Check Ride Manifesto• This Guide will provide you with insight and helpful tips to make

sure you pass your next Practical Test with flying colors. Of course, we can’t cover everything here, and the biggest factor is your own training, study, and flying with a knowledgeable CFI. Here’s what’s included:

• Why are check rides so stressful?

• The LAHSO Method of check ride preparation

• Quick Tips from CFIs and Designated Pilot Examiners

• Resource List

The Big Day • So it’s time to take your Practical Test, or “Check Ride” as it’s known

in the industry….the ground and flight examination where all of the countless hours spent honing your skills and knowledge will be put to the test and you’ll show that you’re truly worthy of that new certificate or rating. It’s the culmination of your hard work, and you’re excited to get this final formality out of the way so you can….wait, what’s that? Nervous, you say? Anxious? Sweaty palms? Ah, yes, the check ride can inspire trepidation in even the most confident and Type-A personalities. The mysterious examiner, the student’s self-doubt, the weather, the airplane, the maneuvers, other airports…there are many variables to every check ride, and this can make many applicants nervous. This guide will help ensure you knock it out of the park on your next check ride; follow along!

Why are Check Rides so stressful?There are many factors which can make a practical test a stressful event, but the most common issues brought up by upcoming applicants boil down to a few major themes (we’ll talk about each one in the upcoming pages):

1. “Will the examiner/inspector get mad at me if I…”

2. “What kind of new maneuvers or knowledge areas will the examiner try to stump me on? I just don’t know what to expect, or what to study!”

3. “My friend Steve said the examiner had it out for him on his check ride, and failed him for one tiny slip-up on (insert maneuver) even though he did everything else perfectly!”

Check Ride ConcernsOK. So we have a few common concerns; let’s take a look at some solutions:

1. “Will the examiner/inspector get mad at me if I…”

Solution: Worry about you, not the examiner!

“Use a calculator instead of an E6B/use an iPad/chew gum while I fly/(insert personal idiosyncrasy here)”. The Practical Test/Check Ride for any certificate or rating is an objective evaluation of skills and knowledge, and emotion over personal preference is not really part of the program. For example, a student may get themselves worked up over whether an examiner might like to see steep turns started at 100 knots, instead of 110 like he/she has been practicing. Guess what? It doesn’t matter; if you perform the maneuver within the tolerances put forth in the Practical Test Standards (Airman Certification Standards) and complete it safely, you have done your job. This applies from the moment you walk out to the airplane to the moment you put the chocks on after the flight. Your examiner is looking at the big picture, and if you’re stuck thinking about minutia like how much nose-up trim your examiner would prefer to see you put in on final approach instead of executing the maneuver the way you have been trained, you’re going to drop the ball. Not to worry, your examiner/inspector has been around, and knows whether you’re doing a good job, at 100 knots or 110, full flaps or 10 degrees. There’s enough to worry about inside your own head on a check ride…don’t try to get into the examiner’s head too!

Check Ride Concerns

2. “What kind of new maneuvers or knowledge areas will the examiner try to stump me on? I just don’t know what to study!”

Solution: Know that if you have been well trained, nothing new of significance will occur during the check ride.

Fear of the unknown is part of what makes taking a practical test so stressful; if the student doesn’t know what to expect, they are subject to the whims of imagination.

Luckily, there is a document which outlays literally everything your examiner is required to cover on the practical test: it’s the Practical Test Standards/Airman

Certification Standards document. It is the guideline for both applicant and examiner and lists all the required knowledge areas, standards of performance, and

expectations. If you’re prepping for a check ride and are not familiar with this document, go get a copy right now! There are links to useful FAA pubs at the end of

this guide. Also, think about getting a new CFI, since he or she should have introduced you to the PTS/ACS a while back! Becoming familiar with the standards

of performance required (not expected, required) to pass your practical test will help alleviate much of the uncertainty you might feel in the lead-up. Of course, your examiner probably has a few tricks up his sleeve which might make you look at

things a little differently or expand your horizons a bit, but learning the PTS/ACS will ensure that your bases are covered. Go read it!

Check Ride Concerns

3. “My friend Steve said the examiner personally had it out for him on his check ride, and failed him for one tiny slip-up on (insert maneuver) even though he did everything else perfectly!”

Solution: Examiners and Inspectors are professionals (and psssst…they want you to pass!)

Here’s the deal with this one: your friend Steve probably conducted a poor or marginal check ride, and the maneuver he failed on was just the final straw. Examiners have to take the whole picture into account, and it’s rare that a check ride is failed based

on just one slip-up. It’s often a cumulative decision made up of many factors (but something has to go on the ”pink slip” as the reason for failure). Your examiner has probably conducted hundreds of check rides just like yours, and the last thing they

want is to go through the hassle and disappointment of failing an applicant. Examiners are pilots and flight instructors, they know how much effort it takes to

prepare for a check ride, and they want you to succeed. You (or Steve) have to convince them that you’re not worthy of the job by exhibiting consistently poor

performance, lack of skill and knowledge, and/or poor decision making. Despite how you may feel about your performance, either it will be good enough to meet or beat

the minimum PTS/ACS standards, or it won’t. The examiner is brought in to assess your performance objectively, and is not served by bringing along a personal

vendetta. Be a professional on the check ride, and you will be treated as one!

So what else should I do to make sure I’m prepared?

So we have covered a few of the common areas of concern when it comes to the practical test, but what about some things you can do, right now, to start preparing and make sure you’ll have a stress-free, guaranteed successful outcome on your next check ride? Like almost everything in aviation, this can be summed up in a handy acronym (yay, more acronyms!):

Use the L. A. H. S. O. Method to pass your next check ride….read on…….

So what else should I do to make sure I’m prepared? The LAHSO Method

L: Look the part!

OK, so the way you dress is probably not going to make or break the check ride for you, but think of it this way: on the day of the practical test, you’re basically being interviewed for a job…the job of flying an aircraft moving at hundreds of miles per hour in three dimensions through the complex variables of atmosphere, airspace, and Air Traffic Control. Do you think it’s too much to ask to throw on a collared shirt and some Dockers? In general, it’s advisable to dress up one notch or so above pure casual (please, no Crocs, for many reasons…). You don’t have to go all-out, but do take the opportunity to demonstrate some respect for the examiner, as well as the process you’re about to undertake. Arrive well-kempt, clean, shaven (if applicable), and just generally appearing like someone who cares about the test they’re about to take. If you look the part, it will help you feel like you belong there.

So what else should I do to make sure I’m prepared? The LAHSO Method

Would you hire this guy?

Pilot

So what else should I do to make sure I’m prepared? The LAHSO Method

A: Airplane (limitations, systems, weights and speeds)

Duh, you need to know your airplane. This sounds simple, but you might be surprised at how many applicants stumble when asked the simplest of questions about their airplane’s electrical system, for example, or a basic limitation like a max takeoff weight. There is no excuse for not becoming

familiar with your airplane’s limitations, systems, weights and speeds! How is an examiner supposed to determine that you can operate an

airplane safely if you haven’t even taken the time to commit to memory the most important information about it? All of the information you need about your airplane is in the Pilot’s Operating Handbook/Flight Manual. Don’t neglect it! Create flashcards with V-speeds and use them until the

numbers are second-nature. Be able to describe the path fuel takes to get to the engine(s), for example. Know what the airplane can’t do (because

that means you can’t do it either!).

So what else should I do to make sure I’m prepared? The LAHSO Method

H: Have a plan of action!

Practical Tests (this includes both ground and flight portions) usually come to a halt in one of a few different ways (or a combination):

1. Applicant gives enough clearly incorrect answers so as to demonstrate a lack of knowledge, or botches a maneuver or procedure so badly that it’s not even close to the required standards of performance. This should not be an issue for you, and if it

is, it’s probably not the right time to take your check ride anyway.

2. The applicant makes poor decisions, or, more commonly, makes no decision at all. This can manifest itself during the ground portion when a question is asked or a scenario posed by the examiner, and the student “umms” and “ahhs” her way

through to a non-answer, a guess, or even gives no answer at all. How is an examiner supposed to evaluate knowledge if you don’t address the questions? In the air, it can take the form of a requested diversion to a different airport, and the student flying in circles thinking about how to find said airport, or blindly turning in the general

direction of the airport and hoping for the best, without a solid plan of attack. Or a systems scenario where the applicant does not know the answer off-hand, but does not take the appropriate steps to find a solution. So how can you avoid the potential

for this failure and develop a winning plan for any check ride situation? Read on….

So what else should I do to make sure I’m prepared? The LAHSO Method

H: Have a plan of action!

Examiners are along for the ride during a practical test, and are there to evaluate your performance; they are not a participant in the action. An examiner must determine, using only a small snapshot of time, your ability to make sound, safe decisions, operate safely, and abide

by the rules and regulations that govern aviation. It makes both of your lives (and your examiner’s decision) easier if you can demonstrate that you can come up with a plan of action on your own! If you get stumped on a question during the ground portion, do you know where to look it up without randomly paging through sections of the FAR/AIM or POH? You should. If

you are not sure about a given emergency or abnormal procedure, are you able to find it efficiently while flying the airplane? You should be. Good flying is about sound decision-making:

take a moment, come up with a plan, and execute. Waiting around, letting the clock tick and the awkward silence descend as the conversation slowly grinds to a halt is a great way to end a check ride with a negative result. The old aviation adage applies here: when faced with a critical

aviation decision, “move slowly, but move now”…don’t wait on your examiner to help, as it’s not their job to help you, only to understand your process. You can even apply one of the FAA-

recommended decision-making models, like DECIDE, if it suits you. The important thing is to demonstrate confidence in your abilities, and to show that you can follow through with a safe decision and outcome. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it has to be safe and legal and within the published acceptable standards of performance. Once you realize that you are on your own

during a practical test, you can take charge of any situation as the Pilot in Command, which is what the examiner is looking for you to do.

So what else should I do to make sure I’m prepared? The LAHSO Method

S: Sleep vs. Study

This one is written in almost every check ride preparation document, but it’s so important it bears repeating here:

Get a good night’s rest the night before the check ride. It’s not your Freshman year Accounting class, and staying up late cramming for the check ride is not going to improve your result. If you have not learned the things which will result in a successful outcome yet, you’re not going to learn them in a few hours of extra study (and

here’s a hard truth: if you have not properly prepared, you shouldn’tpass the check ride!).

So what else should I do to make sure I’m prepared? The LAHSO Method

O: Organization

Just like the way you dress can say something about your attitude, the way you organize your paperwork, books, and your cockpit says something about the

way you run your aviation operation. The check ride is supposed to be indicative of your best performance, so put your best foot forward here. Have

all of your certificates and documents, weight & balance, performance numbers, logbook with endorsements (you have all the proper endorsements,

right?) examiner’s fee etc. in a folder or binder, ready for presentation. Likewise your cross-country planning, if applicable. Tab the airplane’s maintenance inspections in the logbooks so that you can easily find them. Arrive for the meet-up with your examiner plenty early (at least 1 hour, if the extra time

won’t make you extra nervous) so that you’re not rushing around finishing up paperwork when it’s time to get started. Once in the airplane, continue the theme of organization with a clean cockpit. Keep your charts folded to the panels you need, have a reliable spot to stow the check list, and take a few

moments to put everything in its place before getting started. There’s no time to rush when it comes to flying, and showing that you are organized and that

you pay attention to details will help ensure a successful outcome.

Quick Tips from CFIs and ExaminersOK, here’s the good stuff, a few bullet points to consider:

• Your examiner wants you to pass your check ride; all you have to do is not convince him he’s wrong!

• Don’t try to get in the examiner’s head, or do something new; do things the way you have been trained, as if there were no one else in the airplane with you. It’s an evaluation, not a collaboration.

• Feel free to talk out loud about what you’re doing, your thought process, and the factors you’re considering. It helps the examiner get a better picture of your skills and the way you operate.

• Acknowledge mistakes: don’t berate yourself, but do acknowledge and correct, don’t ignore and hope the examiner didn’t notice. They noticed. Remember, you don’t have to be perfect on any check ride (even the ATP), you just have to perform consistently within the standards.

• Remember: your examiner is a person, and while you don’t have to be best friends, it makes things go a whole lot smoother if you can relate to them like a normal person. If you don’t understand a question, ask them to clarify. If you don’t immediately know the answer, it’s ok to look it up (for the most part), just make sure you know where to find it. No big deal.

• In the end, a check ride is just a different version of what you would be doing anyway: talking about flying, then going flying. No big deal.

Quick Tips from CFIs and Examiners• Once in the airplane, your main concerns are flight path, airspeed and altitude…everything else is

secondary. Always make flying the airplane your priority, everything else comes after. This applies to maneuvers, approaches, landings, everything.

• If you’re not sure about what the examiner wants you to demonstrate in the airplane, ask! Clarity and communication help prevent misunderstandings leading to a bad result.

• There’s no mystery about a check ride: it’s all in the PTS/ACS. Read it!

• Your examiner has to inform you if a maneuver is unsatisfactory and the check ride has been failed. If your examiner has not told you that, stop worrying and get on with it!

• It might be comforting to hear that you might know more about your airplane than your examiner does; they fly a lot of different aircraft and can’t be expected to remember everything.

• Don’t worry about what the examiner “wants to hear”; say and do what is 1. Safe, and 2. Legal.

• Reference a current airport diagram, and taxi slowly. If you get confused, STOP the airplane and seek clarification.

• A go-around or missed approach initiated by you is not necessarily a bad thing on a check ride; if your approach or landing are not going to work out as planned, exercise your sound decision-making ability and bring it around for another try. Trying to salvage a poor approach is a recipe for an unsuccessful check ride.

• Don’t rush. Slow it down and focus on what you’re doing, take your time.

• Look for traffic when applicable, and ask your examiner to help too.

Quick Tips from CFIs and Examiners• If your examiner isn’t saying anything, it’s probably a good thing.

• Make sure you take a phase check with an unfamiliar instructor prior to taking the check ride; it is much different to be evaluated than to be taught, and you and your CFI probably have a routine by now. Break out of it for a bit, and put yourself to the test before it really counts.

• During your final prep (1-2 weeks out), systematically work through each knowledge area/Task of the PTS/ACS, and make sure that you don’t find any subjects or elements you’re unfamiliar with. If you do, study that area on your own or with your CFI until you have adequate knowledge. It’s all in the book!

• Once the check ride is underway, it’s time to stop worrying and start performing. Your time to shine is during the practical test, since your examiner is using your performance to determine whether the privileges of an entire certificate or rating are in within your capabilities. Time to buckle down and show him what you’ve got!

• Think of a practical test as a fun game, in which you navigate the obstacles to get to the prize at the end. A check ride can be an enjoyable experience, one where your skills and knowledge are confirmed, and hopefully one during which you’ll learn a thing or two also. Your flying will always be better when you’re relaxed, so try to take it easy.

• Guess what: you don’t “Have” to take any check ride! If the weather is below your personal minimums (you have those, right?), you’re not physically up to it, the airplane is not ready or not the one you prefer to use, or the schedule is too tight for you to prepare adequately, reschedule or discontinue the check ride. The minor inconvenience you’ll go through to reschedule will be worth it when exchanged for a successful outcome later.

Resources and useful Stuff

Check out some of the following links for more help in getting ready for the Big Day:

• FAA Practical Test Standards (scheduled to become the Airman Certification Standards for Private, Instrument and Commercial approximately June 2016): http://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/test_standards/

• FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (recommended procedures for maneuvers): http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aircraft/airplane_handbook/

• FAR: http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/faa_regulations/• AIM: http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/media/AIM.pdf• David St. George (Designated Examiner) website (lots of very useful links,

more check ride prep tips and insight into the examiner and practical test process): http://faaflighttest.us/

Conclusion

Thanks for checking out this guide. A check ride at any level is something to prepare well for and to take seriously, but if you use the tips presented here, study hard and practice correctly in the airplane, a successful result on your next Practical Test is nearly

guaranteed. Thanks for subscribing, and please feel free to send any questions to gavin@pilotproficient.com.

www.pilotproficient.com