How does your school handle check ride priority

juan valdez

juan valdez

Well-Known Member
I was supposed to fly today to New Orleans (KNEW) and am limited to only flying the 172's that the school has bc of the VA.
Anyway I had one scheduled but got bumped from it yesterday, well I found out yesterday as that was when I spke with my instuctor. No big deal I said, the kid needed the one with the GPS so I got rolled to the other one. I guess back to basic VOR nav for me!
Anyway I go to the airport today and wait for over half an hour. The bird I got rolled to is still not there, meanwhile the original one I scheduled taxiis off and flies away. Over an hour later I get a call saying the plane is back and wondering if I still want to go. By this time it's too late as I won't be back on time for the next guy and am pissed from the whole situation.
My instructor tells me this is school policy. This is the 5th place I've trained at and maybe I've just never come across this before but I have never heard the "check ride guy gets priority". Now I can't even re schedule til next monday because of the length of the flight and prior reservations already made.
Anyway does your school have this checkride priority policy?
Also the GPS database is expired which I read to mean you can't use for IFR nav even if in VFR conditions. Anyone care to elaborate on that for me if you have a reference. I looked in the AIM and my instructor and I are reading it differentely I guess (guy I got bumped for is on his IFR checkride today).
 
Would you be pissed if someone ended your checkride early because some guy just going out to punch holes in that same aircraft? What if the wx and everything was going just perfect?

As a sidenote, no we don't have that policy. You schedule the you want for the checkride with a big enough block to make sure you get it done. No sense in scheduling a plane for 2hr block when you know it's probably going to go over.

RD
 
juan valdez said:
I was supposed to fly today to New Orleans (KNEW) and am limited to only flying the 172's that the school has bc of the VA.
Anyway I had one scheduled but got bumped from it yesterday, well I found out yesterday as that was when I spke with my instuctor. No big deal I said, the kid needed the one with the GPS so I got rolled to the other one. I guess back to basic VOR nav for me!
Anyway I go to the airport today and wait for over half an hour. The bird I got rolled to is still not there, meanwhile the original one I scheduled taxiis off and flies away. Over an hour later I get a call saying the plane is back and wondering if I still want to go. By this time it's too late as I won't be back on time for the next guy and am pissed from the whole situation.
My instructor tells me this is school policy. This is the 5th place I've trained at and maybe I've just never come across this before but I have never heard the "check ride guy gets priority". Now I can't even re schedule til next monday because of the length of the flight and prior reservations already made.
Anyway does your school have this checkride priority policy?
Also the GPS database is expired which I read to mean you can't use for IFR nav even if in VFR conditions. Anyone care to elaborate on that for me if you have a reference. I looked in the AIM and my instructor and I are reading it differentely I guess (guy I got bumped for is on his IFR checkride today).
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ERAU standard policy is that checkrides and solos have priority over normal dual flights.
 
No I wouldn't be mad. I would schedule the aircraft for as long as I needed. If I schedule a flight last week I expect to go on it.
And I am not flying to NO to just punch holes in teh sky. I am working on my commercial license and am now set back a week.
I've lost a ton of time already bc of all the weather here in the spring and twice now have lost an aircraft for a checkride. The consolation I was given is I can be the A hole when I go on my checkride.
 
Checkrides have priorty everywhere I've been, but that does not mean that you just got bumped - they still asked.
 
I understand the importance of a checkride. I guess if I had a problem with it I should have voied it yesterday because my instructor threw that back in my face that I agreed yesterday. But on the phone yesterday he told me that I had already been re scheduled. What was I supposed to say? No I don't want to fly.
It's just really frustrating because I am waaaayyyy far away from where I was hoping to be at this point due to many factors. This being the latest. On top of now having to wait a whole week til I get to go fly again
 
wjmiller3 said:
Checkrides ALWAYS have priority....
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Can someone explain this to me? Is it just because of having to schedule the examiner?
Oh yeah I almost forgot, the dude was originally scheduled to go tomorrow. Last week on a stage check my instructor casualy mentioned to not break the plane today bc two guys going on 'rides Wed. He told me yesterday they had to be moved up but not why.

Also can anyone elaborate on the GPS issue?
 
juan valdez said:
Can someone explain this to me? Is it just because of having to schedule the examiner?
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they have priority since you have a guy prepped and ready for an exam, so to have him just sitting around is counterproductive and and he's not as "current and ready" as he could be. You always want to setup a guy for success, not failure.
 
juan valdez said:
Can someone explain this to me? Is it just because of having to schedule the examiner?
Oh yeah I almost forgot, the dude was originally scheduled to go tomorrow. Last week on a stage check my instructor casualy mentioned to not break the plane today bc two guys going on 'rides Wed. He told me yesterday they had to be moved up but not why.

Also can anyone elaborate on the GPS issue?
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The purpose of the school is to get students their ratings, so the checkride is the goal of the school and student. And the fact that there are more variables involved in scheduling the checkride (DPE,wx, ect.). If the wx, student, and the examiner are able to take a checkride at a particular time, it's theirs.

Lets say you discontinued a checkride due to TS that have been going on for days, and one good day of wx is comimng up tommorrow but the plane is booked. You don't think you should get priority over other students and renters? I dont see how you could not understand this concept.
 
ahmed said:
seriously... i dont know why you care so much.. get over it or switch schools
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Ladies and Gentlemen, I submit to you, the most constructive response of the day!!!

:sarcasm:

Oh and to be constructive to the English language, I suggest that you consider using punctuation to its fullest extent (for example, ending your sentence with a period), and perhaps give capitalization a thought. ;)
 
cencal83406 said:
Ladies and Gentlemen, I submit to you, the most constructive response of the day!!!

:sarcasm:

Oh and to be constructive to the English language, I suggest that you consider using punctuation to its fullest extent (for example, ending your sentence with a period), and perhaps give capitalization a thought. ;)
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But why? I believe those extra periods he inserted make up for the missing one at the end of his insightful thought!
 
I attend a flight school, not a club and I believe that they should have priority over other students, no doubt. They are ready to go, on top of their game (hopefully), why not give them the best shot at it you can?

We had a few CFI candidates who needed the 172RG to take their ride, then somebody gear up'd the afternoon before one of my buddies was supposed to take his ride. They were all pushed back a month or so, when that RG came back you better believe they had priority over people just starting their CFI/commcerical training.

RD
 
The 2 schools I've trained at I've never been given priority over another guy just because I've had a checkride. That's ridiculous to me, who cares if you have to put it off another 1 or 2 days? Honestly if you're going to not be able to take a checkride a couple days later, maybe you're not ready. There have been times when I've had to put off a ride because somebody else had the plane, no biggie, you just schedule it when available and pass it then.
 
TGatch said:
The 2 schools I've trained at I've never been given priority over another guy just because I've had a checkride. That's ridiculous to me, who cares if you have to put it off another 1 or 2 days? Honestly if you're going to not be able to take a checkride a couple days later, maybe you're not ready. There have been times when I've had to put off a ride because somebody else had the plane, no biggie, you just schedule it when available and pass it then.
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That's different. They had the plane. What you're saying and what he's saying are two different things. If you were scheduled for a dual, and someone had the aircraft on a ride and it was taking longer than expected, would you get pissed at said person?

I know I wouldn't. I'd give up my spot to see someone succeed.
RD
 
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