cfi pains

jhugz

Guppy gear swinger
So I am totally bummed today. I have never failed a checkride before...until two weeks ago and again today. The first time I busted on the wrong endorsement for a change in class rating and today I busted on my ground ref. being to high off the deck. I have long term goals for aviation and for me those goals are slipping away. I have to go retest just on area of ops 10 which is ground ref...idk.:banghead::banghead::banghead:. Just needed to vent I guess...someone please tell me though I can still fly for the airlines with two busts or are my interviews going to be terrible.

Fly safe,

jhugz
 
Well, if it makes you feel better I busted my instrument twice. Don't get frustrated and give up. I don't believe the liners will mistreat you because of this. Just be honest about it and let them know what you have learned. Study harder for the next time around. Good luck.
 
I'm not an airline guy and I don't do hire interviews for the airlines, but tell them how you learned from the failures.

I've done interviews outside of aviation and I was very intrigued to see people explain "black marks" on their records. There were those who would blame it all on something else, and there were those who explained how they learned from it to make themselves better. It's not going to save you all the time over a guy who's done the work and passed with flying colours all the time, but it'll spare you a disastrous interview. Be honest, confess and explain...

As for the future, and I don't mean to be an
donkey_shrek_eddie_murphy.gif
, but since it's happened more than once, you might want to be more careful in your prep for the rides. Make sure you have all of your books/paperwork in order well before the ride and just make sure you think everything through during the ride. With all of your ratings, I'd venture to say you're experienced and good enough to pull it all off. Make sure you don't get lost in the situation just because it's a ride. I may be assuming too much, though.
 
So I am totally bummed today. I have never failed a checkride before...until two weeks ago and again today. The first time I busted on the wrong endorsement for a change in class rating and today I busted on my ground ref. being to high off the deck. I have long term goals for aviation and for me those goals are slipping away. I have to go retest just on area of ops 10 which is ground ref...idk.:banghead::banghead::banghead:. Just needed to vent I guess...someone please tell me though I can still fly for the airlines with two busts or are my interviews going to be terrible.

Fly safe,

jhugz
Lol. Calm down. The good news is your tougher on yourself than most anyone else is gonna be. Just keep studying and doing the best you can, be critical of yourself.

Warning, following advice probably not terribly wise: When you f' up grab a bottle of jack, drink until your head slows down or you fall asleep. Next day if it isn't any better, repeat. Try to remember your human.
 
Don't worry it doesn't matter. You will explain in the interview. You probably have less than 400 hours and you won't be interviewing with an airline until at least 1000. They are gonna be more interested in how you answer the question than why you actually busted the ride.

/side note- don't ever go to the airlines. You can do better.
 
It's not going to save you all the time over a guy who's done the work and passed with flying colours all the time
A DE can bust anyone on any ride. It's not only about "who's done the work". Why do you think airline captains occasionally bust a PC after 8 years with the airline? Everyone has bad days, and if it lines up with a disgruntled DE then you can bust any check ride no matter how prepared you are.

The interviewers know busts happen. They probably wont even bat an eye at it if you explain what happened and what you learned from it.
 
I had a buddy who failed his instrument ride the first time and then failed his CFI-A ride 2x. He is now flying Gulfstreams for a major corporate company. Don't let the busted checkrides get you down, just make it a learning experience and prove to your interviewer that it made you a better pilot.

Sean
 
Like the others have said, don't let this get you down. It matters more what you learn and how you bounce back. The last 2 charter places I've worked at didn't even ask if I busted a ride. If they do ask, your interviewers are probably more interested in what you learned from your bust, not if you've ever busted.
 
Thanks for all the words of encouragement, 9 hours of oral so far and 2 hours of flight and I am still not done. Just exhausted and venting I suppose.
 
Thanks for all the words of encouragement, 9 hours of oral so far and 2 hours of flight and I am still not done. Just exhausted and venting I suppose.

Next time you'll be telling us about how you passed your ride:).
 
A DE can bust anyone on any ride. It's not only about "who's done the work". Why do you think airline captains occasionally bust a PC after 8 years with the airline? Everyone has bad days, and if it lines up with a disgruntled DE then you can bust any check ride no matter how prepared you are.

The interviewers know busts happen. They probably wont even bat an eye at it if you explain what happened and what you learned from it.
I was only trying to say that a bust and a good learning experience from it aren't going to get you preferential treatment over the guys who don't have busts on their record. That's all.

Next time you'll be telling us about how you passed your ride:).
For sure.
 
I busted 2 checkrides also. Its about what you learn from the experience.

There are 2 types of pilots. One who has failed a checkride and one who has not failed a checkride yet. Everyone busts a checkride eventually. Everyone has a bad day or two.
 
If there is a checkride you're going to bust twice, it's the initial CFI. Man, that's a hard ride! I'm so glad it's behind me.

It WILL be behind you too. Don't be discouraged. You have what it takes. In a few years you will learn that this experience taught you something valuable and you're lucky to have had it. And you are TOTALLY employable. Not every employer will ask you about failed rides, but for the ones that do, just follow the advice others have given and be humble and honest. I would rather hire someone who failed a few rides back in the day, really took responsibility, and learned from the experience than someone who hasn't ever failed and has allowed himself to become overconfident.
 
as has been said, don't let it persuade you to cease aviation.

I don't know anyone in life who hasn't made a mistake at something, or had to try multiple times to get something right.

You probably graduated highschool...Did you get a 100 on every single test?

If you didn't, then you failed at some part of something. But, more importantly - you didn't let it affect you in so far as to drop out of highschool.

Same principle with flying. You don't do everything perfectly all the time, and sometimes worse than others. But it should not make you give up.

Keep your head up buddy.
 
If it makes you feel any better, I've failed quite a few. I busted my instrument, then because I was so nervous about busting checkrides, that I forgot to hold the brakes during a short field takeoff during my commercial checkride, thus busting me on that one. Then I busted my CFI twice. As I tell my students, the only to truly fail a checkride is to not go up and do it again.

It's certainly not the end of the world. Busting checkrides during your flight training is completely different than busting a company checkride. Personally, I'd rather fly with some one that failed a few than fly with someone thats never made a mistake. Wisdom comes from experience, experience comes from screwing up.
 
I busted a checkride.

It's not the end of the world! :) Well, kinda. Losing that "I'm superman!" image of ourselves after a checkride bust is a blow to the ego sometimes.
 
Thanks guys...Well I am flying on Tues. to be re-signed off and have to go to the FAA again to get a new examiner. We will see what happens.
 
The cfi initial is a brutal checkride with all the knowledge you must possess to satisfy the FAA. Good luck w/ your recheck! That being said however, it seems as you may have a problem with your knowledge. You said you first busted on an endorsement question and then you busted the second time on being too high on ground reference? Both of these are knowlege related and you definitely SHOULD know exactly how high to do ground reference (this is not your first song and dance w/ GR maneuvers).

If you bust a checkride.... who cares, everyone will someday. If you bust 2 seperate ones..... no big deal. However if you bust the same ride multiple times questions could be raised. Obviously you have passed the oral portion of the exam since you have flown, but that doesn't mean forget everything that was on the oral. Good luck on the recheck, and remember now that you are in the airplane that is what you know how to do best. Just fly like you trained. Good luck!
 
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