What did you guys wear to the checkride?

bobmrg said:
Checkride or no checkride, I told my students to wear shoes that they could walk home in. Sent a BFR candidate (and his dad's Malibu) home because he was wearing flip-flops.

Bob Gardner
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Hmm...to each their own..but no way in hell I would send someone home on a BFR because they showed up in flip flops. If I was worried about their ability to fly the airplane with the flip flops I would just have them fly it bare foot.

I don't even *wear* shoes in my Flybaby. If I expect to finish the flight back at the home airport I don't even bring them with. It is by far safer for me to fly it without shoes.

Sure, if the wings fold, and I end up having to use my parachute I'd probably wish I had shoes on but really not having shoes on a nice summer day where the nearest farm will be a half mile away is less of a concern of mine then how much more likely I would be to groundloop it with shoes on.
 
Deodorant.

You're sharing a close space and you want the examiner to focus on your flying, nothing else matters.
 
It's not likely you'll get busted because of your sense of style, but you are trying to plant an image in the examiner's mind that you are conscientious and serious. Come in a t-shirt and shorts and you may create an unfavorable first impression. Slacks and nice golf shirt will be a better way to start out. This is the easy stuff so why not set it up in your favor?
 
bobmrg said:
Checkride or no checkride, I told my students to wear shoes that they could walk home in. Sent a BFR candidate (and his dad's Malibu) home because he was wearing flip-flops.
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We put that stuff in writing when I was running the university's aviation program -- neat attire, plus appropriate protection. That meant in the winter, you had a heavy coat, woolly hat, and gloves in the plane with you. It also meant that the girls did not wear short skirts -- especially to check the fuel on a Cessna 152. :eyepopping: We also told them to stay away from the heavy workboot type shoes which were popular with the young men at that time -- they were too big and clumsy to work around the rudder pedals of a 152, and the kids really couldn't feel how much pressure they were applying with their feet. Finally, we told them to wear only natural fibers next to their skin, preferably 100% cotton, with no manmade fibers (like nylon or orlon).
 
jbarrass said:
Deodorant.

You're sharing a close space and you want the examiner to focus on your flying, nothing else matters.
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Mouthwash, too, and yes, I've had trainees who needed to be reminded on both points. The trick is telling your trainee this in an inoffensive yet effective manner.
 
write-stuff said:
It's not likely you'll get busted because of your sense of style, but you are trying to plant an image in the examiner's mind that you are conscientious and serious. Come in a t-shirt and shorts and you may create an unfavorable first impression. Slacks and nice golf shirt will be a better way to start out. This is the easy stuff so why not set it up in your favor?
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This is the way I see it as well.
 
A casual outfit, blue jeans or khakis and a nice shirt.
 
Jeans and a button down shirt and semi dress shoes.

I wouldn't wear a tie or go all GQ for your CFI ride.

You don't want to overdress the ASI/DPE and you really don't want something that is going to be less than comfy for a all day CFI ride.

Khakis and a polo shirt is always a safe bet.
 
Nomex flight suit, gloves, and a helmet. Make the DPE feel like HE'S underdressed. :)

Oh, and request permission to do a flyby of the tower. DPEs love that.
 
I was planning on my t-shirt with the saying 'FAA Mission Statement: We're Not Happy, Until YOU'RE Not Happy"
 
For my ATP ride I wore a polo shirt, sandals and khaki shorts.

For my CFI and CFII rides...... I wore a polo shirt, sandals and khaki shorts.

And I wore my lucky drawers each time......

Almost forgot.... I had a ponytail on my CFI CFII rides.....
 
For my private pilot I wore shorts and a t-shirt and my flying hat
For my 199 checkride here at SIU I wore what I normally would wear to meet the flight department dress code.


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My PP checkride was in the winter. Jeans, t-shirt, sweatshirt, and my coat in the back seat.
 
Whatever I happened to be wearing on that particular day. Never went out of my way to look "nice" for a checkride.
 
I dress up for work every day even though most in my office don't. When I fly, I want to be as comfy as possible. Cargo shorts, t-shirt, sneakers work best for me in the Houston heat - that is what I wore.
 
I wore jeans and a T-shirt. DPE showed up with jeans and a three wolf moon T-shirt on, and I knew **** was gonna be alright.
 
JCranford said:
I was planning on my t-shirt with the saying 'FAA Mission Statement: We're Not Happy, Until YOU'RE Not Happy"
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With a DPE, that might get a chuckle. But for a ride with a Fed (or if a Fed is observing our ride with a DPE), well, to misquote Agent K, "We at the FAA do not have a sense of humor we're aware of."
 
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I don't get the sandal prejudice, May through October I generally wear Tevas which I am perfectly happy walking 10 miles in across uneven terrain.

In a 172RG with the firewall mounted hydraulic reservoir I can see there being an advantage to having close toed shoes but in others I don't see it. We had the same rule driving trucks for OSHA compliance.

@Ron and company, what is the danger than my bare feet are in, flying a PA-24 that a non-ANSI safety shoe can prevent?
 
This will catch his eye...

men-in-corsets.jpg

men-in-corsets.jpg
 
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I did my ride in February, in Wisconsin. I wore just about everything I owned, and a parka over that. :goofy:

It was so cold, the checkride before mine was canceled because the dude refused to ride with the candidate in his Cessna 150. (Apparently they have crap heaters?) He had no trouble getting into my toasty warm rental Cherokee 140.
 
I took my checkride 39 years ago at the ripe old age of 17 in 1976 so I was probably wearing bell bottoms and had long hair ...

I don't really remember ... like half the stuff I learned back then.

I just fly by the seat of my pants now! :yikes::D
 
txflyer said:
I took my checkride 39 years ago at the ripe old age of 17 in 1976 so I was probably wearing bell bottoms and had long hair ...

I don't really remember ... like half the stuff I learned back then.

I just fly by the seat of my pants now! :yikes::D
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1976. The bicentennial year.

Yellow and black bell bottoms, a polyester skin tight shirt, maybe some platform in your shoes, and hair just touching your shoulders.

I've got a picture of me around here, somewhere, looking just like that.

(For you kids, that was the look Kelso was going for in "That 70s Show"...)
:)
 
PPL - Flannel shirt, blue jeans with long johns underneath, combat boots, ski jacket, stocking cap. (Alaska in March of the worst winter in 50 years and a weak heater.)

IFR - Flannel shirt, blue jeans, combat boots, baseball cap (Washington during a downpour)
 
Shorts and a t shirt for my private and commercial, maybe even a tank top since they were in June/May. Instrument was a sweatshirt and jeans. CFI was shorts and a polo (FSDO). CFII was shorts and a t shirt. CMEL was jeans and an old school Cessna jacket (FSDO again)

People actually dress up for checkrides? For real?
 
Clothes, I wore clothes. Highly recommend them.

Wear what you fly in.

BTW, somewhere back in the thread some said he had negative thoughts about a person who shows up well dressed for an interview. My thought is "well there's someone who wants to leave no question about whether they are interested on the job". If I get a candidate that shows up in business casual, I think they don't care.
 
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Whatever I had handy. I usually shoot for regular shoes rather than cowboy boots because my feet are a little faster on the rudder, but I can do fine with the boots on, too.
 
nddons said:
Nomex flight suit, gloves, and a helmet. Make the DPE feel like HE'S underdressed. :)

Oh, and request permission to do a flyby of the tower. DPEs love that.
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Don't forget the overhead break!
 
Z06_Mir said:
Shorts and a t shirt for my private and commercial, maybe even a tank top since they were in June/May. Instrument was a sweatshirt and jeans. CFI was shorts and a polo (FSDO). CFII was shorts and a t shirt. CMEL was jeans and an old school Cessna jacket (FSDO again)

People actually dress up for checkrides? For real?
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People dress up for all kinds of things back east. Us westerners think they're weird.

If someone shows up at work here in a tie, people start asking questions about what's going on. It wasn't so unusual at my postdoc in Maryland.
 
denverpilot said:
Whatever I had handy. I usually shoot for regular shoes rather than cowboy boots because my feet are a little faster on the rudder, but I can do fine with the boots on, too.
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Your boots slow you down? I've never flown in anything but my boots.
 
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