Passed IR oral, but not with much grace....

JDean3204

JDean3204

Well-Known Member
So today was my scheduled check ride for my IR. I had a great start, but then things went south then continued to make me feel water logged, and ended up recording a 4 1/2 ground for my rating. Now weather impeded the flight portion, but my oral definitely deflated my confidence. I hope that the flight goes well. I felt I prepared very well for the exam, this feedback makes me feel that I am just skimming by as a pilot, which I do not want in any way.
 
It happens mang, you survived the oral which is always the hard part of a checkride (personal opinion).

Hell, I just had my type ride at QX earlier in December. 3 straight mornings of being up at 2.45am to be at the sim by 4am for briefing took it's toll on me. Halfway through my oral, I went into complete mental shutdown. As in, if the check airman had asked "Who makes the airplane you fly?", I'm not sure I could have answered. First time in my career I've had that one happen. It SUCKED, but I was able to get back in the game (and the check airman being gracious enough to prod me along).

Use it as a learning experience and try to mix how you prepare for your next one. Best advice I ever got for oral exams is "Think twice, answer one...don't over answer"
 
JDean3204 said:
So today was my scheduled check ride for my IR. I had a great start, but then things went south then continued to make me feel water logged, and ended up recording a 4 1/2 ground for my rating. Now weather impeded the flight portion, but my oral definitely deflated my confidence. I hope that the flight goes well. I felt I prepared very well for the exam, this feedback makes me feel that I am just skimming by as a pilot, which I do not want in any way.
Click to expand...

Any idea of where things started to go wrong? IMO, an inadequately-prepared student is often a product of inadequate flight instruction... but there could have also been some communication issues that were making it harder on you than it should have been.

Perhaps we can help by armchair quarterbacking? We as a forum seem to do that to everything else, albeit uninvited! ~.^

~Fox
 
Consider this explanation:

The examiner started by quizzing you on things you need to know as required by the PTS and you did well (this is where you're feeling good about the oral because you were prepared). Now, in an attempt to be a exceptional examiner, he starts asking you questions that you may have to put some serious thought into. He may have quickly seen that you knew the required basics and wanted to spend the rest of the time challenging you and even teaching you some advanced decision making/knowledge. This scenario definitely occurs and while it may be uncomfortable it can be very beneficial. Also, don't let the length of the oral worry you. The IR is a serious rating and they must be thorough. Best of luck on the flight, you'll be fine.
 
Here's my suggestion for your next rating...after every question the examiner asks, keep trying to put away all your stuff as if the oral is over because you are so awesome . I tell you it makes them shorter...
 
I think it's kinda funny that people complain about a lot of inferior pilots in the "ranks" and then when an examiner does an in-depth exam he's insulted.

I had a Private student do a 4 hour oral, and the examiner said he did excellent and was one of the best prepared candidates he'd tested. I had no problem with that.
 
I had a friend who had an 8 hour IR oral, she passed.

Checkrides are kind of a weird thing when you deal with the times. My PPL oral was maybe 2, IR-3, CMEL 2.5, CSEL 15 minutes, CFII 4.5, CFI 1, MEI 1.5

I had an IR student with a 1 hr oral, when he stepped out I immediately thought he failed. The examiner came to me and said that it was the best orals he could remember. I am not sure as to why there is such a drastic fluctuation of oral lengths, but so long as you passed then don't kick yourself. You will get some things right, and some things wrong. Learn from what you messed up on, and move on.
 
I had a 3 hr oral on my instrument rating, but that's because I failed my written once, and the examiner wanted to assure that I had the knowledge.
 
My examiner for my commercial multi asked me some fairly oddball questions for a multi add-on. I kind of bumbled through them because it wasn't stuff I'd really covered. I thought in my mind "this isn't going well."

Long story short: doesn't matter; got multi.
 
Shoot, it's been so long I dont remember how long most of my rides were. While you're in them time seems to stand still anyway-literally, every checkride I've done I had no idea how much time had passed until I looked at the clock, usually while the examiner was typing up the temporary.

My most recent, the ATP-MEL, was about 2 hours of oral and 2.7 flight.
 
JDean3204 said:
So today was my scheduled check ride for my IR. I had a great start, but then things went south then continued to make me feel water logged, and ended up recording a 4 1/2 ground for my rating. Now weather impeded the flight portion, but my oral definitely deflated my confidence. I hope that the flight goes well. I felt I prepared very well for the exam, this feedback makes me feel that I am just skimming by as a pilot, which I do not want in any way.
Click to expand...

Who did you have? When's the flight? PM me if you can..
 
I fumbled my way passed the ATP oral. Was only about an hour to 90 minutes, but boy it was difficult. Amazing what I've forgotten while not being in an airplane all the time.
 
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