So, you’re getting close but you’re still worried about passing your private pilot checkride.
First let’s talk about some of the fears you may have about your checkride and then we will talk about how to overcome them. Many people are just nervous about taking tests. You have to understand that this is normal. You will alway be nervous about it, even when you feel you are ready. It’s the unknown that is making you nervous. Will you remember the answers? Will the examiner be fair? Did you learn enough? Just flying with someone you’ve never flown with is enough to make you nervous on your checkride. The nervousness won’t go away but you can minimize it by making sure you are prepared.
Are you ready for your checkride?
This is a question many people have and are afraid of. Since the PTS (Practical Test Standards) is what the FAA Examiner is testing you on, then as long as you can do everything in there, you will pass. Make every page in the PTS a checklist item. Know all the limitaions of the maneuvers and make sure that you can hold those limitations. If you’re allowed 100′ then give yourself a little room and make sure you can hold it within 50′ instead. When it comes to the knowledge part, make sure you can give a “what, why and how” for every line in the PTS. When you can do those things, you will be more than ready.
What if I don’t know the answer?
This is another fear. You don’t need to know all the answers to pass your private pilot checkride. You just have to know where to find them. In real life, you’d look something up. The only difference is that you can’t look up every answer and when you do look up an answer it should be in a FAA publication. You can’t use your student pilot manual. Practice looking up answers in the FAR/AIM. Many people go right to the front of the book to search and I go to the back in the index. It’s much easier to find things back there. When searching for things, think outside the box a bit. For example, if you are looking for the visibility and cloud clearance requirement in class C airspace, don’t just look up class C. Look up any word associated with what you want to find. Be specific too. If you look up weather as a key word and don’t see it then look at all the words related to the word weather. Think of what kind of weather you are looking for. Is it VFR or IFR weather? Try looking under VFR and look under it at all the subcategories listed there. It won’t always be under the first thing you think of. If you find an answer and it references part 135, then move on because that doesn’t apply to you as a private pilot. If you know part of the answer, then give it to him and let him know that you can’t quite remember the rest and tell him you’ll find it for him. He may want you to find it or he may just move on from there.
How much do I say to the FAA Examiner?
People are afraid that they are going to say too much and say something wrong or dig themselves a hole. This can happen so be careful. The best way to present the information is to explain things in simple terms as if the examiner doesn’t know anything about flying. Pretend you are teaching him and be sure to include a “what, why and how” in your explanation. Remember to keep it simple when explaining. If he wants more detail, he will ask, otherwise it should be enough. If you include those 3 items in your explanation then your answer shouldn’t be too short nor too long.
Things you should know for sure!
Airspace and what you need to fly in the various types. Emergencies is another one. You should always know where you’re flying and what to do if something goes wrong, but in order to do that you need to know aircraft systems. To make good decisions, you should know aviation weather too. If you’re weak in any of these areas, then study!
The last tip I have is to make sure you are studying and flying right before the checkride. Don’t go two weeks without flying and then try to take your checkride. Also, make sure you get sleep and eat well and if you’re not comfortable with the weather, then reschedule. I hope this helps!