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Part 2: Are You Really
Ready For the Checkride?
by Darren Smith, CFII/MEI
from Getting
the Most from Your Flight Training, June 2006
Getting the Appointment
When you are ready for a checkride, you or your flight instructor will
contact the examiner to set the appointment. Ask your CFI what is
the local protocol as some pilot examiners prefer to talk to the CFI
(or require it) and some don't care. Before setting the
appointment, be ready to answer these questions:
- Applicant Name & Phone #
- Medical, class & date issued
- Have you had a drug conviction? Date of final
conviction.
- Instructor Name & Phone #
- Practical Test, certificate or rating
- Is it a retest? Be prepared to fax a copy of
the 8060-5 (pink slip)
- Fee for test
- Aircraft make & model
- Aircraft documents (AROW)
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- Aircraft inspections (AV1ATE)
- Location of test, time, & date
- Knowledge test results, score & subject codes,
taken at least 48 hours prior to the checkride but not more than 24
calendar months.
- Applicant's method of application, if IACRA, provide
FTN# & Application ID#
- Identification to be used for checkride (passport
number, etc)
- What endorsements you have been given to take
checkride
- Flight time records & requirements for checkride
- "Are you familiar with the PTS?"
- "Do you have all the required equipment specified by
the PTS?"
- Cross country flight planning information...
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Basic Preparation
It is your instructor’s job to brief you on the requirements to sit for
your checkride. Save time, show your professionalism… have
everything
organized. Do you care about what you’re doing? Then it
will
show in your behavior, especially how you prepare for the
checkride. Here's a list of the things you'll have to obtain or
put together. As you collect these items, prepare a checkride bag
that you'll carry into your checkride which contains all the resources
you might use for the rating you are seeking.
- Photo identification – current with signature
- Pilot Certificate
- Current medical – minimum 3rd class
- Completed 8710 with instructor signature
- Pilot logbook with instructor endorsements
- 8060 (pink slip) if applicable
- Examiners fee, always pay cash
- Transportation Security Admin approval (foreign)
- Aircraft documents (AROW)
- Aircraft logs (AV1ATE)
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- FAA publications appropriate for the rating you are
seeking
- PTS for the rating you are seeking
- VFR or IFR cross country planned, w/proper chart
- Weight & Balance for you & examiner
- View limiting device
- For instrument rides, approach plates, timer,
kneeboard
- Navigation tools – plotter, E6B, etc
- Publications – current charts, AFD, FAR/AIM
- Written/knowledge exam
exam results
- Requirements met
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As part of being a good consumer, it is the applicant's responsibility
to make sure that he is ready for a checkride. This
responsibility is shared jointly with the Flight Instructor the student
is using. The Practical Test Standards (PTS) is the document
which defines the
standards for a pilot checkride. See the download section for a
full
list of available PTS documents.
In surveying pilots for thoughts on this article, I learned that many
student pilots don't have any idea what a PTS is nor what it
contains. Pilots told me that their CFI made vague reference
to a PTS but were never required to read it.
That's a real disservice and a sad commentary on the level of training
some students receive.
Special Emphasis
One of the critical things missed in
pilot training is a special list the FAA put together called "special
emphasis." This is a list of items
which typically get pilots into
trouble in real life, so the FAA thought it would be a good idea to
test these items in the process. In
fact, the
PTS requires it. This list has been
developed by reviewing
all of the PTS documents in my collection as well as the the Examiner Test Guide (FAA
Order 8710.3E). I consider it
my master
list of special emphasis areas. Obviously you should consult the
PTS for the rating you are seeking.
- Preflight
- Aircraft manuals & documentation
- Pilot & medical certificates
- Weather
- Airport area & surroundings
- Pre-flight inspection
- Landing gear
- Engine(s)
- Adequacy of fuel supply on board the aircraft
- ATC communications & airspace considerations
- Clearances
- Instructions
- Operations to/from/within/near Class A, B, C, D, E
airspace
- Land And Hold Short Operations (LAHSO)
- Proper use of flight controls/brakes on the ground -
crosswind landings
- Positive exchange of flight controls
- Collision Avoidance, avoidance of objects in the air
&
on the ground
- Maintenance of adequate flying speed - stall/spin
awareness
- spatial disorientation
- Operations to/from/on suitable terrain for
takeoff/approach/landing configurations & procedures
- Observation of minimum safe altitudes - congested
&
non-congested areas
- Use of stabilized approach/flight path procedures
- Wake turbulence avoidance
- Low level wind shear
- Landing flare
- Forced landings (emergency procedures)
- ADM & risk management
- Checklist usage
- Temporary Flight Restrictions, Special Use Airspace,
Aviation Security
- Single-pilot competence
if the aircraft is type certificated for single-pilot operations
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What do you know about each of these areas? You could be asked
detailed questions about each of these areas and would be expected to
provide correct answers and demonstrate that you meet the requirements
of the
ratings you already hold. For example, if you can't perform a
proper crosswind landing, you are not likely to be successful in
getting an instrument
rating. The same is true for pilots that don't use proper radio
phraseology as described by the AIM and Pilot/Controller
Glossary. Ask yourself this hard question: can you pass a
checkride for the pilot certificate you already hold? If the
answer is no, then don't try to take a checkride for a new
rating. Instead,
become proficient in these special emphasis areas and become
qualified for the
ratings which you already hold.
Other Little Tips
Keep in mind, if you don't verbalize what you are doing on your
checkride, the examiner might not realize you actually did it.
The classic example is clearing the area before maneuvers. If you
don't call "clear left" then the examiner is likely to assume it wasn't
done if he didn't catch you doing it. Do you want to run the risk
of failing because he didn't happen to observe you doing something
correctly? Conduct your checklist on the assumption "if you
didn't say it, then it wasn't done/checked."
When you are training for your rating, keep in mind you should be able
to apply the concepts you've learned to all parts of the country.
Some examiners will pull out a chart from another area and expect you
to be able to answer questions from a chart that you might not be
familiar with. As a good consumer, you will want to determine if
the information received is universal to all kinds of flying. And
if not, why isn't it?
What is Satisfactory Performance?
- When maneuvers are performed within standards
- Mastery of the aircraft
- Outcome of the maneuver never seriously in doubt
- Satisfactory proficiency
- Sound judgment
- Single-pilot Competence
- Crew Resource Management
Examiner Pet Peeves
- Any kind of dishonesty.
- The question: "Did I pass?" You should already
know if you met the standards set out by the PTS.
- Not using the available resources to help you prepare for
the checkride. Examples: this page, the PTS, the associated
FAA pubs.
- Improperly prepared paperwork. Follow the
instructions on the 8710 and you'll avoid 99% of the errors.
Checkride Resources
Practical Test Standards
My instructor will not
sign me off for a
checkride, what do I do?
What's the right amount of ground
training?
Do accelerated training programs work?
Rating
Application FAA Form 8710
New Helicopter Commercial
PTS - August 1, 2006
Curious about the instrument checkride? See
the Instrument
Rating Checkride Plan of Action
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