One failure is not a big deal.

 

Like someone before said, just be up front and honest. If you think something in your past might be a big deal, them let then know. They will give you an opportunity to explain the matter further. If you have a check ride failure you better let them know...they will get your records from the FAA and will find out about it. I had forgot about two speeding tickets I received...one was 8 years ago and the other 15 years ago. I called and e-mailed the recruiter to let her know of my error. Maybe I went too far but I wanted to be honest about it.

Good luck and I hope you get an interview. I was there at Eagle recently and got an offer.

 

You took what I said out of context. Most APPLICANTS have one checkride failure, not failure in training. I have met VERY few people who have zero failures.

 

Zero failures of any kind for me in twenty six years of flying.

 

You are an anomaly. The majority of pilots do NOT have failures on their records. The FAA would have an AC out for FSDO, DE and CFI's to alter the training process if most pilots were failing. CFI's do NOT want a student failure since it effects them as well. They are not supposed to sign you off if you aren't ready.

You can try and rationalize your own failure all you want. The statistics do not support your false feel good claim.

 

Where are these statistics?

I've been flying for about 7 years and know maybe 2 or 3 people that have passed EVERY ride.

 

Not trying to fuel the fire here... I think I have met one person who never failed a checkride. There is nothing wrong with failing, it happens. As for 3 speeding tickets being the max, I have seen otherwise. As far as 3 failures being a disqualification, I'm not so sure if that is true. Like many have said, its the big picture. If they like you they will hire you. Be yourself and tell the truth, the rest is up to company. Everyone seems to forget that the people behind the hiring are still people. One checkride or a speeding ticket is not automatically the end all.

 

This is very true, but right now with Eagle the 3 checkride failures or 3 tickets in the last 5 years is an automatic non interview. I feel in the near future when the applications fully dry up they will need to relax this.

Mason - It is an anomaly to PASS all checkrides the first time around. Especially when the CFI initial has as high as a 70-80% first time failure rate in some FSDO regions (Orlando being one of the highest at around 75% in 2007). Here is an article published on AOPA's Air safety institute that highlights this Air Safety Institute Instructor Reports

Here is a powerpoint from the Orlando FSDO on the FAA's website - www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/orl/local_more/media/ppt/enlow.ppt

Not trying to beat a dead horse, but this makes it pretty apparent that MANY people fail at least one. No one should feel bad about failing one or two, but just dont make it a habit. It can come back to bite you when you are applying for jobs...

 

Oh. You again. The guy with all the answers.

"Never argue with an idiot... they drag you down to their own level then beat you with experience."

Nuff said.

 

An instructors certificate is not a pilot license. Remove those from the statistics. It is entirely normal and expected for most pilots - especially where we are hiring such low time people - to have no failures.

A guy with 10 years and 20 PC's may have a bust here or there... For a new hire CMEL to have busts is NOT the norm.