Flight Training - January/February 2020 - 20

CHECKRIDE

BY BOB SCHMELZER

COMMON CHECKRIDE ERRORS
AVOIDING THE POTHOLES

EVERY PRIVATE PILOT APPLICANT

wants their checkride to go smoothly,
but unfortunately, it doesn't always
go that way. Let's review some of the
most common errors applicants make
that lead to a bad day. All checkrides
begin with the designated pilot examiner (DPE) qualifying the applicant
by reviewing required endorsements,
training records, and verifying experience requirements. Showing up with
any deficiencies here will delay, or
possibly even prevent, the checkride
from beginning. Although not considered a checkride failure, it's still a
disappointing waste of time and effort
for both applicant and DPE.
The FAA airman certification
standards (ACS) contain a helpful
practical test checklist that identifies

goes beyond a mere rote level. This
will allow you to answer scenariobased questions as you apply your
knowledge to situations you might
encounter as a pilot.
After successfully completing the
ground portion of the test, you will
proceed to the airplane where your
flying skills can be demonstrated.
Considering all of the required tasks
in the airplane, it's not surprising that
the skills students find most difficult
to master are the ones that present
the biggest problems during checkrides. Namely, landings and simulated
emergency procedures, with stalls
and cross-country pilotage navigation
coming in a close second.
The biggest common problems
with landings begin with unstable

The biggest common problems with
landings begin with unstable approaches.
everything you'll need to bring with
you to get your checkride off to a
good start. Among the items listed
are aircraft maintenance logbooks.
Not being properly familiar with the
contents and location of the required
inspection items can lead to an
uncomfortably stressful start to the
checkride.
During the oral exam portion
of the checkride, the examiner is
required to ask questions specifically related to the subject areas that
were found to be deficient during
the knowledge test. A wise applicant will devote extra study time to
these particular topics. Of the several
additional topics required for the
oral exam, weather information and
the national airspace system seem to
consistently give applicants the most
grief. In all cases, be sure that your
knowledge of the particular subject
20  FLIGHT TRAINING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

approaches. Approach speeds that
are too fast or slow, combined with
an inability to cross the runway
threshold at the desired height, all
while properly correcting for crosswind drift, result in landings that can
fall well short of the required standards (see "Hops, Skips, and Jumps,"
p. 30). Airspeed and altitude control
on final approach are essential skill
elements for consistently safe landings, whether they be on a soft or
short, normal or crosswind landing
runway. The common denominator for success comes from proper
training and sufficient practice. Refer
to the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook
for all training maneuvers to ensure
that you are performing the procedures correctly. Performing these
challenging landings correctly and
consistently demands extra practice.
Showing up to your checkride with

insufficient practice in any area is a
recipe for failure.
The complexity and demands of
the simulated engine failure procedure make this another common
weak spot (see "Simulated Emergency," September 2019 Flight
Training). The bottom line: Make sure
your engine-out approach remains
safe by establishing and maintaining
a safe glide speed and performing the
several recommended steps for an
engine restart, all while maneuvering
to a safe landing if the engine does
not restart. This skill also demands
sufficient quality practice to become
consistent, so again, don't cut your
practice short.
For your checkride stalls,
remember that the private pilot ACS
specifies that stall recoveries be made
after a full stall occurs, and then
recover to a VX (best angle) or VY (best
rate) climb profile. Recovering from
the stall at the first beep of the stall
warning system with an excessively
nose-low pitch attitude while accelerating to an airspeed well above VY
does not meet this requirement.
With the advent of GPS navigation, pilotage is becoming a lost art.
However, demonstrating pilotage is
still a required skill for the checkride.
So turn off the GPS and practice flying
the correct headings, looking out the
window, locating your checkpoints,
and not getting lost.
For all of these, and other
common trouble spots, careful preparation goes a long way to eliminating
the problems. Let this be your guiding
light to success as your checkride date
approaches.
BOB SCHMELZER is a Chicago-area desig-

nated pilot examiner, and a retired United
Airlines captain and Boeing 777 line check
airman. He has been an active gold seal
flight instructor since 1972.
Flight Training - January/February 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - January/February 2020
