PearlPilot

Very excited to post this, I will be taking my PPL ride very soon. Things are looking great so far. Will keep updated on this. Weird, I am more excited than anxious...I hope it's a good thing.

Bri85

Good Luck- Keep your excitement under control, and dont jump the gun. Think everything thoroughly. What helped me a good amount was talking through the whole flight check- Everything I was doing, the maneuvers, etc.

Planespotta

Congrats! I remember that feeling . . . it's really empowering and will make you want to leap at the first solution/response that comes into your mind. My advice is the same as Bri85's - think things through and, as in everything in aviation, follow the procedures! Do your clearing turns; don't just blindly leap into slow flight in your excitement when instructed to do so by your DPE. If you don't know an answer on your oral, know where to find it. Know every symbol on a sectional and remember to change your altitude on your mock X-C portion if you have to divert to an airport behind you. Power then pitch on a go-around. Good luck, and let us know how it goes

flyvne1971

When I found myself more excited than anxious during my check rides I seemed to do great. I guess it means you are more than ready.

Good luck and keep the greasy side down

PearlPilot

Thanks guys, the day is really closing in. I need to contain the excitement and follow what exactly planespotta said. I can easily see myself forgetting to do clearing turns. I am already going through 101 things to do after getting your PPL thoughts...Not good, time to hit the books...

PearlPilot

Update: Due to the weather had to cancel 2 times, so it is probably going to be after thanksgiving. On the bright side it gives me more time to study, and I learned a very good lesson. No cramming the night before. I stayed up till 2am and woke up at 5am prior to the test. I was very fatigued. In a way, I am glad I didn't take the test at that state. Lesson learned, I will keep updated. Happy thanksgiving!!

usmc-sgt

Thanks for the update. Now...stop studying. If you do not know it by now you likely will not learn it tonight.

You are prepared or else your cfi wouldnt have endorsed you. Take a break and relax you will do just fine on the oral.

Good luck on the test, it is one of the 3 (possibly 4) most nerve racking checkrides you will ever take. It is a great feeling when you get to log PIC without putting anything in the solo column for the first time.

snippercr

Good luck. Going into ANY checkride or oral, I do my normal very intense studying, but the night before, I usually called it pretty early. I would then spend some time watching or doing something mindless - TV, a movie, a SIMPLE video game, or reading a book you enjoy (not a text or aviation related book).

Also, while I am not 100% fan of state-based-learning, I tried to keep my routine going into an oral/checkride the exact same. I know it sounds stupid, but I would make sure I drank the SAME amount of coffee as I normally did (no more or less), got the same amount of sleep, ate the same, etc.

Best advice I give all my students, give yourself PLENTY of time - it's better to wait for your examiner at the airport, than have them waiting for you. Get there 1-2 hours ahead of time, get all your stuff set up, take a breather. Check the weather and have a GOOD understanding of it - not just the reports but what its going to do.

If you are going for your ride on the same day and weather permits, I always liked doing a simple, short flight. Make sure I can see my first few checkpoints, do the maneuvers, feel how the weather is doing, etc. This is not always possible, but helps keeps things in your mind. The day of my PPL check ride, we had gotten about 2 feet of snow and while the runways were cleared, ALL my checkpoints looked different! Also, the area where we did runups was covered in snow/ice so I got extra points by saying "I do not feel safe doing the runup at the usual spot, I am going to do it on the taxi way cocked into the wind."

Good luck, eat plenty of turkey/stuffing and get a good rest.

ciceroes

Any update?

PearlPilot

Scheduled for Thursday the 3rd. Really keeping my fingers crossed here for no rain (or snow yikes!)