Checkride prep

If you guessed Option B, you would be correct! Why then do most of us train like Option A? Yes, I know it’s easier and more comfortable, but it’s no way to gain the skills you will need for real-world flying. Let me tell you a story about a couple of my recent checkride applicants to see if I can challenge you to mix things up a bit.

This past summer, I spent most of my time with family in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. My regular flight school clients back in Mississippi had an urgent need for checkrides, so they sent a couple of applicants to me at Murfreesboro Municipal Airport (MBT), an extremely busy 4,700-foot strip that sits just to the southeast of Nashville’s Class C airspace. While I was happy to help, I also worried about the two young men who were coming to a completely new, challenging environment for their commercial checkrides.

But they did great, surprisingly so. If they’re reading this, they’re probably laughing right now. Yes, of course, they were intelligent and had a great instructor. I’m not discounting those things. But it was more than that. While they may not have ever flown into Murfreesboro before, that doesn’t mean they had never left Mississippi. A logbook review showed they had lots of time building together and had flown several different aircraft all over the Southeast. They had gone on multiple grand adventures, and in doing so, had managed to prepare themselves well for any challenge I threw at them. The takeaway? The strongest applicants are prepared for real-world flying scenarios. They don’t just practice “the test.”

This applies to both the flight and ground portions. Rote memorization of expected checkride questions won’t cut it. Now don’t go throwing your flashcards out. Acronyms are important, but they’re only a place to start. Most private pilot applicants know TOMATO FLAMES and AVIATES but often can’t apply them to real-life situations. The examiner will not simply say, “list the required VFR equipment.” Instead, he will ask something like, “What if the fuel gauge shows full, but we know the tanks are low?” Also, watch out; we examiners vary the test. So, a tip from your buddy who took a ride yesterday won’t help you all that much. Throughout the course of your training, try to work through problems yourself before verifying with an instructor. Am I legal to fly with inop flaps or no heading indicator? These are invaluable exercises that will prepare you not only for your checkride but for real-life flying. The same goes for the maintenance inspections. This is hands down one of the weakest areas on checkride orals. Simply providing a maintenance status sheet does not prove your ability to determine the airworthiness of your aircraft. Please look through the logs for several different aircraft before checkride day, as there are nuances to how different mechanics will sign those endorsements. “I’ve never looked at these before” is not a valid excuse.

For the flight portion, by all means, vary your practice. Go on multiple cross-countries to several different locations. Yes, I know everyone wants the early morning lesson before the wind and heat make conditions more challenging. But that won’t help prepare you for that future beach trip where afternoon updrafts make it feel like you’re on a roller coaster. Also, remember the examiner won’t always ask for a landing on the 1,000-foot marker. Practice using various touchdown spots before the day of your ride. Power-off approach and landing out of a left-hand traffic pattern every time? What if the engine actually does quit and the best field is on your right? Or what if the day of the checkride, tower says, “make right traffic.” This should not be cause for panic. How about stalls and slow flight? We mostly practice those with wings level. But did you know the airmen certification standards list turning stalls as an option? You sure don’t want to be trying those for the first time on checkride day, or God forbid, in an actual base to final turn in the traffic pattern.

I also highly recommend flying with several different instructors as you get closer to your checkride. For one, the new CFI may point out something that your primary CFI has failed to notice. And second, it’s good to fly with someone you’re not used to before you have the nerve-racking experience of sitting next to an examiner who is judging your performance. During the course of your training, if things start to feel routine or easy, it’s time to embrace a new challenge. Simply put, get comfortable with being uncomfortable if you want to do well on your checkride and beyond.