Checkride on Tuesday.

dpgtime

Well-Known Member
I have the PPL Checkride next Tuesday and I was just curious as to peoples experiences with the Michael Hayes book for the Oral Exam. I have been through it a few times now and feel like I have over studied...however, how much of the book is practical in the Oral? Is that up to the examiner what he deems most important to cover? I understand he will go by the PTS but he can grill me for 5 hours on aeromedical questions if he wanted to I guess.


Thanks to everyone for their help over the past few months it has been invaluable!

Darren
 
I have the PPL Checkride next Tuesday and I was just curious as to peoples experiences with the Michael Hayes book for the Oral Exam. I have been through it a few times now and feel like I have over studied...however, how much of the book is practical in the Oral? Is that up to the examiner what he deems most important to cover? I understand he will go by the PTS but he can grill me for 5 hours on aeromedical questions if he wanted to I guess.


Thanks to everyone for their help over the past few months it has been invaluable!

Darren
I have found those books to be useful only if you DONT just memorize the short answers and expect to be able to pass on that alone.

What I tell my students is to be able to answer all of those questions LONG ANSWER if needs be, but also be able to keep it short and concise.

I think a lot of people fail to realize that those books have been around quite a while and the examiner has for sure read it, and heard those verbatim answers several times.

The examiner I send most of my students to told me he laughs when he hears one of those answers and he always asks the follow up question: "Why?" he said quite often all he gets are blank stares.
 
Thanks for the reply! I am not one to memorize the answers in short form..I really enjoy learning WHY things are the way they are. I studied for the Written and got a 93 but only because I genuinely wanted to understand the answers to all the questions in the Gleim book. I probably would have failed if I just memorized the answers...I suck at just blank memorizing...I usually need word associations. It is all a bitch, but worth it!

I remember what a Sigmet consists of by saying this to myself:

A Sigmet is like a cigarette, that you flick at a CAT (clear air turbulence), that is chasing a rat which sturs up a DUST STORM all in the vicinity of a volcano which is spewing VOLCANIC ASH that rises into the atmosphere forming into ICING.

and there you have it! A Sigmet. I do this for most of the acronyms for Aviation.

Thanks!
 
Thanks for the reply! I am not one to memorize the answers in short form..I really enjoy learning WHY things are the way they are. I studied for the Written and got a 93 but only because I genuinely wanted to understand the answers to all the questions in the Gleim book. I probably would have failed if I just memorized the answers...I suck at just blank memorizing...I usually need word associations. It is all a bitch, but worth it!

I remember what a Sigmet consists of by saying this to myself:

A Sigmet is like a cigarette, that you flick at a CAT (clear air turbulence), that is chasing a rat which sturs up a DUST STORM all in the vicinity of a volcano which is spewing VOLCANIC ASH that rises into the atmosphere forming into ICING.

and there you have it! A Sigmet. I do this for most of the acronyms for Aviation.

Thanks!
Good

Also think of the practical application of that knowledge.

Who does a SIGMET or AIRMET apply to?
How long are they valid for?
What are the different ways you can find out about a SIGMET?
How do you find out about a SIGMET after you are in the air? (this one stumps a lot of students)
 
I like the list of questions he provides, I dont like some of the answers. You'll be golden if you can answer all the questions "in your own words."
 
I like the list of questions he provides, I dont like some of the answers. You'll be golden if you can answer all the questions "in your own words."
:yeahthat:
Make the answers apply to the airplane you are flying, from the airport you are flying from (or whatever is assigned), in the weather that is common to that area.
 
I'll do as you all say, awesome advice! I could go into the explanation of a Sigmet but you as a CFI would fall into extreme boredom having heard this a million times.

In the air for a Sigmet I would call up the FSS Radio, maybe ask ATC for updates and/or call wx brief...is this an expectable answer?
 
Don't forget HIWAS if one of the nearby VORs has it.
 
My oral consisted of my examiner going over my XC and asking questions. What would you do here if X happened, if weather got IFR how would you land, what are vfr mins for this airspace...

Most examiners are looking that you have a basic knowledge of flying and you won't get yourself killed in an airplane.
 
My oral consisted of my examiner going over my XC and asking questions. What would you do here if X happened, if weather got IFR how would you land, what are vfr mins for this airspace...

Most examiners are looking that you have a basic knowledge of flying and you won't get yourself killed in an airplane.
This is similar to what I experienced. We are near the smokey mountains, and he asked me (while looking at a sectional) what route I would take to get from point A to point B, going over the mountains. What route, what altitude, why? It makes you multi task, "ok, heading west is even altitude plus 500, highest obstacle in any quadrant I'm going through, 5,800, ok...better make it 8,500. What if I have an engine failure...could I make it to suitable landing area?" So forth and so on. They love to ask follow up questions to the ones with simple answers. Think logically and constructively and you'll be fine. Good luck!
 
I think Hayes book can seem overwhelming. You don't need to go into that much detail for most answers. As others said it's more real world relatable questions. Systems you have to know.
 
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