PPL Checkride in two weeks!

[RV10Man]

I did my check ride April 30, 1977. My dad flew with me to Wiley Post from Watonga, OK which is about 50 miles. We got out of the 150 at Cleek Aviation. We went inside and found John Cleek and I announced my presents, dad just sat down in the lobby. John told me to go preflight the airplane and he'd be there in a minute. I waited at the airplane when I was finished with the preflight. John came outside, ask if everything was ok, I said looks good. We got in the plane, he said "I'll take care of the radio for you." We taxied to Rwy 17, was cleared for take off, he told me to do a short field T/O, so I did. After we got into the air and out of OKC area, John told me to "just go out here somewhere and do what you've been doing." After some S turns and some turns about a point, and a few other things, he had me do a take off and departure stall. I did just fine with it but he said "let me show you something with a 150" so he took the controls and demo'd a different technique for recovery and then flew the plane from then on, up til landing and he let me land. When we were finished, he typed up my temporary cert while he was telling me a few things the FAA was up to. He handed me my temp and said I'd be getting the real thing in a couple weeks and told me to have fun. We were done.
Ahh, life in the good ole days.

Marshall Alexander
RV10 N781DM

[erich weaver]

The one big "error" I made on my check ride in the Cessna 150 was that I had the gall to use the ailerons as well as the rudder to keep the power-off stall that was requested of me nice and straight instead of falling off to one side. My examiner claimed that one should ONLY use the rudder and that any use of ailerons was a sure fire way to turn the plane over on its back in a heartbeat. I knew better, as my instructor had told me all about which part of the wing stalls first, and that ailerons were still effective in a stall (as was proven to me over and over), but I also knew that now was not the time to set the examiner straight on this issue. So I obliged him for the time being. I clearly remember my instructor's response when I told him about it after having gotten my passing grade and the examiner departed - he hung his head, shaking it back and forth disbelievingly. "Its sad that there are still people out there teaching this"

While I still passed, it would have been nice to know this about the examiner before I flew with him.

erich

[s_tones]

Make sure you know your airplane.
I rented several in training and I checked out in the Archer.
I made a mental note to locate the static port before going to the exam.
Of course I forgot.
What do you suppose was the first thing the examiner asked me when we got out to the plane? Yep. And I couldn't find it. Doooh!

I finished late and ended up flying home in the dark.
When I got home my wife was sure I had been killed and had called my parents and everything. So, call home when your done!

Steve

[6S4 Hugo]

I remember that day well.

7/9/80 dawned clear and almost windless. I went over last-minute details with my instructor, Jerry. The last training flight had included 9(!) loss-of-power exercises; 2 being within a foot of landing (1 farm field, 1 beach). He went over my log book and realized that although I had exactly 20 hours of solo, I was shy .6 hrs of dual. So, I fired up the PA38-112 and taxied with Jerry, verrrry slowly to runway 32 at E16 (nee Q99).

We sat in the run-up area until the Hobbs clicked over the last .6, he signed my logbook, and told me he had all confidence in my flying. Practiced short field T/O on departure and headed to SRU where I had practiced short field T/O & landings many times.

Coming into SRU on runway 31 always rated about an 8.9 on the sphincter scale as you came in right over powerlines and had to "plop" it down to get stopped in the 2,520' that comprised the amount that was available before going off a cliff. Made a good landing.

I picked up the examiner and we went over all the paperwork, questions and then headed to the aircraft. I remember taking at least 25 minutes in the pre-flight. I took off on runway 31 and set up for Vy of 53kts with 1 notch of flaps. Accelerated to 61 kts and held that as I watched the mountain looming in the windscreen.

I had always hated T/O's from runway 31 at SRU. You fly into rapidly-rising terrain in a box canyon. On a warm day, with 2 adults on board, it was close. We cleared the mountain with 50' to spare. Accelerated to 70kts and eased the flaps up. The examiner put the hood on me and started calling headings and altitudes and speeds.

We flew along for about 25 mintues, the examiner handling the radio. He pulled the hood off at the same time as he pulled my engine. (Trim to 70KIAS, Switch tanks, Mixture - full rich, Carb heat - On, Primer - locked, Mag check - L/R/Both). Nothing seemed to help, so he told me to find a place to land. I looked out the window and saw Fremont Airport directly below.

I made a turn over the field, called for a midfield entry for downwind for runway 31. I kept it high 'n' tight on downwind, cut a close base and turned onto final. Full right rudder and full left aileron and dropped like a rock. Just before the end of the runway, I dropped flaps, centered the aircraft and chirped on the numbers. The FAA examiner just said, "I'm impressed."

A leisurely flight back to SRU with a perfect landing on runway 31. We walked in, he signed my logbook, shook my hand and told me, "(I) now have a license to learn how to fly."

I remember flying back to Q99 with a smile that wouldn't quit.

[AndyRV7]

Congrats! It's a great time!!

I'll tell you what I remember most about mine. My examiner put me through all the necessary paces and then told me I would be dropping her off at a neighboring airport to stay with her sister. I had never been there even though I flew over it for a year (literally). The runway was long enough (2900' or so) but it was narrow (40'). Half of what my home field was. But I made a nice pattern entry, announced my way around the field and landed nicely on the centerline in some gusty August wind. As soon as I turned onto the exit taxiway, she smiled and said "you passed." This was something I hadn't even thought about the whole time. I was just doing what she asked from one maneuver to the next. So when she said those words I had a wave of joy come over me like I haven't felt before! I walked into the FBO with her to do my paperwork and then walked out alone and made my first PP flight home! What a great day.

Enjoy!

[jetjok]

1. Know the subject matter for the oral, cold. Whatever you missed on the written, study those areas in great detail. This will show the examiner that you are committed to fix any weaknesses.

2. As has already been said; keep your answers short on on point. If you asked what time it is, don't try to explain how your watch was built!

3. Just as there is no way to un-ring a bell, there is no way to undo an error. If you perceive that you have erred, keep flying and then do what you need to to mitigate the effects. When I was giving a checkride at work, if an error was made, quickly recognized, and corrected there was no penalty except they had to listen to me in the debrief. No matter what phase of flight you are in, ALWAYS be correcting back to center. Never show that you are tolerant of mediocrity!
Good Luck and post up when you are done!

[aarvig]

Great stories and great advice. I was out flying last night with a new instructor who put me through my paces. He pulled the power on take/off, again after asking me to perform a steep turn to the left, and again when I was 3 miles south of KCBG. I pitched for 68 knots, went through the flow, announced my intentions, entered the pattern and put her on the runway. It felt good. I have two more lessons with him. The checkride is scheduled for 9/17/09 so WISH ME LUCK!!
First thing I will do if I get licensed is fly my wife somewhere (same day) and then go home and order my tail kit!
I'll keep you all posted.

[Pmerems]

The most memorable parts of my check ride were three events.

1. I taxied the plane over from the FBO I was renting from to the Examiners FBO. Did all the oral and flight planning work and then the examiner said "pack up and I will meet you at the plane." When I got to the plane he was already inside with his seat belt fastened and said "kick the tires and lets go". I thought for minute whether I should follow his instructions or do a complete preflight (which I had already done prior to taxing the plane to his FBO). I decided to play it safe and do another preflight. Whether it was a "trap" I don't know but better safe then sorry.

2. We didn't do too much in the air but diverted from the cross country to the practice area where he asked me to perform some stalls. I was taught by my instructor to perform full stalls. Well when I did the examiner took the controls and proceeded to show me stall recovery without getting in to a full stall. I told him I was taught to let the nose drop in the full stall condition. then he said "head back to the airport". I was sure I busted my check ride.

3. The examiner asked me to demonstrate a short field landing with a 50' obstacle at the approach end of the runway. So I set up the approach. Not a big deal (so I thought). Then as we got closer to the ground the examiner started yelling "Perfect, Perfect......". It took me by surprise because he was rather quiet during most of the exam, never giving any feedback.

I taxied back to the examiner's FBO and as he was getting out of the airplane he said "meet me inside I need to fill out some paperwork". I then asked if I had passed and he said "of course".

That was a very good day (1982)

[sgordon]

Here's a play by play of my checkride taken in May of '08. Every examiner has their own areas and maeuvers they focus on, so YMMV.

• Preflight and passenger briefing (give your examiner the required preflight briefing as if he were any other passenger)
• Normal takeoff
• Climbout under the hood
• VOR radial intercept under the hood
• Power on stall and recovery under the hood
• Slow flight (full flaps at 70kts)
• Steep turns (720? which was slightly different because I?ve always practiced 360?)
• Emergency descent (Caught me off guard as I never practiced this one. I pulled the power and pushed forward on the stick. After he said "use up that yellow arc" I realized what he was looking for and pushed harder.)
• Power off stall and recovery
• Turns about a point
• Entered the pattern at DAW, and I handled most of the CTAF throughout
• Short field takeoff and landing
• Soft field takeoff and landing
• Emergency engine outs on the downwind abeam the numbers (two of them ? first one needed more flaps but I saved it with a forward slip, second one was good)
• Go-around
• 360? turns on the downwind leg
• Then my instructor says "Take me home to PSM. My mouth is shut for the rest of the trip". I asked if I could use the GPS to which he replied, "If it is available to you, by all means use it."
• Crosswind landing at PSM

When my examiner noticed I was acting nervous, he said "You're not on trial for your life. I'm not holding a gun to your head. Just relax, fly the plane and have fun." That's the best advice I can pass on to you. Do not be concerned about failure, just relax and have fun. Good luck!

[MrNomad]

During the exam, I landed on 6L and had to cross 6R to get back to the hangar. As we taxied between runways, my examiner looked out the window and said: "Looks clear to me, let's go!" to which I replied: "With all due respect sir, TWR has not cleared me to cross 6R".

The examiner smiled.

Enroute to the practice area to perform maneuvers, we were still pretty low over a populated area when the examiner said: "Ok, let's see a power off stall".

Once again I replied: "With all due respect sir, we are still over populated areas".

Was he trying to flunk me? I dunno but I was not going to cross an active runway w/o permission nor was I going to break the rules concerning maneuvers.

Demonstrate that you respect flying, you know the rules, and that you will continue to learn long after the check ride. Mostly, I believe they want to know that you're safe, cautious, and plan to continue the never ending education. The cockpit is no place for arrogance.

I passed.