What you do next matters

In your attempt to prevent the mid-turn balloon of altitude, you push the nose down excessively and your airspeed builds quickly, climbing just above maneuvering speed. What now? Checkride bust? Maybe not. It all depends on what you do next, with this or any other common checkride deviation.

Let’s look at the airman certification standards. The skill section of the steep turn maneuver states that you must “establish the manufacturer’s recommended airspeed; or if one is not available, an airspeed not to exceed the maneuvering speed (V_A).” The ACS specifically mentions maneuvering speed because that airspeed protects us from structural damage during times of high aircraft load (like a steep banked turn, for example). Exceeding that speed is not only unsatisfactory, it’s unsafe. In the immortal words of Julia Roberts in the movie, Pretty Woman: “Big mistake. Big! Huge!”

What should you do now?

Option A: Finish flying the maneuver at your current airspeed and hope the examiner doesn’t see the deviation. Similar to the T-Rex avoidance procedure if you’re stuck in Jurassic Park: Freeze and make no big movements if you want to avoid being noticed.

Option B: Stop flying the maneuver immediately. Roll wings level. Tell the examiner that was your warm up. Ask if you can repeat this steep turn and hopefully do better the second time.

Option C: Announce the airspeed deviation out loud. Make the adjustment (throttle, bank angle, back-pressure, whatever that might be) and continue flying the maneuver, completing the turn within altitude and airspeed standards.

If you went with Option A, you’re in for some trouble. Remember how your mom used to say she had eyes in the back of her head? Well examiners are the same way; they don’t miss much. They notice deviations before applicants do, and they also know what flying error led to the airspeed increase. So, after your checkride, feel free to pick their brain about your flying performance and any tips they may have to make airplane life easier. On my own private pilot checkride, after I met standards (barely), the examiner showed me a trick that has made steep turns easier ever since. His advice: Keep your right hand on the trim wheel instead of jockeying with the power.

If you went with Option B, you probably won’t be happy either. The ACS states that the repetition of an unsatisfactory task is not permitted during the practical test. In other words, no do-overs (unless the outcome was uncertain or interrupted, by traffic, for example). Nowhere in the ACS does it say applicants have to be flawless. Remember also that the standards were written for perfect weather conditions. So, if you are dealing with a little wind or turbulence that causes airspeed or altitude fluctuations, you get some leeway. So, keep flying. Do not give up on a maneuver just because of a deviation.

If you chose Option C, bravo to you! The ACS lists two common causes for unsatisfactory outcomes as “consistently exceeding tolerances” and “failure to take prompt corrective action when tolerances are exceeded.” You can make mistakes on the checkride as long as you do two things: First, notice the mistake on your own (without examiner verbal or physical intervention), and second, fix it fast.

Now, on to the end of the checkride when the examiner asks that all important question after engine shutdown: “So, how do you think you did?” We’ve already established that the examiner knows exactly when you deviated and why. But they’re asking this question to gauge something else important. First, can the applicant take an honest look at his flying performance and see the areas for improvement going forward? Second, what is this applicant’s comfort level with risk? Hopefully, you answered this question with something like, “I exceeded maneuvering speed on my steep turn because of over-aggressive control technique between the turns. I made a quick correction because exceeding V_A is dangerous.” That answer, as an examiner, would make me feel comfortable about both your understanding of aerodynamics and your desire to operate the airplane safely. But if you failed to mention the deviation at all or blew it off with something like “No big deal. Aircraft design limits are just suggestions,” then I’d be worried that you will hurt yourself and your future passengers. So, be honest when you answer this question, and confident in the knowledge that you handled the occasional deviation correctly.

Remember, humans still fly airplanes…for now. You don’t have to be perfect. Mistakes are inevitable. What matters is how you handle them.