brewcrew

Hey, just wondering what constitutes a check ride failure. I went to Riddle and ratings were basically divided into 3 stages. You took a stage check at the end of each stage with the stage three check being your end of course. Riddle is self examining except for the commercial end of course you have to use a D.E. I've failed a few stage checks and an end of course, so I guess I’m just wondering if I have to say I failed an FAA check ride. I know at Express jet they specifically ask if you failed stage checks so I plan on telling the truth. However, some companies ask only about FAA check rides. Are stage checks and end of course at self examining schools the same thing as a FAA check ride.

stickwiggler

I have not been a cfi since the early 90's, but i think the "technical answer" is no, but you would be a fool to enter anything but complete honesty. More people have been fired after starting training for not being forthcoming than have not gotten hired because of a busted check ride. I busted my commercial fixed wing add on (was helo pilot first) because my instructor failed to teach aggrevated stalls. I answered yes, it was no problem. Another case in point; had a student, nice guy-horrible pilot- failed every checkride at American flyers (instrument twice) got hired at ASA. Last week I ran into him and he just got hired at Delta.

Just be honest, don't sweat it, and go fly. Experience is the most important thing.

Stick

P.s. "Good Judgment comes from Experience; Experience comes from Bad Judgement"

rickair7777

Technically if it was a 141 stage check it is not a "checkride".

An intermediate stage check is definately not a check ride, and you should not have to report that. Since 61 students don't even have stage checks it's not really fair that you should be penalized just because you did 141. Actually nobody cares about intermediate stage checks anyway.

However if you failed (or got an incomplete) on an end-of-course check that would have resulted in issuance of a certificate, you probably want to report that one, since that's really what they're asking.

However no 141 stage or end-of-course check failures should not appear in your FAA record (unless an outside DPE mistakenly issued a pink slip).

UnlimitedAkro

I've have heard this same question from other friends...

Airlines can access all FAA documents (and they will), and if you have ever received a PINK slip for failing and "FAA administered checkride", it will show up on your record. If an airline asks you if you have ever failed a checkride, that is exactly what they mean. Dont even bring up stage checks unless they bring it up.

Now, there are a few airlines that ask in interviews if you have ever failed a stage check OR checkride. It is my understanding that airlines can not access stage check failures at all. But if I were you, and they question said "stage check" I would be honest about it.

More importantly, be sure you end your story with a good note at the end... The airlines want to hire someone they can train. If they only hired people who never failed checkrides, they would be having quite a rough time right now...

So make sure you own up to (what was hopefully just) a small mistake you made to fail, and what you learned from it and how it made you a better pilot.

Taking a negative question in an interview and turning it into a positive story is an effective way to make yourself look really good...

Good luck to you.

DMEarc

Be careful about this. Many many many people, including the FAA have told me that airlines CANNOT access this information. They CAN access 121/135 training records, but not generalized individual ratings information.

azvandriver

My understanding is that the only way they can find out is if you logged a failed checkride. None of mine have ever shown up on PRIA requests, but I've always disclosed them.

Stage checks, I started to tell a phone interviewer at a regional that I had to retake a couple and he said, "I'll just put that down as a no."