So how did this guy pass his check ride?

MAKG1 said:
But, here's the kicker: he did NOT appear unsafe, at least as long as nothing goes wrong. So, he seems like a borderline case -- he missed a couple of special emphasis areas, which is problematic, but I just don't see the wild OMIGAWD!s elsewhere in this thread. He had good control of the aircraft at all times. With some of the page 1 comments, you would think he spun the power off stall. The recovery I saw was pretty good, except for the critical detail of adding full power....
I say this from time to time. A private pilot check ride is a massive head game. I wouldn't expect a sport pilot to be very different. ALL of us said something stupid at some point during the first check ride. Those who didn't are lying.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with MAKG. You seemed to have a good handle on the airplane, but if you were put in a real emergency situation, that is where I would seriously doubt your ability to safely handle it. I just feel you weren't really trained on it during your training. Good on you for taking all the feedback on here and YouTube. You can kinda laugh about a lot of it now. Calling a tower at an uncontrolled field(twice:D), calling "left final", and asking if the DPE was that harsh with all his exams, those were freakin' funny! We all have done stuff like that on our checkrides and flying out in the system.
 
I don't think it matters that he was safely controlling the plane.
I think what matters is he was not prepared to be a pilot but got signed off to carry pax legally (even if only 1) and it is not fair to them.

Our passengers get in our planes trusting that we didn't slip through the cracks.

Matt, I will be your harshest critic and I am only barely a pilot myself at a couple years and a couple hundred hours.

To your credit
1. No question you have tremendously thick skin and balls as big as this thread is getting to come on here and not even get defensive. I hope you stay around the forum, you can learn about flying, and fixing cars, and job hunting, and how God wants us to use shria law or make hydrogen from. um... Where was I?

Oh yes, this forum is a brilliant tool for learning things that are beyond what your CFI will teach you

2. I think it is a fantastic idea to get your PPL. I would get an instructor that makes sure you know the PTS backward and forward, and I would ask recommendations for DPEs here in the area.

Probably 20% of this forum's members are in the DFW area. I totally made that statistic up but it seems like here, CA, and Co are big populations.

What made me mad when I saw the checkride was that you weren't prepared, your CFI signed you off for the ride, and the DPE picked up on it and didn't seem to care.

If you are going to be flying people around IMO you need to be on your A game and not just someone that can safely get the plane kinda there. Is it your fault? Doubtful, but the people in the right and backseats don't care whose fault it is. You can't solicit advise from them if you get confused. You need to have the answers before the questions come up.

I am not trying to be high and mighty. I had a crappy check ride prep flight and my CFI told me straight up I sucked and made me call the DPE and tell him I had to cancel because I wasn't ready. Oh that call sucked but it was the right call.

Then he made me fly that PTS for 5 more flights before re signing me off (there is a bit more to that story) but my CFI really drilled it into me that my pax deserve to have a competent pilot at the yoke and he wasn't signing me off until he would let his mother ride in the back seat with me as PIC.

Look for a recently started thread by a poster called CIPIO.
He is getting started and getting himself prepared like nothing I have seen. I hope I am as good a pilot as he is going to be.

So anyway, it sounds like you are making the correct decisions. I do hope you stick around.
 
Well said Bryan and Matt, I agree that you need to stick around. I was well prepped and very ready for my PPL check ride. My problem was that unlike in my other job as a Tank commander, I wasn't able to adjust to deviations from the plan or think on the fly during the longest hour of my flying career.

My PPL ride ended up in a first time fail for something that was about as stupid as it gets as well as being the final task of my day. It happens and I know from talking about it that I am not the only one and it won't have a major impact on your flying future. I've been in the same situation that caused me to fail on my PPL 2 times now (NORDO traffic, opposite direction, non-towered field) and took the extra half of a second to evaluate and react properly. Get some extra training, fly more, enjoy.

Your ride was rough but you passed. Learn from your video and fix the problems before gravity does.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
and he wasn't signing me off until he would let his mother ride in the back seat with me as PIC.
Click to expand...

Right before my checkride, my CFI told me he would feel comfortable putting his wife and kids in the plane with me. One of the cooler moments of training for me.

I wonder how many instructors actually use that as a benchmark even if they don't say it?
 
ScottK said:
...my CFI told me he would feel comfortable putting his wife and kids in the plane with me.
...
I wonder how many instructors actually use that as a benchmark even if they don't say it?
Click to expand...

I'd put it slightly differently, "Would I allow the applicants to put their own kids in the plane?" Not mine.

dtuuri
 
canad1an said:
Regarding the PTS, I did know what it was, and I owned the book. Having said that, it was never a major focus of my training, so I skimmed through it. I realize now how much more ground work I needed for that test, and I definitely should have read the book.
Click to expand...

Hi Matt, welcome to PoA. It takes character to come here and admit you need more training, good on ya.

As for the PTS, memorize the sucker, then you will know all the standards you have to meet and be able to quote them to the next DPE as you fly. Be sure your new CFI puts you through several mock checkrides, and grade your performance yourself. If the CFI is very familiar with the DPE and his particular style, all the better.

Good luck to you!
 
ScottK said:
Right before my checkride, my CFI told me he would feel comfortable putting his wife and kids in the plane with me. One of the cooler moments of training for me.



I wonder how many instructors actually use that as a benchmark even if they don't say it?
Click to expand...



dtuuri said:
I'd put it slightly differently, "Would I allow the applicants to put their own kids in the plane?" Not mine.



dtuuri
Click to expand...



timwinters said:
And the difference is?
Click to expand...


You might think the applicants genes should not continue after this generation. :)

You probably want yours to. Although I've met a few parents who didn't. Hahahaha.

Kinda like saying, "Would I let this applicant take my ex or my MIL aloft?"

LOL!!

(For the record: I don't have an ex and my
MIL is a sweetheart.)
 
Oh and Matt... I didn't see the video but ...

Get 'er done. Remember the PTS is a MINIMUM standard. Shoot for better.
 
Matt,

I will say this. You shouldn't have passed.

But you did. So don't keep yourself from flying. It isn't your fault thst neither your CFI or the DPE did their jobs. You took the test and you passed.

Go fly, man. Get better. it's the best remedy.
 
I think there were 3 fails:
1) CFI failed to prepare student
2) Student failed to prepare
3) DPE apparently allowed it to happen

The DPE - I don't know what his reasons are.
The CFI - I don't know either, maybe he thought he prepared the student
The Student - well, you did come into this forum after reading the comments and seeing it from a different perspective.

I pretty much stopped watching the video about 30 seconds in, when you asked the DPE, "Right?" and he said, "I can't give instruction." We've all had different experiences with different CFIs and DPEs, but every one I've been associated with pounded in the idea of PIC. And during that flight you were PIC, but looked like you were still in the "student" mindset. It's easy to do when you are nervous and sitting next to someone with more flying knowledge and experience in his little finger than you may ever have. But you ARE PIC and owe it to your passenger(s) to BE PIC.

I'm glad you joined the board. Get back in the air with a different CFI, tell him or her that you haven't flown in a long time, that you want to review the PTS as a refresher, take whatever criticism as constructive, learn what you should have learned, unlearn what you shouldn't have learned, and have some fun.
 
Last edited:
canad1an said:
Hello all, I am the guy in the video. I have not flown since this day, and I would never fly alone or with passengers if I wasn't completely comfortable.

First, I wanted to start off by saying I appreciate all of your feedback, and you all are right. After reading your feedback, I am surprised I passed as well. I don't blame my CFI, I just think I needed more time. I watched the whole video again, and I see many mistakes that I would not normally have made. I guess I was a little nervous, but that shouldn't be an excuse.

I do plan on getting my private pilot, I will be using a different flight school and a different airport, mainly because I moved.

All the Sport Pilot videos I made were meant to be training guides for myself and any other future pilots. My thoughts were that they would watch my videos and learn from my mistakes. For now, I have removed the checkride video. I do plan on filming my private pilot, if the new school allows.

Once again, thanks for your feedback.

Matt
Click to expand...

Very glad you came here, that took guts and shows a positive attitude to learning that makes me personally much happier to be sharing the airspace with you. As long as you understand that your CFI didn't prepare you as much as he should and that the DPE gave you a lot of leeway then you're probably going to be fine. Stick around on these forms, you'll learn a lot just by reading other posts.
 
Well, I hope you all are PROUD of yourselves! Message was only up TWO days and I was late to the party ... the video on youtube was taken down by the user:eek:
 
denverpilot said:
Kinda like saying, "Would I let this applicant take my ex or my MIL aloft?"

LOL!!

(For the record: I don't have an ex and my
MIL is a sweetheart.)
Click to expand...

I liked my in-laws better than my ex. (Of course, that goes along with her being my ex!)
 
Matthew said:
...We've all had different experiences with different CFIs and DPEs, but every one I've been associated with pounded in the idea of PIC. And during that flight you were PIC, but looked like you were still in the "student" mindset...
Click to expand...

Reminds me of my private pilot checkride. The DPE asked me to start with a soft field take off. During the takeoff roll, she thought I had the nose too high, and said "Too Much!" I said "Really? He wants the tail almost touching the ground," and I slacked off a bit on the back pressure. She said "It should be more gradual." I then went back to doing it the way I was taught, because I wasn't about to start experimenting with a new way of doing things during the checkride. (I passed, by the way.)
 
I didn't get to see the entire video either and would really like to if given the chance. I don't want to see it to poke fun at the OP or anything but to take it apart and look at it as a lesson for when I start teaching. I am about to start teaching ground lessons as I get ready for my CFI and I want to make sure that I see as many examples as I can.

Is there a private link still available?
 
Bill Jennings said:
Hi Matt, welcome to PoA. It takes character to come here and admit you need more training
Click to expand...

Maybe it needs character, but more than that it takes complete naivette.

Listen Matt, read the comments on this forum with a truck load of salt (not necessarily Bill Jennings', I just happened to pick a random posting to reply to)

Never, EVER, share anything on this (or any other pilot's) forums.

You will find that you have a 50/50 mix of well intentioned nice people and downright self-important, "I think I'm better than the rest" ****OLES.

Regardless what anyone says, you're a pilot now. Do a self assessment, get training on what YOU think you need help with, and go on to make the most out of this beautiful hobby of flying.

More than anything, try and stay within your capabilities...that's the key to being safe.

Congratulations on your ticket!!!
 
RotorDude said:
I wonder if this is the same DPE that signed off on that "Hello? Hello?" Japanese girl's commercial certificate.
Click to expand...

Sounds.....intriguing. Anyone care to share a link? My Google-full is weak, evidently.
 
I didn't read the entire thread, so I apologize if this was previously suggested, but a C310 was my favorite twin I ever flew. The Navajo was next. Baron a distant third.
 
Kritchlow said:
I didn't read the entire thread, so I apologize if this was previously suggested, but a C310 was my favorite twin I ever flew. The Navajo was next. Baron a distant third.
Click to expand...

So what you're saying is that Advanced Dungeons and Dragons is better than Regular Dungeons and Dragons?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top