Five Ways to Fail
Your Checkride
by Stuart Cory, DPE
No matter how we try to settle ourselves
down on the day of our checkride, there is no denying it’s a
big day! It is normal to be a bit nervous. And, due to
nerves or just a bad day, there will be a few mistakes
during the checkride. As I often say, we just need to avoid
the big mistakes.
Fortunately, aviation is the ultimate “learn from others”
arena. Regardless of our level of experience or type of
pilot certificate we hold, pilots are always students of
aviation. We are constantly briefing, debriefing, asking
questions, and learning from others. A checkride represents
that final test to accomplish what we’ve been working
towards. We want to do it right. And, if we can have a
little insight to what others have done right or more
importantly done wrong, we can possibly gain some knowledge
and confidence heading into the all important checkride.
I have listed the top 5 common mistakes during a checkride.
Keep in mind, these are the most common mistakes I have seen
while conducting various checkrides for different
certificates or ratings. After listing the task or maneuver,
I reference the type of checkride the mistake was observed
to provide some relevance to the error. So in no particular
order, let’s take a look at what I have observed are the
most common mistakes:
Traffic pattern procedures (Private Pilot): After
completing the required air work (or maneuvers), the
applicant has to return to the airport of departure or in
some cases a nearby airport to complete the take off and
landings. Many times, the pilot loses situational awareness
while returning, and most commonly enters the pattern for
the wrong runway. Whether assigned by the tower or more
commonly returning to an uncontrolled airport, entering the
pattern incorrectly against the flow of traffic is never
good.
Short Field Takeoffs (Private/Commercial): The short
field takeoff is required to be demonstrated on both a
private and commercial checkride. As the PTS outlines, there
are specific tasks within this performance takeoff that must
be completed. Believe it or not, the one item that is
typically overlooked is using all available runway for the
takeoff roll. I see various versions on this mistake. Some
pilots completely forget to taxi to a position that would
utilize all available runway, while others make a
“half-hearted” attempt and still leave usable pavement
behind them. Take full advantage of the runway available
when performing the short field takeoff. Once you add the
power and release the brakes, you can never get back the
runway behind you!
Holding Pattern Procedures (Instrument Rating):
Without question, one of the most difficult tasks in flying
is single pilot IFR flying. When we throw in some nerves the
day of your checkride, the workload can certainly get the
better of even the most skilled instrument pilot. Holding
may seem to be a straight forward procedure in instrument
flying, but many applicants lose orientation when
approaching the holding fix and turn the wrong direction.
Additionally, the applicant enters the holding pattern
correctly but then makes the wrong turn upon reaching the
fix inbound after the entry. Altitude must be maintained
during this procedure. While confirming what the next turn
will be, the instrument scan is lost. There is an excessive
deviation from assigned altitude.
Short Field Landings (Private): The short field
landing can be challenging. Many have heard that a good
landing begins with a good approach. This advice is
certainly true for the short field landing (or any
performance landings for that matter). Many applicants begin
with a close in turn to base resulting in being high on
final or a shorter final segment allowing little time to get
the aircraft configured and stable. The most common outcome
that is unsatisfactory is overshooting the intended
touchdown spot. This overshoot is usually a result of
excessive speed, or trying to make a soft landing with a
last second flare causing the aircraft to float beyond the
allowed distance (within 200’).
Emergency Approach and Landing (Simulated)
(Private/Commercial): The simulated engine out approach
and landing is common area where mistakes are made by the
applicant. This maneuver incorporates so many skills from
our training. It is an excellent demonstration by the
applicant for the examiner to see many skills all pulled
together. The most commonly observed errors when simulating
an engine out are lack of establishing best glide airspeed,
and selecting a suitable landing area. As soon as the engine
has a loss of power, best glide airspeed must be
established. Many applicants fail to utilize pitch trim to
assist in maintaining this speed and reduce their workload.
When choosing a suitable landing site, a common error is
disregarding hazards such as power lines or a tree line in
the way. Additionally, every effort should be made to land
into the wind. Always be aware of the surface winds below
you. By landing into the wind, our groundspeed will be
greatly reduced increasing our chances for a successful
outcome.