Prior to the checkride: I may reach out 3-7 days before to confirm the appointment. Ensure you are prepared and the aircraft has no maintenance issues. You WILL be nervous - this is normal, but not a reason to cancel. If you were not prepared, your instructor would not have scheduled you.
Hopefully Helpful Hints/Questions:
Do your best to relax. Stressing about the test and/or the flight is counterproductive and is the biggest cause of poor performance
Organize a checkride binder to ensure you have all of your required documents.
What time should I arrive? Because of the validation process, I try to arrive 30-45 minutes early. Except for times at 7am or if I’m finishing a checkride, this might not be possible. However, if you are present and I am available, we can begin. Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to our scheduled time.
What should I study? Know the expectations as stated in the ACS for both the ground and flight portions, and read the Appendices in the back as that information can be very helpful.
What items will be covered on the test? Examiners are required to test
at least one Knowledge element (unless the ACS states otherwise)
at least one Risk Management element
ALL Skill elements
Breaks during the test:
A 5-10 minute break will be given each hour during the ground portion, and then we will take a 20-30 min break between the ground and the flight portion.
Overview of the oral: This will consist of your thought process, as the PIC, of the planning and execution of the cross country assigned. You will be given realistic scenarios where your ADM and RM skills will be assessed. Each checkride I provide is to ACS standards, and the scenarios are unique to each applicant. No two checkrides are exactly the same. The oral portion is generally around 2 hours in length.
Overview of the flight: We are, for all intensive purposes, going on a cross country flight. You are the PIC and everyone else, including myself, are your passengers. Flight deck management, decisions, and pacing are yours. Like the oral, you will be given scenarios that are realistic and will force you to make decisions. Again, these differ across candidates, so please take gauges with a grain of salt and just be proficient with the standards. At some point, we will pause to complete the maneuvers. As stated, the pacing is up to you. Flight times are generally around 2 hours in length.
The overall day, with validation, three briefings, paperwork before and after, the ground with breaks during the oral and before the flight, then the flight, a checkride can last 5-6 hours. Please keep a good pace for yourself, come prepared, and plan accordingly.
Please see the final section: The Day of...