As promised, here are some of the things my DPE shared. He knows I'm going for my CFI next so he wanted to start priming me for student preparation and shared a lot of mistakes and things he doesn't like to see. There are a couple criticisms in there on my own flight, just putting it out there to be honest and make it a learning experience.
Sorry these aren't well organized, I just typed as I thought back over what he told me and what I remember.
"We wont trick you" doesn't mean we wont ask you real world questions or ask you to demonstrate something other than you expect. For my first take-off as I roll on to runway, my DPE says "I'll set power" and he gives me about 3/4 and says "assume we are at gross and at high density altitude and complete your takeoff". I used ground effect for acceleration. We didn't have enough to accelerate for climb, I told him I would abort, he said give it another inch or two and continue. I climbed at lower than "book" Vy... because Vx and Vy converge at altitude. He wants to see demonstrated knowledge and skill for a real world situation, not just a regurgitated procedure, explain your understanding as you fly.
As I got ready for a take off, he says "I want this one soft-field, and assume gross weight"... I didn't think much about the gross weight comment. In some aircraft, flap configurations may vary with takeoff weight, do you know yours? Dont just memorize a standard procedure, dont use a random maneuvering speed... know the numbers and procedures for your airplane for different configurations and use the correct ones for your flight.
Commercial applicants - they know most commercial applicants are still very green, but if you're applying for a commercial certificate it is a "professional" pilot credential... in short, show up prepared, you should be driving the show and executing efficiently. It's not something to try to squeak through and make minimal grade. By applying (or for CFI's signing off a student) you are effectively saying... "I (or my student) know enough and have the skills that the FAA should trust me with the lives of Joe Public Paying Passenger". In particular you should have every speed, limitation, normal and emergency procedure down cold from the POH for any aircraft you are flying...not just be able to say it, but be able to fly it. Be able to execute and think in terms of how this airplane performs. Think on the fly, how can I make this airplane perform to the maximum of it's capabilities to acheive the goal I've been given?
During any extended low power maneuver you absolutely should clear the engine. He doesn't like setting up for a simulated emergency landing in a farm field where the engine has been getting cold at idle for the past 2 minutes and not having heard the applicant clear the engine ever minute or so. Teach students to do this instinctively whenever the engine is at low power settings.
Think outside the book, but in accordance with the airplanes limitations. Understand WHY the procedures and limitations are what they are.With full flaps for emergency landing he asks to execute a go around. So I go full power and flaps 20 and wait for positive rate. He says "so what if you dont get positive rate? in lots of these little planes on a warm day at a higher airport with a load you are not going to climb with flaps 20.. so what then?". I said that if at or above Vx and stable to retract flaps 10 to reduce drag and he said "Yes, exactly...lots of drag on these big flaps, fly the airplane and get it clean so you can use the little thrust you have for the performance you need".
Be PIC. You'll screw up numbers, you might fly outside the parameters of a maneuver, ATC might give you stupid instructions...so show that you are PIC by being aware of what is going on and executing the flight safely. Tell the examiner what you will do, fix what needs fixing, state mistakes and correct them, tell ATC what you want or need, they are there for safety not to make your decisions on how/where to fly, use them. I took a landing clearance behind a Dash-8 closer than my DPE liked, landing worked out fine but he said "if ATC is crowding you, you are PIC, tell them you want a 360 or whatever.. you are pilot, not them". If DPE asks you to do something and you want to do it differently, say so. If you find an error, identify it and fix it. I made a stupid rookie mistake on a navlog entry and grabed a VOR radial and threw it in my TC column, so with variation it was quite obvious I had it wrong... I identified why it was wrong and fixed it and he was happy. If you are doing an air or ground manevuer and it's not coming out quite right, explain why... while you need to fly to PTS standards many of the parameters are not automatic failures if you identify why there was variance, explain corrections... that also shows deep understanding of the knowledge and skill that the maneuvers are testing. Obviously you cannot break PTS standards much, and some are failure items, but dont let every variation mess with you just correct it and fly. A checkride can be stressful, but you have to remain cool and in control. Even if you bomb one task, complete the rest with authority and precision, have a good handle on your own mind and ego.
When doing performance landings on a runway with a VASI/PAPI, teach students to ignore it and fly the airplane to the spot they are landing on in the approach profile that's appropriate for the targetted landing.
My last landing was a power off 180 and it was dark at that point, my glide judgement was off and I was going to be short, I called it short to tell him I recognized it but then worked my butt off to make it stick, I saved some energy in the last bit of glide and put it to work in ground effect and used every last molecule of air and made it to my spot and it was a pass. Never stop flying.
The fun thing about flying with experienced DPE's like this is they have real world stories about everything. Ask questions, especially after the flight. A lot of these guys have more experience in one finger than we'll get in 10 years of flying. They'll tell you about real engine failures, gear extension problems, near mid-airs, real lost procedures, etc. They are instructors and most of these guys want to help cultivate good new pilots.
