busted checkrides

[flyguy]

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Failed for checklist usage .... check the lights during the preflight, off for engine start except for the beacon.

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Oh that's HUGELY retarded.

The checklist is a checklist and not a do-list, for the most part.

Having the position lights on prior to engine start isn't a safety related thing. In fact, it probably fosters more safety because people on the ramp will have an easier time visually avoiding the aircraft during engine start.



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Although I agree that it is redarted, I can see the argument that the maximum power should be available for engine start. Still nothing that should bust a checkride though.

 

[MikeD]

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Although I agree that it is redarted, I can see the argument that the maximum power should be available for engine start. Still nothing that should bust a checkride though.

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Even the argument is faulty. The power from the nav lights being on is negligible.

 

[kellwolf]

I have to agree that busting someone for leaving on the nav lights and calling it a 'failed checklist item' is pretty retarded. Are we sure this guy didn't do anything else on the checkride that might have flunked him?

Hey, Hammer. Where did you do your training? I saw Florida and Aztecs, so I'm assuming ATA. I'm at Air Orlando, so I have almost the same DE selection they did...

 

[sopdan]

Heard a story about a student who busted on his checkride on the question of what the alternator belt was. He jokingly said that the belt turned the prop (even though he knew what it was for)... apparently a number of students at the time didn't know what that little black belt was for. He just picked the wrong time to have some fun with the DE.

 

[E_Dawg]

There's this little thing called a POSTFLIGHT BRIEFING!

That's where the DE shouldda mentioned it if he had a problem with that!

Man, it's hit or miss with those guys.... prayin' I get a FAIR one for my next few rides...

 

[MikeD]

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There's this little thing called a POSTFLIGHT BRIEFING!

That's where the DE shouldda mentioned it if he had a problem with that!

Man, it's hit or miss with those guys.... prayin' I get a FAIR one for my next few rides...

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So much for standardization with these ninkumpoop morons.

 

[E_Dawg]

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So much for standardization with these ninkumpoop morons.

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In their defense, I've got to say that every DE I've talked to or taken a ride with (all two of 'em

) has been great.

They're all very experienced people, and most of 'em are pretty good when it comes to rides. But they do have those pet peeves...

I've learned tons on the checkrides I've taken thus far, and I know I was given a tough but fair ride both times (easy to say since I passed, huh

).

 

[MikeD]

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So much for standardization with these ninkumpoop morons.

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In their defense, I've got to say that every DE I've talked to or taken a ride with (all two of 'em

) has been great.

They're all very experienced people, and most of 'em are pretty good when it comes to rides. But they do have those pet peeves...

I've learned tons on the checkrides I've taken thus far, and I know I was given a tough but fair ride both times (easy to say since I passed, huh

).

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Let me specify that my intent isn't to broad-brush all FAA examiners and DEs, just the ones that pull this kind of malarky. There are many one good ones out there too.

 

[Buzo]

I have been lucky enough to pass all of my checkrides on the first try, but I also had DE's that know what consistently meets the standards means. Some of the things I have done should have been a bust no matter what though.

Private ASEL-- Crossed a hold short line, luckily at a non-towered airport, with a plane on short final.

Instrument-- Could not hold altitude due to nerves, and lost about 200 feet on a steep turn.

Commercial-- This one went really well. He questioned my pattern exit during the debrief, but I justified it and that was fine with him.

CFI-- Tracked the wrong way on a VOR and gained about 300 feet and rolled out 90 degrees off on my Lazy 8. During the debrief on that one, she said my flying skills need a little work but my teaching and evaluation skills are very good.

Multi-- I don't remember any big errors on that ride.

MEI-- Forgot to turn the transponder on while in a Class B veil.

CFII-- Descended below a step down altitude. The examiner didn't say a thing about it. It was really quiet for a couple minutes though.

B1900-- I took my A game with me that morning, nailed everything.

 

[Alchemy]

Finally, someone who is honest about their checkrides..........

 

[Ophir]

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Hey,

I always enjoyed reading the stories of these guys and gals passing checkrides with no problems, always anxious to hear the good news at the end. I expected the samething, but my DE wasn't all that great. He is (and we still remain in contact) a captain for Spirit and man is he tough. My oral was about 5-6 hours for the private and about an hour flight. He was nailing me on the aircraft systems and how everything functioned in detail. He also taught me alot too,


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The difference between what MikeD is raging on and what you are showing is that your DE took you out for a lesson with an exam in it. Granted, you felt you were being test the whole time but obviously his intentions were to have you learn a few things that he/she felt were important. But in the end he didn't flunk you because you didn't turn one switch before starting that wouldn't really result and a major electrical change in the plane. I can respect DE who tell you they will grill you (or have that rep, and then they pass you with a grill, if you deserve it.) But if the ego is getting in the way and the DE is failing people on not being perfect; I have not experienced the perfect PPL, everyone make mistakes, it is human nature.

 

[DE727UPS]

I busted my 727 F/E sim ride from a part 61 school. It was with a real FAA guy and I didn't wear a tie...that pissed him off. I got busted because I didn't know the emergency evacuation checklist but my instructor never covered it....oh well. We went over it the next day and I passed fine....they guy was just trying to make a point with the school and instructor.

I should have busted my initial CFI. I was poorly trained by a guy who had never done a CFI before. Really, I was totally unprepared. This was with a DE, before the FAA started doing most of the CFI initials. Anyhow, the DE new I was off to ERAU for my CFII and figured they'd whip me into shape.

 

[SEAN]

You guys are all scaring me. I have my ASEL-Instrument checkride on monday 9/29. I am getting very nervous as we speak. I had my flight check with the chief last night, and I made some dumb mistakes..things that would flunk me. I forgot to id the localizer right after my flashlight died and i couldnt see where the hell i was on either the chart or approach plate, nor was the #2 nav with the intersecting radial lit. i struggled and eventually pulled it off. then the landing light died and had a nice bumping dark landing. ill let you all know how i do. Wish me luck.

doug, why did you bust your mel-ia checkride?

 

[derg]

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doug, why did you bust your mel-ia checkride?

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After liftoff, I retracted the gear, departed via the "training" SID in Prescott, climbed up and held on a DME/Radial fix, shot the single-engine DME Arc to a VOR approach, selected gear down at the VOR, the gear didn't come down.

Checked the breakers, voila! One of the breakers is out. I move to pop it back in and he's got the old CFI stranglehold simulating that the breaker 're tripped'.

Ack! Lemme think, single-engine in a Piper Seminole, it's july and about 95 degrees, single engine rate of climb is about -80 fpm as per my calculations... Screw it, manually extend the landing gear and land this beast else we're dead. I did a quick memorized flow on manual landing gear extension and nothing. No lights.

Can't get the gear down, the manual/emergency extension doesn't work and in the best case scenario, we're going to be a smoking hole during the missed approach.

About .5 from the missed approach. Can't get the gear down because he's electrically failed the motor and the manual extension didn't give me lights at all, not even a gear unsafe light.

I use some 'executive authority', look outside and see that my nosegear is fully extended, decide that in these conditions, especially simulated IFR that this is going to be a one-way because there's no way to conduct a successful missed approach.

He gave the other engine back at this point and the instructor asks tower for a left downwind for a full stop and I thought I aced the checkride because I kicked but on the instrument takeoff, did well in the single engine DME Arc and hit all of the points on the VOR approach.

Then we land and he tells me that I've failed because when I selected "gear up", he had pulled the breaker on the landing gear motor and the breaker for the lights (or something like that) and started preaching about watching for the ammeter spike during gear retraction.

"Sir, the ammeter did spike during retraction"

"Uhh," he answered, "maybe it did because I didn't pull the breaker fast enough, but you should have lifted the hood and looked outside at the nacelle mirror to see if the nose gear went up."

"As far as I know, I'm not allowed the lift the hood during a checkride until instructed to do so. Specifically which part of the takeoff, holding, single-engine ARC, single-engine VOR approach wasn't within limits?"

"Well, you failed right there with the gear malfunction during takeoff"

And then ensues the big speech about how us Riddle students trounce around the airport acting like we own the place and how I'm supposed to take my experience back to my training manager and show him (actually a "her") that we weren't as good as we think we are, yadda yadda yadda.

"Sir, I'm just here for a checkride."

"So lets go ahead and schedule your retest for next week and it's only $x."

"Afraid not, have a nice day."

And then my instructor got me set up with a different DPE and things went just fine.

A thing against DPE that fail students for idiotic things such as having the nav lights on during engine start? You bet!

 

[b_r]

Recently duffed the oral for my CFI-A initial.

Inadequate explanation of MEL's, STC's, and AD's.

It took 3.5 hours to get to that point, and by then I wanted to something more fun and less obnoxious--like rubbing a cheese grater across my face.

...must...remember...why...I...started...this...

 

[Buzo]

Some more advice I pass on to all my students from my own experience. Don't tell the examiner off until the flight is over, no matter how much you don't like them. I did this prior to the flight portion of my private. I passed on my first try, but it does make it a little more uncomfortable.

 

[pilot602]

I know a "guy" who busted his initial instrument ride (in a multi) on the easiest portion ofthe test. The ILS with nothing failed.

He got turned in a little late to the FAP and went throught the LOC slightly but coreected and nailed it (the LOC). He was inside the stepdown fix and so he dropped and waited for the GS Intercept (the MM) to arrive but at this point he noticed the GS was pegged at the bottom. Kowing he flew through the GS he announces that if the "needle doesn't move when the MM comes on he's going missed." Never broke an altitude (stayed at the step down altitude) and didn't dive for the false GS as he was flying to the MAP. He went missed and the DE busted him.

The DE asked if he wanted to continue and he said, "sure can't get any worse now" and went around for the single-engine LOC approach. Did it within tolerances and they departed the area to do manuevers and finally the partial-pannel VOR. And it just so happened climbing to altitude for manuevers the cabin door decided to blow open - end of ride.

Two weeks later he went back and literally nailed everything.

Some days just happen to be an off day.

Luckily, I know I wouldn't have killed .. err "he" knows he wouldn't have killed himself on that ILS if it were in IMC.

 

[MikeD]

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[A thing against DPE that fail students for idiotic things such as having the nav lights on during engine start? You bet!

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Doug, who was that?

 

[aloft]

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["So lets go ahead and schedule your retest for next week and it's only $x."

"Afraid not, have a nice day."

[/ QUOTE ]Good answer! The whole DE system is such a scam; I've never heard of a DE that didn't insist on payment in cash, and you know damn well that none of them are reporting this income to the IRS.

At least the DE I took my pvt ride with was smart enough to know that in an area with lots of DEs like San Diego, he's gonna lose business if he gets a rep for busting people on piddly stuff. As a result, he's "big picture" on his checkrides; I gave him half a dozen reasons to bust me on my ride, but in light of my flawless oral and the fact that I'd demonstrated that I was flying the airplane and not the other way around, wrote them off to checkride-itis.

So I guess the answer is MORE DEs, not fewer; market forces should keep prices reasonable, and the short-sighted DEs out there will either get a clue or get no bid'ness.

 

[EDUC8-or]

On my IA ride I was doing a partial panel intersection hold with 2 VOR's (no DME) and had to write down a clearance. I wrote down the wrong altitude and I was 500' off exiting the hold while climbing out for the next approach. He questioned me about my altitude and I just knew I had busted the ride. I asked him if we had to go home and he laughed. He spent the rest of the ride telling me he had a HORRIBLE checkride with someone earlier that day and he had given me his CFII ride. He told me I was doing a good job and he didn't want to pink slip (is it really pink?) 2 people on the same day. He was very fair and during the debrief he emphasized that I did not CONSISTETNLY exceed PTS standards. I passed.