Checkride

The checkride is probably the most dreaded event of our career. If you are a pilot you have taken a checkride or two in your life and you know how much is involved in preparation. In my life, I estimate that I have taken over twenty checkrides. You would think that after that it would become routine.

Every checkride starts with paperwork checking. If you have FAA certificates He will check your license and medical information. The examiner usually takes some time to get to know you and calm your nerves with personal questions about our lives. At some point the oral part of the exam starts. This is where the examiner starts to ask technical questions about the airplane, systems, rules, emergencies, and the maneuvers to be performed. Some examiners make you second guess your answers and you feel like you must back up everything you say. Some make you feel comfortable and will correct you and help you when you stumble. That is a personality thing and you never know if you will get good cop or bad cop. They always make sure to teach you something you don't know. Pilots in general are prone to big egos. The examiner is there to put you in your place. Examples of questions that you might receive in the oral portion include: what type of engine is in your airplane and how much oil, fuel does it hold?

The next phase of the checkride is flight. Now you have to demonstrate your knowledge and skill to the examiner in the airplane/ simulator. The examiner has a list of maneuvers that has to be performed. And some that can be added if needed. At this point you will perform takeoffs, landings, approaches, maneuvers appropriate to the rating desired. The weather is taken into consideration if you are in an airplane. Some windy conditions can make a checkride considerably harder. The examiner can allow you to do something over if they feel like the wind or weather conditions are a factor.

At any point the examiner can call it off if he feels like a portion has been failed. Or he can continue and finish the required manuvers. And then tell you in the post briefing that you have to do some more training. That is everyone's biggest fear to be told that you will need more training and take the checkride again. But the older I get the more I realize that it isn't that big of a deal. All they are saying is that you need some work in a particular area. Practice and come back and we will do it again. I have never failed a checkride. But I think someday in my future I might have the opportunity to repeat part of a checkride. It isn't personal. This is serious stuff. I have seen some excellent pilots repeat maneuvers.

This is my attitude when I go into a checkride. When I don't know the answer I tell them I don't know. I tell him that I can look it up for you. I fly the airplane like I know how to fly. I don't rush or try to be a superhero with the checklist. I fly like I would in a real emergency and allow the examiner to critique my actions. It is important to try to learn something and listen to the advice that he is giving me. When he critiques my actions it isn't personal. Maybe he knows something I don't. Maybe I can do it better. When I am finished with the checkride I go out and try to get better everyday. The examiner isn't saying you are the best pilot he has ever seen. He signs you off because you are proficient. You have to work at it everyday to get better and safer.

Every flight is a checkride. Tell yourself that and when you have a real checkride you will breeze through it.