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I am taking my private pilot checkride thursday the 17th. I was wondering if anyone out there has failed the oral or flight portion when they took there test. If so, would you be so kind as to share what went wrong?
Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated also...
unless your instructor hasn't prepared you at all, you won't bust. i know how i felt when i took the checkride considering it is the first one, but you will be ok. learn everything about your airplane (mine was a C-172), VFR weather stuff, WHERE to find specific regulations, as in if the exaimer asks "you notice the nose strut on your airplane is low, can you fix it yourself? you could say "well sir, that sounds like it would be in part 43 of the regulations for maintenence". be careful not to dig yourself a hole when you answer his questions, because if the hole gets big enough it will be your grave.
the flight part shouldn't be anything more than a vfr x-c by pilotage and dead reckoning, and then divert usually after about your second checkpoint. then airwork, then you do your landings, and then you PASS!
make sure you sleep good the night before, eat breakfast, and bring the cash for the examiner
Relax the day before, try to avoid all things aviation related. If you don't know it by then, odds are its too late. I know this is much easier said than done, but RELAX. You know what you are doing, or you wouldn't have gotten the sign off.
As Lucas said, answer the question being asked and nothing more. If they want more from you, they'll ask the questions to satisfy their curiosity.
Relax have and have fun. Your instructor would not allow you to take the check ride if you weren't ready. It a fun day it still was my most fun check ride to day. Anyway safe flying
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If it's too good to be true it probably is.
Hopefully you will get this before your checkride but even if not, it may help others waiting for the same thing.
The best advice I ever received when taking a private oral, was BE CONSERVATIVE! No, im not talking poitically. Especially when answering those scenario based questions like "What would you do if..." For example, a good one is "What is the minimal amount of fuel you would use for this trip?" Now, most PPL candidates would use the chart to figure out a burn rate, calculate time/distance and figure out fuel, then add the 30/45 minute VFR minimum fuel. While technically a legal answer, that does not show good piloting - especially for a private. Generally its advisable to round up burn rates, use extra time to round up, and then just add a whole extra hour instead of 30/45 minutes.
This can also work to your advantage. If you do not know the answer or are not sure, go with the more conservative answer. While it might not be the "Right" answer, it will still be legal. IE if you forgot all the different minimum class G VFR wx mins, you could always go with more conservative answers.
Again, this may not work with all examiners (they may want the exact, textbook deffinition) and most likely will not work with your commercial or even instrument. They will want more exact answers.
Just my two cents.
snippercr has it right...err on the side of safety and don't be afraid to back up/ explain your answer if he thinks you're wrong.. for example... know the regs... however, if the examiner gives you one of those "you're flying this airplane, who has the right of way?'" questions....my answer was "the other guy"... it wasn't legally right but in practical application I wouldn't trust the other guy to yield to me... I knew what the regs said but since I can't think for the other pilot and I don't know whether he sees me or not. If you're dead, it doesn't matter who had the right of way...If the examiner wants to know what the legal answer is give him the legal answer.... but like at uncontrolled airports, a lot of stuff is legal..but it doesn't make it safe... I don't know if that helps... Private checkrides are more like higher stress dual lessons, you shouldn't have a problem if you pass the oral. Also if he "advises" you to do something definitely do it.
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Thank God we don't get as much government as we pay for!
All Very Very good advise! Like everyone else said get sleep and DO NOT CRAM the night before! Just relax have a good dinner, watch some tv take your mind off the next day anyway you can, if you dont know it by then your not going to know it. Error on the up side like they said safety is a big thing with most examiners if not all. My two cents are that your going to go into the exam feeling like your forgeting somethings, not everyone knows everything, so go with what you know and chances are better that he/she will not ask you anything you cant get an answer for....but if that one question does come up that up just cant fart out...then be HONEST! Tell them you dont know, can I look it up. Chances are they will ask you where would you look that up and then you tell them and they would say thats good enough and move on................YOU WILL BE FINE! The PPL is a fun one to get enjoy it and use it!
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