Normal Checkride Stories?

The PPL checkride day went great. Two more funny pointst:

1. I asked him a question...don't do that LOL!
2. It was really, really cold that day (around -6F or so). When I taxied up to the building and the prop stopped he came right out, jumped right in, closed the door and told me to start it up. I obliged and we were off.
 
Jokes aside, here's a post from an old thread:
nauga said:
I didn't fail but I did have my DPE for my private checkride say "Dammit son, let me out of this airplane now!"

We were at idle on the ramp and he wanted to climb out without shutting down (to watch me make a trip around the pattern) and I didn't want to let him because I thought it was a judgement test. Then the quote. I didn't shut it down, he got out, I flew my pattern, and he passed me.
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Nauga,
not doomed to repeat it
 
My favorite checkride story is true, and out of California. A helicopter pilot was going for his ATP, and the examiner was known to be a real hardass.

The examiner walked out to the helicopter to meet the pilot, and at that time the examiner looked familiar to the pilot. The pilot said, "Hello, do you recognize me?"

The examiner said "no."

The prospective ATP then said................"Do you remember when you were in Vietnam and your helicopter got shot down and you were taking live fire from two locations?" "And another helicopter flew in and pulled you out?"


"That was me!!!"
 
kgruber said:
My favorite checkride story is true, and out of California. A helicopter pilot was going for his ATP, and the examiner was known to be a real hardass.

The examiner walked out to the helicopter to meet the pilot, and at that time the examiner looked familiar to the pilot. The pilot said, "Hello, do you recognize me?"

The examiner said "no."

The prospective ATP then said................"Do you remember when you were in Vietnam and your helicopter got shot down and you were taking live fire from two locations?" "And another helicopter flew in and pulled you out?"


"That was me!!!"
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So did he pass?
 
Watched a otherwise normal PPL checkride oral go out the window when the FAA decided to evaluate the DPE at the same time. Applicant failed the oral because he even though he knew the answer he "looked too many things up." The applicant also didn't know what the difference was between a class I and class II NOTAM... on a PPL oral.
 
That’s the kind of trivia I hate. I know there are notams that are published in the book and ones that you’ll find in briefings. But until I just looked them up, I never knew they were called type 1 and type 2.
 
k9medic said:
Watched a otherwise normal PPL checkride oral go out the window when the FAA decided to evaluate the DPE at the same time. Applicant failed the oral because he even though he knew the answer he "looked too many things up." The applicant also didn't know what the difference was between a class I and class II NOTAM... on a PPL oral.
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So who got nervous, the applicant or the DPE?
 
My CFI ride was .3 yes 3 tenths of an hour. The examiner was more interested in hearing me talk. He wanted to know how I explained things, not if I could fly. The flying was a given, since I had already gotten that far. I think my DC-10 IOE was one of the best learning experiences, for a check ride. there were certainly others of interest. The B-747 FE, was fun. The FAA guy had given my Dad his L-188 type 20+ years before. he had a record of it. I had wrenched on the B-747 and knew a lot more than he or the company guy did. It was fun telling them things they didn't know. The guy who gave me the FE check ride was great. He had been a TWA check airman on it. I doubt many knew what he did, from actual experience. After he passed us and told us it was a very good ride. He told the company guy to leave the room. Then he told us to close the door. Then he opened up. he told us how to keep ourselves and the Capt's we flew with out of trouble. A wealth of Knowledge was passed onto us. Priceless! I still remember many of those quick "wags" to keep you out of trouble. I converted them the the planes I was flying at the time I was flying them. Never stop learning. Yes you need to be competent, but you if you are willing, you can learn much from the check ride.
 
MauleSkinner said:
So who got nervous, the applicant or the DPE?
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The FAA sitting over the shoulder of the DPE got both the DPE and the applicant nervous.

I was once asked on an observed checkride how much oil was in the tail rotor gearbox. My response was "enough." The DPE looked at me like I had two heads and asked "just how do you know that?" My reply was simple. "There is a line - if it's above the line, there is more than enough. If it's at the line, then there is enough. If below the line, not enough."

He then rephrased the question - "What is the normal capacity for the oil level of the tail rotor gear box..."

Clearly he had played this game before.
 
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Half Fast said:
So, @SkyChaser , are you ready? Isn’t your ride this weekend?
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You have a good memory. LOL And yep, it's this weekend! Hoping and praying the wind is either down one of the runways or non-existent, because I really don't want to try to get on the schedule again with the current craziness that is life right now. :p

As far as being ready...I hope so. I've been studying a ton and actually have been out flying three times in the last week, which has not happened for months. It's amazing how much of a difference that can make!
 
Out of all the rides I stressed out about, my instrument was the easiest.

I started it with forgetting to remove the nosewheel chock. Shut down, got out, pulled it, got back in, said I was starting the checklist over from the top.

Examiner smiled and then the entire rest of the ride was completely straightforward other than when he shared a tidbit that he’d done a bunch of rides in R-STOL Cessnas and for some reason they all “hunt” 5 knots or so when flying approaches at 90 knots.

He told me to fly the next one at 110.

I did, a little nervous I’d miss a turn on it since it was an off-airport VOR with a “circle to land” that really was a dogleg.

Managed not to miss the turn going faster, threw out every drag device including feet out the door to slow it up enough to land without over speeding anything and he said congrats.

I often wonder if he just wanted to finish and go get lunch. But he was right. My airplane will perfectly hold 110 but not 90 trimmed and left completely alone.

It’s still a mystery to me as to why. Ha.

Old farts know things. Haha.
 
SkyChaser said:
You have a good memory. LOL And yep, it's this weekend! Hoping and praying the wind is either down one of the runways or non-existent, because I really don't want to try to get on the schedule again with the current craziness that is life right now. :p

As far as being ready...I hope so. I've been studying a ton and actually have been out flying three times in the last week, which has not happened for months. It's amazing how much of a difference that can make!
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Good luck!
 
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