HeliHelvig Posted January 25, 2008 Posted January 25, 2008 It's crazy to think that its actually time for my checkride. It seems like I just started this journey yesterday. Time flies when you fly too Anyways.... My checkride is tomorrow morning at 8 am. I was planning on flying a few days this week just to make sure I'm back in the groove since I haven't flown since last Tuesday. But of course the worst storm CA has had in a while comes rolling on in all week so I haven't been able to get in the air. Not flying all week has just made me even more nervous about the whole thing. I think as long as I can fly for a while today I should be fine. But it's supposed to rain this afternoon and then theres only a 30% chance for showers tomorrow morning! So... If I'm not able to fly today what do you think about rescheduling my checkride? Would that look bad to the examiner or would he understand due to the weather? Any advice will help and maybe calm my nerves a bit..Thanks to all as always. Quote
rick1128 Posted January 25, 2008 Posted January 25, 2008 If your instructor has signed you off for your checkride, you are ready. He has a lot riding on this checkride also. So relax. If your instructor has done it right, and most likely he/she has, the worst part of the checkride will be the prep for the checkride. So relax. Quote
Paisley Posted January 25, 2008 Posted January 25, 2008 It won't be half as bad as you think. Good luck and have fun with it. Quote
RockyMountainPilot Posted January 25, 2008 Posted January 25, 2008 There is really only one thing you must 100% remember. What ever you do, make sure you positively don't ever s{syntax error} Quote
HeliHelvig Posted January 25, 2008 Author Posted January 25, 2008 There is really only one thing you must 100% remember. What ever you do, make sure you positively don't ever s{syntax error} Haha RockyMountainPilot thank you for that invaluable advice. It definitely gave me a good laugh. And I know I'm ready. And my instructor has told me I'm ready and I'll be fine. But I just don't want my checkride to be the first time I've flown in over a week. For the optional maneuvers in the PTS (i.e. confined area, and pinnacle operations and so forth) is it likely that he'll give me more than one to do? Quote
rick1128 Posted January 25, 2008 Posted January 25, 2008 One thing to keep in mind. If the maneuver seems to be shaky or it doesn't feel right, go around and try it again. One of the prime things any examiner is looking for is judgment. Showing them that you can exercise good judgment and stay safe will gain you many points during the checkride. Quote
C.R.O. Posted January 25, 2008 Posted January 25, 2008 Just try to relax as much as you can, and fly the way you know how. I will admit to screwing up on my checkride, and having to redo 2 maneuvers over again a few days later, all because I let my nerves screw me up. Sucks that it happened, and it shouldn't have, both maneuvers I had down pat, and went out and did just fine on a few days later. Funny thing is, before the first checkride, I was a basket case, nerves wise. I was freaked out, worried that I would screw everything up. Guess what? I did screw up. Before the second one, I knew 100% that I was going to pass, and did. So try to relax, and "know" that you are going to pass. Quote
Parafiddle Posted January 25, 2008 Posted January 25, 2008 Don't let your nerves get in the way. Even if you do something to fail the checkride, you have the option of continuing on with the rest of the maneuvers. DO IT!! Anything you complete successfully is one more thing you DON'T have to do on the second attempt. I also agree with the earlier comment about trying something again if it doesn't look or feel right. Remember, you are the pilot in command. The examiner is basically a passenger. It shows sound judgement and good aeronautical decision making to abort an attempt and try again vs. trying to salvage something that isn't going to work. Good luck and let us know how it goes! Quote
Witch Posted January 25, 2008 Posted January 25, 2008 I'm not going to say anything these guys haven't already said, but I will say this: If you screw up, so what? Just do it again and again unitl you pass. How's that for tenacity? I know someone that failed the driver test 3 times. I finally got it. Just keep goin' and goin'. AND HAVE FUN DAMMIT !!!!! Later Quote
HeliHelvig Posted January 26, 2008 Author Posted January 26, 2008 I ended up being able to get a couple hours in today which was good. But I just still wasn't feeling it.So I exercised my aeronautical decision making and rescheduled the checkride for next sunday. I feel much better about it now, and now I'll have those extra few days to fine tune everything, and go into it 100% confident that I will pass. Quote
TheLorax Posted January 26, 2008 Posted January 26, 2008 that's funny. i have my ppl checkride tomorrow morning at 8am also. im in houston though, so by the time i've passed mine, you'll just be getting started! good luck, but im sure you wont need it! Quote
Goldy Posted January 26, 2008 Posted January 26, 2008 Heli- Glad to hear you are at that point ! Remember the DPE is required to give you a distraction. he will probably try to do it with the radio..and he'll do stuff like raise the collective on you...no big deal....make sure you know how to operate the GPS in that ship. You will probably fly to CPM and TOA, so make sure you know where each airspace is.....and you'll be fine. Dont bend my favorite ship...good luck ! Goldy Quote
FlyNHighNFast Posted January 27, 2008 Posted January 27, 2008 that's funny. i have my ppl checkride tomorrow morning at 8am also. im in houston though, so by the time i've passed mine, you'll just be getting started! good luck, but im sure you wont need it!Lorax: Good luck tomorrow!! Heli: Don't sweat it, the day before my check ride, I was flying like a 5 hour pilot as my instructor took me through the paces. I was ready to call it off, until I got my head wrapped around the fact that it was just another flight and the DPE was not there to fail me, unless my performance was lacking. I went out the next day and had a great time with the DPE in the left seat. Everything your instructor taught you will be right there when you need it. Quote
FLHooker Posted January 27, 2008 Posted January 27, 2008 I agree with everyone who said... Have fun, if you are having fun, you will be more relaxed, and that will make you fly better. The biggest thing that I can say, which has probably already been said... Show confidence.. show that you know how to fly that thing, the DE will be more impressed with the fact that you feel comfortable/confident in your flying, even if you "bust" something. Just don't be OVERconfident. GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE takin' rides! CHAD Quote
Cruzin Chris Posted January 27, 2008 Posted January 27, 2008 It never gets any easier! 2,400 hours and I have check coming up that I will get nervous over. Don’t know why, it just happens to most of us. Quote
FLHooker Posted January 27, 2008 Posted January 27, 2008 Yup! And good luck to you Chris... What ride are you taking? Quote
TheLorax Posted January 27, 2008 Posted January 27, 2008 well, i passed my checkride with mr. ray murphy down here in houston. hope you did well! Quote
RockyMountainPilot Posted January 27, 2008 Posted January 27, 2008 well, i passed my checkride with mr. ray murphy down here in houston. hope you did well! Congrats! Quote
FlyNHighNFast Posted January 28, 2008 Posted January 28, 2008 Lorax: Congratulations!! Oh, what a feeling Quote
Chopperjess Posted January 29, 2008 Posted January 29, 2008 Heli, Goodluck with the checkride! I was in the same boat, and when it came around time for my checkride, I scheduled it, and a couple days before I just didn't feel like I was ready. I rescheduled it and did some flights with my instructor before I took my checkride and I passed my checkride very easily. I was on top of the ball doing it that way, and I nailed every manuver the first time out.. Except running landings.. Had to redo that one because I decided for whatever reason to do the manuver at 60 knots. My examiner laughed and said he let me do it because it was exciting. I still did the landing and hit my mark so he just had me do it over at a slower speed.. Which I did. Sure was fun though! Just relax! You'll do fine, and the weather here seems like it's going to calm down this week. Weds will rain a little maybe, but sunday looks like it'll be nice! Goodluck! Jessica Quote
HeliHelvig Posted January 30, 2008 Author Posted January 30, 2008 Heli, Goodluck with the checkride! I was in the same boat, and when it came around time for my checkride, I scheduled it, and a couple days before I just didn't feel like I was ready. I rescheduled it and did some flights with my instructor before I took my checkride and I passed my checkride very easily. I was on top of the ball doing it that way, and I nailed every manuver the first time out.. Except running landings.. Had to redo that one because I decided for whatever reason to do the manuver at 60 knots. My examiner laughed and said he let me do it because it was exciting. I still did the landing and hit my mark so he just had me do it over at a slower speed.. Which I did. Sure was fun though! Just relax! You'll do fine, and the weather here seems like it's going to calm down this week. Weds will rain a little maybe, but sunday looks like it'll be nice! Goodluck! Jessica Alright I feel better knowing that I'm not the only person that's had to reschedule a checkride. I flew friday and was just so rusty and out of it. I flew 1.8 today working on some off airports and I felt much better and more like my confident old self again. A couple more flights this week and a little brushing up on some autos and I should be more than ready for my checkride. I actually did quite a few running landings friday.....and I really can't imagine doing one at 60 knots. Haha. I think I should be fine though. I just have to make sure I'm done before the super bowl now. Quote
me shakes fist Posted January 30, 2008 Posted January 30, 2008 Good luck HeliHelvig! I've got my checkride tomorrow at noon and I'm confident but definitely nervous! A 60 knot running landing is crazy! That's one maneuver I don't like too much. I have to fight the tendency to slow down before actually touching down, haha. That's stuff is all in my head, though. I just need to remember that tomorrow. Quote
Chopperjess Posted January 30, 2008 Posted January 30, 2008 Good luck HeliHelvig! I've got my checkride tomorrow at noon and I'm confident but definitely nervous! A 60 knot running landing is crazy! That's one maneuver I don't like too much. I have to fight the tendency to slow down before actually touching down, haha. That's stuff is all in my head, though. I just need to remember that tomorrow. When I came in to do the running landing, realized I was at 60, and I was still going to hit my mark.. touched down ( not full down because he didn't want me to do full down) and took back off into the air.. I said outloud "well... that was a bit too fast".. examiner laughed and said yeah but it was fun.. And told me to do it again. BTW it's a lot easier to do it at the right speed than at 60 heh.. Goodluck on your checkrides. You guys are ready, just remember what you were taught! Take care! Jessica Quote
TheLorax Posted January 30, 2008 Posted January 30, 2008 running landings for ppl checkride? i guess i was spoiled on my flight portion. all i had to do was depart class B airpsace, find our little airport in class E, normal takeoff, quickstop, hover auto, slope landing, steep approach, 180 auto, and straight in auto. at the end he had me tune in to the class B VOR which i had NEVER done. luckily the person before me had already put in the radio freq. and all i had to do was turn the knob until the thing lined up. ha Quote
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