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Checkride Observations

This maneuver is required on the commercial single engine land practical test and was only introduced from a testing standpoint in the most recent Commercial PTS. Due to the newness of the maneuver for CFI's I would like to include a few observations about the maneuver from the perspective of the examiner.

First, this maneuver more than most, requires a specific strategy. If the student is given ambiguous instructions, the results may too be ambiguous, which is particularly troublesome in a power off maneuver. This is not to say that the maneuver should be taught by rote as in "turn base when you are over Wall Mart" or whatever local ground reference you like, but instead should take into account different airports, potential wind conditions, and the aircraft being flown.

Second, always teach the landing spot as the first third of the runway or at a minimum the 1000 ft marker if available. This is a good generic power off approach procedure and allows a pilot in a real world power off approach situation some leeway when coming up a little short on glide distance. It also makes this particular maneuver a lot less exciting for the examiner during testing.

Third, teach pilots to always maintain best glide speed, never add flaps until landing is assured, extend landing gear at a strategically defined spot, depending on the airplane design, your preference, and logic. Personally I would probably extend gear somewhere on the base leg of the pattern depending on my altitude, the wind, and the airplane design (high drag gear verses low drag gear), but this is only my opinion and not a recommendation.

Personally, I think this maneuver should be taught during private pilot training and tested on the private pilot practical test. I can't test it on the private test but if you agree with me, there is nothing that prevents the instructor from teaching this during private pilot training.

I have recently had several instances of an applicant who performs required tasks using a technique that conflicts with the aircraft manufacturers published procedure. This is not a good thing. Of course we all teach our students to use their heads and to modify procedures as needed to fit the demands of the situation. A good example of this would be if an applicant chose to use less than full flaps for a soft or short field landing because of strong, gusty crosswinds. As an examiner, I would be happy with the above decision because it shows good judgment, situational awareness, understanding of the aerodynamic implications of varying degrees of flap extension, and more.  Now I will recount a few examples of situations where I am not so happy with an applicant deviating from a manufacturers published procedure.

Go around procedure in Cessna 150, 152, and 172 aircraft is published quite specifically in the POH for each aircraft. The procedure specifies adding full power with carb heat cold, retracting flaps to 20 degrees, and pitching for 55 knots. There may be minor differences published from year to year and for different models, but the above elements are always present, yet I see many applicants who have been taught to "milk the flaps up gradually in 10 percent increments" or even worse "after a positive rate of climb, gradually retract the flaps". Both these procedures are wrong and can be dangerous.  Last year I tested an applicant who used the "wait for a positive rate of climb, then gradually retract the flaps approach". After the flight test I was discussing this with the instructor who told me that the airplane (a C172) would climb just fine with full flaps extended, so it was no problem. My response was that this applicant could fly a Cessna 150 with a passenger the day after the checkride, use the above technique on a go-around from an approach with 40 degrees of flaps extended, and crash and burn while waiting for that positive rate of climb, which would probably not come if the airplane was heavy on a warm day.

 Perhaps even worse than teaching a potentially unsafe procedure that is contrary to the manufactures approved one, is the lack of understanding about the importance of knowing, using, and teaching published procedures. The FAA granted the type certificate approval for these and other aircraft based on design and production criteria, design capability, and published limitations and operating procedures, among other things. As pilots we should know this and understand that if we do things differently than published, we are on our own in terms of predicting aircraft performance, and also from the perspective of pilot liability and accountability.

Other examples that I find disturbing are:

1. An applicant not knowing the published spin recovery procedure for the aircraft flown, verbatim from the POH.

2. Failure to use Carburetor heat when called for on the checklist.

3. Failure to climb at VX for obstacle clearance and failure to fly at VY until reaching a safe altitude.

4. Failure complete all checklist items after a simulated engine failure. (This really gets me, during a flow check to restart the engine, many applicants touch and say "Carb Heat", yet they fail to pull out the knob.)

5. Failure to ensure that gear and flaps are retracted (or to confirm that configuration is as desired) after an engine failure in a light multiengine airplane.

6. Failure to understand limitations ,if any, on performing slips.

7. Failure to understand that if there is no published data for takeoff conditions, that you can't just extrapolate off the chart or graph.

In short, instructors please teach your students to use the procedures that are published in the POH for the training aircraft. More importantly, teach them to check these procedures in each aircraft they fly, and why they are important for survival.

I recently flew with a young person on an instrument checkride that was really the textbook IFR flight; virtually with out a flaw. This applicant confessed to me that he had been nervous and as a result had studied extra hard for the oral portion of the practical test. I congratulated him on being "over-prepared".

Many pilots have anxiety problems on checkrides. "Over study" is one way that really helps to calm the jitters. If you are unsure of where to start or what to study, try the below areas and see if this might give you more confidence on the big day!

1. Start with the flight manual or POH for the airplane that you will fly on the test. If you are not completely familiar with every chapter and verse of this book, you are going to be at a disadvantage on your flight test. You should know how to work every performance chart and know all aircraft systems information, as well as all the normal and emergency procedures and airspeeds as published. Think of the confidence that you will have when asked about spin recovery procedures as you rattle off the published procedure, verbatim from memory. Imagine also how this protects you later on, should you ever encounter an inadvertent spin.

2. Read the PTS (Practical Test Standard) for the flight test you are taking, cover to cover. This is like getting a copy of "the big final exam" before the day of the test. You can see all the areas that the examiner will cover, both on the ground and in flight. If anything raises a question in your mind as you read it, go to the references listed for that task, and study until you know it cold. Your flight instructor should be able to guide you with individual emphasis.

3. Look through the AIM. Find applicable chapters for your particular certificate or rating, and become familiar with what is contained in them. This is a much neglected document with useful information for all pilots. For instance, most of us will find a few things in the section on runway markings and signs that have faded from memory.

4. Review applicable parts of FAR part 61 and 91. It's not as time consuming as you might think to start at the beginning and just read your way through the whole part, highlighting the stuff that seems important to your particular training situation.

A lot of work? You bet it is. But consider how the applicant who has made his or her best effort to study the above material in addition to their other preparations. The effect is tangible and positive;  more knowledge, more confidence, better checkride performance, safer pilot. Is it worth the effort? It is for me and I hope it will be for you.

There has been a trend on Private Pilot checkrides of weakness on the Forward Slip to a Landing. Recently I have had several applicants who swore that they had never done this maneuver (and afterwards, I believed them), and many more who have had real trouble doing a good slip. I have even been accused of "liking that forward slip" but I assure you that I only test this maneuver because it is a required PTS task for the private pilot checkride. Here are a few thoughts about the forward slip.

1. If you are executing a forced landing after an engine failure and find yourself overshooting your intended landing site,  the forward slip may be the only thing that can save you from ending up in the trees, in power-lines, or upside down in a field taking an avgas bath.

2. A forward slip is the most effective way to increase drag in an airplane with no flaps or with failed flaps.

3. Forward slips with full flaps are not prohibited in Cessna 150/152.

4. C172 manuals generally limit slips with flaps extended beyond 20 degrees.

5. If you slow the aircraft down prior to beginning the slip, and trim for your approach speed, your speed will be under control and appropriate for landing.

6. Full rudder input makes sense as long as you are slipping. Power to idle makes sense while you are slipping. Wing low into the wind makes sense while slipping. Nose low pitch attitude is very important to maintain safe airspeed in the forward slip.

7. A note to instructors: If your students have trouble with slips but seem to do other maneuvers well, you may be dealing with a student who is covertly flying by instrument references most of the time. A slip is a very visual maneuver, and control inputs have to be made according to the changing picture outside the windows of the airplane. It follows naturally that if your students are flying fairly well except during slips, that they may be "closet instrument pilots" even during visual maneuvers. Check our articles page and conversations with Alex and A.J. for a discussion on visual verses instrument reference flying at the private pilot level.

Pilotage can be taught on flights to local airports, for instance KSAT to KERV or KBAZ in the San Antonio area. Always insist that the student have a sectional chart open to the area being flown over and practice finding things on the chart and ground. The student might benefit from a more challenging exercise of 50 NM or so, just looking at the ground and the sectional chart, and navigating between identified points.

Pure dead reckoning can be practiced by picking a destination around 50NM from an airborne starting point, and flying the heading and time that has been pre-computed based on the forecast winds aloft. After the time has elapsed, have the student look outside and try to find the airport or other landmark, but not until then. After each skill is mastered, combine the two. This illustrates to the student why we have to do both, find checkpoints and keep track of time, heading, and groundspeed, if we want to stay on course and ensure arrival at the destination or alternate with plenty of fuel still in the tanks.

One other note; heading, heading, heading, heading, and did I mention......heading? Most, if not all navigation disasters could be avoided if the pilot had pre-computed a correct heading based on winds aloft forecasts, made sure that the directional gyro agrees with the magnetic compass, and FLEW THE PRE-COMPUTED HEADING!!!! Really!

If you would like to schedule a checkride please use the checkride request form instead.

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Last modified: 09/14/06