PPL Checkride tomorrow

A150K

A150K

Well-Known Member
I've got my checkride coming up tomorrow. My instructor and I went up today to do some pattern work (in order to touch up on short and soft landings), which didn't go so well today. I guess my instuctor cut me some slack because the winds were anywhere from variable at 5 to a left or right crosswind at about 15 gusting 20 (sometimes shifting on short final, or just before touchdown in one case prompting me to go around), all within 1.3 of flight time...I joked with my instructor to present the pink slip during taxi in, that is how bad today's lesson went (landings have never come easy to me, but today was almost back to screwing up the fundementals).Is it normal for a student to so royally mess up so close to a checkride? All other maneuvers and oral test prep have gone very well, I am just praying that the wind will stay in one place for atleast the flight portion of tomorrows checkride, even if it's a slight crosswind...:insane:. All that aside, any last minute pointers for the checkride? The examiner I'm going with is known to be easy going and fair, so I'm hoping for a smooth checkride.
 
Try not to overthink it. In general when you are under pressure you will perform a little worse than usual. The examiners know this too, so as long as you can show that you are "safe", you should be ok.

So just study a little the night before, be sure to have your cross-country stuff ready to just add the wx for the next day, and then take it easy. If you botch something a little, just keep flying until you are done. Don't quit.

Good luck! May the force be with you.
 
I'd say just try to get a good night of sleep. And eat something good and healthy for breakfast. If your CFI sent you for the checkride, he/she is sure you'll pass. You know everything you need to know. Have fun, it's not that bad. Just don't jump into answers before you think about them.
 
Don't worry about the flying part. This is what you have trained for. Just do what you know how to do. When you go up for your flying portion of the test just take your sweet time and double check everything. Once you get up in the air just imagine that you are on a solo flight and ATC is telling you to do a steep turn or do some slow flight. I tried really hard to not focus on having the examiner in the right seat. When I first took off I got really nervous because he was sitting there with a pencil and clipboard jotting things down. Pressure and nerves will eat you alive. Just stay calm and don't really worry if you mess up on something because as long as you don't make a big critical error, chances are you will be a new private pilot! Have fun!
 
youngflyer said:
Let us know how you did!
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The winds were gusting 28 with a slight crosswind this morning so we decided to just get the oral done today and we'll do the flight test on Monday when the DPE get's back from his learjet 60 trip. The oral was way easier than I had imagined it to be. I think it maybe lasted one hour and about half of it was him telling stories and casual conversation . On the oral we spent a little bit on medical requirements, equipment for day VFR (he had me stop after I listed 5 items), we then spent about 2 minutes (!) on my XC plan to Alamosa, we then spent 5 minutes on airpace, we briefly covered instrument flying, the airplanes electrical system (which was basically him asking if our plane (C172P) had an alternator or a generator), density altitude, and then I guess in the spirit of niceness he had me do the diversion in the PTS on the ground, rather than in the air, and then he showed me the easy way to do it without an E6B. He then told me it was my choice on whether or not to fly, so I got the latest TAF for the field and determined that it probably would not get any better (the wind sock was already fully extended at 9:30 A.M which is unusual even for New Mexico). He just smiled and said I was a smart man and he collected his $250 (He's probably the cheapest examiner in the Southwest, and he gives free re-tests, you can tell that he just does checkrides for fun and has another primary source of income) dollar examiner fee, gave me my letter of discontinuence and we will meet for the flight test on Monday. So I guess you can say I am half a private pilot at the moment.
 
Congrats on the oral. Spend the time up until the flight portion relaxing and do some chair flying. That will help alot.
 
Quick update...I've got the flight portion scheduled for tuesday morning at 8. I flew with my CFI yesterday in some pretty gusty (gusting 24 varying from straight down the rwy to a few degrees off to the right) winds and managed some pretty decent short and soft field landings, so I'm pretty confident that this checkride will go well. the other plus side is that with the oral out of the way, we can just go in and fly first thing, so I'm hoping wind will be a non issue.
 
A150K said:
Quick update...I've got the flight portion scheduled for tuesday morning at 8. I flew with my CFI yesterday in some pretty gusty (gusting 24 varying from straight down the rwy to a few degrees off to the right) winds and managed some pretty decent short and soft field landings, so I'm pretty confident that this checkride will go well. the other plus side is that with the oral out of the way, we can just go in and fly first thing, so I'm hoping wind will be a non issue.
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Sounds like you've got it in the bag. Best of luck!
 
I took and passed the flight portion this morning. It was a pretty short flight, only about 1.2 on the hobbs. We started with the pre flight, and he asked me a few simple questions (What are counterweights on the ailerons for, what color is the break fluid etc etc). We then went flying (or as he said "let's go commit aviation") started with a soft field x-wind takeoff, which went well then we did the "cross country" portion, which was basically him handing me the sectional, pointing to an intersection of victor airways (in this case the Ziase intersection). So I took him right to the point where we intercepted the 255 radial of the SAF VOR when he gave me the hood and had me do two turns, and one unusual attitude recovery. We then did one steep turn to the right, which went well (got to feel my own wake turbulence on that one), and then slow flight, and power on/off stalls. He then pulled the power and we did our emergency decent and headed straight in for a road (we came in pretty high, but he wasn't too concerned) he then had me climb to 1000 AGL to do some S-turns. We headed back to the airport and did one soft field landing and a power off landing, which both went well. That was pretty much it. He also said he was impressed with my control of the airplane, which is good.:beer:
 
Congratulations!! I remember that feeling.. driving away from the airport with the biggest smile I have ever had.
 
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