Private Pilot Checkride
 

Hello I am getting ready to take my private pilot checkride and I can use all the tips you guys can give me :)

Do clearing turns before EVERY maneuver. If you are not sure, do one. I failed my PPL checkride for that. Also, stay situationally-aware (as in look for traffic), and remember to fly the plane before doing anything else. Other than that, there is no real advice for the checkride itself as it is just another flight. TRY to relax, and make sure you eat before you go fly.

When I did my first long crosscountry I had a aircraft fly over me really close now I always always look and scan for traffic

Get cheat sheets for the oral, someone is bound to have taken a ride with the same guy from your FBO... And as stated before, clear everything and do it in the minimums and youre golden...

Oh, and dont get nervous, just think of the examiner as your instructor during the ride, only dont ask questions like you would to your instructor... so I guess maybe have your instructor take you up and act like an examiner once or twice...

I think I understand what you are getting at, and that is "don't ask questions that you really ought to know by the time of your practical." I agree with that, but I think tapping into the examiner's knowledge is always a good thing during a checkride. I have learned more during my oral exams than many ground sessions. So, make sure you know your stuff, but don't be afraid to be curious about other things.

Good luck to you on your ride. FLY SAFE T.C.

Thanks for all the tips guys

Thats what I meant, sorry for being unclear, chat about whatever with the guy... just dont ask him the answer to something you should know

The best thing you can do is relax. You wouldn't have gotten signed off if you were not ready. You're ready, at this point you're your own worst enemy. Just relax and do what you know how do. You'll be fine.

Let us know how it goes.

Make sure you ask his weight so you can do the weight and balance, or figure out how much he CAN weigh and still stay in the CG limits, that'll impress him.

Some stupid things I boneheaded on mine cause I was nervous...

Remember to get the keys and clipboard from the desk...before you strap in.

Remember to remove the chalks from the front wheel...before you start the plane..or at least know the proper hand signals for chalks..as well as your FBOs freq :)

Biggies...

As mentioned..CLEARING TURNS...If I recall either two 90s or a 180.

If you don't understand what he is asking you to do, clarify before you do it...ie soft fields short fields...

This is no different than any other flight, and usually turns out to be the easiest, however you're so zinged up you'll sometimes forget stupid things..which can fail you..or kill you.

Such as..make sure you are cleared to land..or cleared for the option...before you get on short final...this is easy to forget in busier patterns and even calm ones...sometimes they clear you on downwind on slow days..and in slower planes by the time you make it to final..combined with the fact you've already done a ton of patterns that flight..it's easy to forget whether or not you're actually cleared, if in doubt..ask over radio.."understand cleared for the option?"

If you aren't going to make the first 1/3 of the runway..go around...no need to salvage a landing on a nice day with a perfectly running airplane.

Checklists..use them

Flight planning..you took the time to plot your tables for fuel burn and whatnot based off a certain RPM..FLY THAT RPM, otherwise you'll be "creating" wind. Forgive the pun. (creating wind means that it could be the calmest day..and you flightplanned as such yet you're still arriving late or early to checkpoints..so therefore it "must" be wind and not possibly the fact you aren't flying your planned airspeed:)

Don't forget your time off..otherwise you have no idea how early or late you are to your first checkpoint.

Don't BS the examiner...they'll usually let you look for something if you don't know it outright..and they will ask you stuff you DON'T know, not a big deal.

Enjoy your flight and good luck!

Talk your way out loud through the maneuvers. (I'm sure that helps calm the DPE when they can figure out what you're about to do!) That helped me calm down (I was focusing on that rather than trying to "look good" for the DPE). Like the others said, you obviously know how to do it, otherwise your instructor wouldn't sign you off for it.
Something our DPE here likes to get people on is a diversion that if you just start turning towards the diversion airport (I know I was originally taught to turn in the general direction of the diversion airport, then start figuring out specific headings, etc) you head straight towards P-40 (Camp David!) Take a second to look at where you are on the sectional compared to where you want to go.

Yea my instructor told me to talk constantly during checkride I can wait to get this over