Dressing for the checkride

scflyin

scflyin

New Member
Okay. Here's my question to all you fellow instructors. Do the DPE's in your area have any sort of dress code for PPL-COMM checkrides? If not do you give your students any advice on how to dress for it? I know when I took my PPL checkride years ago I had to wear slacks and a tie. But when I moved to CLT and took my IFR ride the guy laughed at me for being overdressed. He said that I only need a tie for my CFI ride. And now having been an instructor for a few years I've seen some people wear some wild things on their checkride. Now I am all about being comfortable in the plane but I think that on your checkride you should look presentable. Not like you are going to the beach. I saw a guy the other day taking his PPL checkride with a tank top and shorts and sandals. I dunno. Maybe I think to much about this stuff. Any thoughts?
 
I dunno, I never put anything better than jeans and a t-shirt on for any of my check rides aside from my CFI initial. Granted, I didn't look like a bum either, but I didn't make any attempt to "dress up."
 
Dress casual-nice. Can't go wrong with that. A tie has nothing to do with aviating!
 
Agree w/ Chinook, dress nice...slacks, button down or polo with nice shoes should do. Don't over do it and at the same time don't look like a scrub either. :pirate:
 
Depends on the DPE I would say. Pilot Factories/Academies would probably mandate a bit more formal dress than the FBOs. You want the experience to be pleasant for both yourself and the examiner, so don't come in smelling like a fish. For the CFI certificates, a professional appearance would be important, since that is one thing specifically discussed in the Aviation Instructors Handbook put out by the FAA.

No need in the summer to come overdressed, the DPE will probably make you sweat as it is...
 
I'm not a CFI, but I always just dress decently. Long clean pants like slacks, a decent clean shirt (polo, hiwaiian type button shirt), and clean shoes. Because this will be the DE's first impression, and you want to get his mind starting to think you are professional and take flying seriously. Because, if you get nervous in the beginning and make a few mistakes, he'll just chop it off to nerves. Now, if you wear a porn-star shirt, dirty/smelly shorts, flip flops or no shoes, he may get a different impression and chop it up to inexperience, carelessness etc.

What was kinda funny though, is when I took my Instrument ride, it ended up being on fathers day. So I walk into the terminal to meet my DE, we dress almost exactly alike [black tennis shoes, long beige pants and the same color camp shirt (but I had a shirt underneath)] Throughout the entire day, people thought it was a father and his son going out flying for fathers day. It was a different feeling, to say the least, but I think it scored me some points cause it was an easy common-ground to find.
 
I usually wear a nice pair of jeans (nice ones not sagging off my A$$ or with leg openings that could fit over a 55 gallon drum) some nice shoes, not sneakers and for bonus points i wear a classy golf shirt with the collar and three buttons with small embroidered USMC or something..

I do not dress up but my shirt is tucked in, i have nice shoes and i always wear a belt. I look dress casual without having to wear khakis (i do like khakis they are just typically not what i fly in)

I have had good luck with my DPE's that way in my limited experience and the USMC shirt usually scores brownie points or sparks a good conversation because most DPE's are prior mil.

I figure if i joined and have two tours in Iraq i might as well get all i can get out of the deal. If it gives me the slightest edge and helps me gain a good rapport with the DPE than the checkride seems to go much smoother.

kind of silly, i know, but if it is stupid but it works.....than it isnt stupid!
 
The PTS says nothing about a dress code! But I agree with the others, if you want to be taken seriously, and not have an uphill battle from the start, dress professionally.

I would wear a nice pair of slacks and a button down shirt, but that's just me.
 
ChinookDriver said:
Just make sure to hide your tattoos!!!
Click to expand...

I have one on my forearm that says "LEGALIZE CRACK!" but i pretty much consider it to be a non issue. Even if it does make me a communist with below average intelligence and no morals.
 


I was going to wear this, but it was in the dry cleaners at the time. DPE's like clothes that have sexual and/or drug use innuendo all the while referencing flying.
 
Took my private and instrument in jeans, t-shirt and tennis shoes. They never said anything or acted as if it meant anything to them.
 
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