmed for slow flight. Took all the strength I had to get the nose down with any power at all.

My DPE was an incredible lady who was a pioneer and legend in GA in the area. She wore a dress all the time, even while flying. She smiled sweetly as she said, "If you can land us safely, I'm sure we can find another plane to finish this checkride." And we did.

Good luck!
 
EdFred said:
And don't answer questions you aren't asked!
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Best advice on this thread.

My private checkride was about 13 years ago but I remember my oral being about 10 minutes long (maybe 15 min.) and it was out for the practical test which lasted about 1.5. The oral was a few questions about obscure chart information and kind of an open ended question or two about "tell me how the FARs work." When I nailed all that and the log books were organized and annotated, he blew it off and said "Let's go fly."

Kimberly, you're obviously a fly-geek like the rest of us - you'll do fine.
 
eMKay said:
Cool, I think you will beat me.
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When is your checkride? I started at the very end of January. This has been a long journey for me. Flying every week, multiple times per week sometimes, for roughly 7 months.
 
I think you and eMKay will beat me; I'm aiming for mid-September or so. CFI switcharoo may slow things down.

Good luck!
 
Also remember this, The DE wants to pass you. They are independent contractors and they compete for business. If they develop a reputation for questionably failing candidates, they will not be getting the calls from the CFIs who are rated by the FAA on their first time "pass/fail" rate. That starts cutting into their revenue stream quickly
 
EppyGA said:
Good luck Kimberly.

Just remember these three words

Relax

Relax

Relax
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Thanks for the "good luck" wishes. This whole relax thing is indeed good advice. I called my CFI this morning to firm up all our meetings between now and the checkride and he talked about this. He said that the DPE debriefed him on a young girl he sent for a checkride just a few days ago - and that the DPE said she was visibly shaking during the oral exam. Yikes.
 
onwards said:
Good luck Kim! although we all know you'll do just fine.
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Thanks, B. I sure hope so. I somehow regret posting it here that I am taking my checkride on August 28th (which has now been confirmed)..... because then if I fail I will have to post about it too.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
Thanks, B. I sure hope so. I somehow regret posting it here that I am taking my checkride on August 28th (which has now been confirmed)..... because then if I fail I will have to post about it too.
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Don't worry about it! I am pretty sure you have the "Right Attitude", because you activily participate in pilot type discussions on forums such as this, I get the impression you talk to a lot of pilots in real life or on the phone and you fly frequently it seems.

I have no doubt that you "know your stuff". I understand your statement though. I wonder if I'm going to post about when I go to take my instrument rating checkride. I don't know if i'll tell y'all before or after.

Seriously though, are there any topics that you are worried about for your oral? If you bring them up now, I'm sure you can have a ton of answers for you before your test.
 
Just be prepared for that infamous Weight and Balance question when the DPE says "What do you do when some one won't tell you how much they weigh"?
 
AdamZ said:
Just be prepared for that infamous Weight and Balance question when the DPE says "What do you do when some one won't tell you how much they weigh"?
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:rofl: I think she is well prepared for that question.
 
SportPilot35 said:
Exciting news! Good luck Kimberly. In So Cal last month, my checkride cost $500. As I was out the door, in the truck, I thought it might be a good idea to bring a check and went in to get one. Great idea because if I didn't, I would have been SOL. He preferred cash (of course) and I felt bad about it, but it ended up not being a big deal. In the future, I will definitely bring cash.
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Thanks. I will probably bring cash. I don't normally carry around that much cash but what are the chances I will get robbed before a checkride?
 
dell30rb said:
$500!!

$300 is the norm

Congrats! I think you'll do great. Just know that you are well prepared and relax! I goofed a few things at the beginning of the flight test portion just because I was anxious. Dropped my stopwatch, didn't notice my gyro was drifting until it was almost too late etc... Fortunately the DPE did not fail me :)
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Thanks, I can be a bit clumbsy and this makes me feel a lot better.... that he won't flunk me for it. However I must warn you in CA I do not think $300 is the norm. I will find out soon enough.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
Thanks, B. I sure hope so. I somehow regret posting it here that I am taking my checkride on August 28th (which has now been confirmed)..... because then if I fail I will have to post about it too.
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Oh, as you well aware, I sure know how THAT works... but I gotta say, posting my failed checkride thread after the first one ended up doing me a lot of good for the second. And you know we'll support you no matter what, right? that's why most of us come here, after all, for the community. Like I said, not that you'll need it.

Atta girl!
 
jsstevens said:
Congratulations! FWIW mine was $300 in 2006 (Orlando, FL). I paid by check with no comment or problem. But find out what the DPE wants.

John
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This is easier said than done. So far my CFI has not let me be in contact with the DPE. I tried asking him if I should call, when the DPE had not called him back for 4 full days, and I was getting anxious. He told me the INSTRUCTOR and not the STUDENT makes the call. He was very clear about this. (Sigh)
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
snip
He told me the INSTRUCTOR and not the STUDENT makes the call. He was very clear about this. (Sigh)
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THAT is such bull****.

My instructor gave me the DPE phone number for ME to call and schedule on my private pilot checkride.... Maybe that isnt the norm.:confused:
 
bob_albertson said:
When I took my private pilot checkride I was 17. I was so excited about it, but I really freaked out when I learned there would be an "oral" exam and the DPE was a guy. Talk about going WTF as a kid.

.... Little has changed since then.

Why can't they just say let's go over the... see if you know your **** part and then we'll go fly! Much less emotionally tragic for teens!!!
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Um . . . thanks, Bob. I think?
 
ajstoner21 said:
THAT is such bull****.

My instructor gave me the DPE phone number for ME to call and schedule on my private pilot checkride.... Maybe that isnt the norm.:confused:
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No - it is. Remember we are NOT to remind Kimberly in this thread why her instructor sucks!
 
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