Sucks to happen to you. Everybody has given good advice and I'm sure that you will get through with not problems the second time around.

As much as the failure sucks, it can be a very positive thing down the road if you are thinking of going the airline route.

Just about EVERY airline interview they are going to ask if you have failed a check ride. And no, its not a showstopper, far from it.

When they ask, just tell them the truth. You weren't prepared enough, you went home, studied, and came back and passed it no problem. It taught you a valuable lesson and you became a better pilot as well as a more effective instructor because of it.

You'd be surprised how many boxes in the "reasons to hire this guy" section that one simple little answer can check off.

Good. It shows you are serious about this and now a week later, it is time to move on. Focus on WHY you didn't meet standard and I hope the examiner explained why he felt you didn't meet standard. What was the area he felt you didn't meet standard. Note I use 'meet standard' because often the standard changes with the different examiners and everyone can have a bad day.

So you did get a debriefing? Take those notes and work with your instructor on those subjects.

Sad fact is we often learn more from 'perceived' failure than we do from success. It reorients us, proves once again we are not bullet proof and are not omniscient. Still hurts like hell but the pain passes.

Dust off and go get 'em.

I passed!!! I went to take my re-check and I was the 3rd person in line to take the MEI re-check (the examiner must be strapped for cash this month). the oral exam was nothing more than him taking my money and asking "if i feel better about studying up on the things i missed with my instructor", to which i promptly replied "yes, very much". and he asked what specifically it was that i needed work on because "i do so many of these re-checks, i can't remember them all" (even though it was only 2 weeks to the day since the bust) and then he said we would go fly.

as easy as this was, i feel so completely ripped off. if i knew this was how it was going to be when he busted me, i wouldv'e just offered him the extra $300, and still would have gone home and studied without a bust on my record. the flight was nothing more than the maneuvers, something like .8 on the hobbs.

i am debating to report him to the orlando fsdo in a few days. things like this should not be happening just because the examiner has some bias against me and my fellow students or that he needs extra money to "go on a 6 day fishing trip in ANC". not to mention during the first oral exam he was taking phone calls and not even referencing his PTS.

Great!

And what does that gain YOU? Nothing... just resolve to use him as an example of WHAT NOT TO DO. Fly long enough and you will run into the entire gamut of check pilots from the very good to ones like you just flew with. Learn from all of them and move on. Anything else is wasted time.

Yeah I'd say don't report it. You aren't going to get your failed checkride back, and it will turn something into a fight that should just be a learning experience.