jdebrey

Hey Everyone!

I'm taking my check ride next week and was looking from some pointers from some more experienced aviators!

I'm up at UND which makes you go through "stage checks" which basically makes sure you can pass your private to their standards. I got through it just fine, but am wondering if anyone knows some common errors that will result in an unsat with the FAA examiner.

If you can think of anything on either the oral, or the flight portion I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks

PerfInit

Review the Private ASEL ACS and relax. If you are well prepared, you will pass. The test should be easier than your final stage check!

Pony Express

I'd echo what the post above said. When I was an instructor the examiners always harped on knowing the ACS. If you haven't already, read it cover to cover. You don't have to memorize it but it's more for your own understanding.

In a way you've already been through check rides with your stage checks. Relax, take your time, and you'll get through it no problem. If you aren't sure what the examiner is asking, ask him to clarify his question. And by the way, it's fine if you don't know the answer to every single detail of every single question, as long as you know where to find it.

Best of luck!

SeamusTheHound

Take a practice oral exam with an instructor, but not YOUR instructor.

Use the feedback from that to study stuff that you might not be strongest on.

Mustache

100% agree. The ACS is the syllabus that they go through. It seems like a lot, but its really broken down into small segments so its not bad. Like Pony said, read it cover to cover, including the preface sections. I wish I had started doing that since the beginning. It seems tedious but people fail all the time because they went by the gouges and not the actual ACS.

Tab out the FAR/AIM and PHAK, AFH, etc. whatever books/documents you have.

Know the limitations and privileges of a private pilot and currency reqs.

for the flight I personally had a cheat sheet for the things I generally forgot on the maneuvers and such, on my kneeboard during flight. As well as local airport frequencies. I only gave it a very quick glance from time to time, I didn't rely on it.

If you do not understand something, ask for clarification. If, for example, the examiner says
"What happens if your oil pressure drops?" Most of us immediately say,

"well, we need oil to run the engine, id declare an emergency and land asap". Which very well may be the correct action, however, often times they will respond with
"what if it was just a broken gauge?" You want to know, in this situation, if the oil temp is rising when pressure is dropping or if the gauge just went inop. This came up on my check ride but was by no means a failing factor. They just want to make you look for all the info and not jump to conclusions.

Emergency Procedures should be memorized without hesitation, and trust me on the day that you need them, you'll still feel like you don't know them well enough. Engine Failure In Flight (or however its phrased in your checklist) is a MUST have. Don't forget to pull carb heat on (if you have it). Too many of my students rush and forget Carb Heat and start doing engine shut down. Don't do that. If you fly fuel injected, disregard the whole carb heat section.

Always reference your checklists. DO NOT skip anything. and stay ahead fo the plane.

And finally im sure you've heard to RELAX more than anything, and like the rest of us you're thinking how the hell can I relax? Let me rephrase that.

Slow things down.

Both in the oral and in flight, DO NOT RUSH. Rushing may cause you to forget something or, ironically, fall behind the plane.

So yes, relax, but really slow things down and make sure you complete all the checklist items and tasks at hand. Soon you'll be a private pilot, and before you know it you'll have more ratings and feel like your private check ride was ages ago.

dera

Here's a 100% pass answer to ANY abnormal scenario in a checkride.

"I would head towards a nearest suitable diversion airport, and while on my way there, I would start troubleshooting the issue. If I consider it a faulty indication, I would still land, do a thorough preflight inspection and continue. This will also reset my mindset from a possible emergency situation to normal flight".

JohnBurke

Assuming that high oil temperature will accompany an oil pressure loss is jumping to a conclusion.

With an actual oil loss, there isn't necessarily oil remaining to immerse or flow over the temperature probe, and indicated temperature may decrease or fail to register at all. A stuck oil cooler bypass or pressure regulator valve, can have a similar effect.

Some years ago I was on board a Cessna Skymaster during a post-maintenance check, in which two new engines had been installed. I was there to take notes, while a check airman did the flight. At one point I noticed the oil pressure for the rear engine dropped to zero, along with the temperature. I pointed it out; the check airman said "it's just the gauge."

It wasn't. The oil drain wasn't properly safetied and backed out, resulting in loss of all oil. The engine was feathered and a return to the airport executed. Don't assume that oil pressure loss will be accompanied by an increase in temperature.

Similarly, in a turbine single powered by a Garrett TPE331-10, I experienced a torque loss and parked the airplane on a hillside. The torque loss was actually an oil loss, precipitated by a rear turbine bearing failure. There was no temperature increase indicated in the cockpit.

Know the system, know more than what's seen on the gauge, but don't assume, and definitely don't assume it's the gauge or indicator. If the oil pressure gauge does fail, handle it like the oil pressure has actually fallen; good chance it has, but in any case there's no way to know or monitor the oil pressure any more, and very bad things can follow should low pressure occur. For propeller driven aircraft, whether turbine or piston, it may mean no oil left to actuate the propeller mechanism, which may mean loss of thrust because of loss of torque, depending on the propeller type. Just like the Garret that failed, the engine may keep turning, but there's no useable thrust with no oil to move the prop. Don't assume: if the oil pressure indication is down, handle it accordingly. You can look for confirming secondary indications such as elevated oil temperature, but you may not see them, depending on what's gone wrong.

mark hughes

Hi,

Good luck on your checkride!

I'm not a professional pilot. I do have my private. I failed my first checkride when the examiner cut the engine. My first instinct was to prepare to land somewhere. I had a spot picked out.

Unfortunately, I made my first turn over water to get into position to land. That's a fail move. Stay over land!

Good luck!

Mark

JohnBurke

Ridiculous. Being over water is not a "fail move" if setting up for a land landing, unless you extend out so far that you can't make it to shore. In fact, it's arguable that you're over an area devoid of obstacles and thus safer for the descent and approach.

jarinawoz

hey will you tell us how it was??