Private checkride went horribly wrong!

Protip 1: Don't call an interviewer/DPE/teacher/etc. out on a wardrobe malfunction. Act like you didn't notice.
Protip 2: The one with the power to pass/fail you is always right.
Protip 3: Paper charts are useful when your battery fails. You need to know how to use them.
Protip 4: The one with the power to pass/fail you is always right.
Protip 5: Don't argue over the altitude being wrong. Just nod and state your rationale. If he still says it's wrong, he's right.
Protip 6: The one with the power to pass/fail you is always right.
Protip 7: Lots of people in the aviation community come on these forums. Don't burn bridges.
Protip 8:The one with the power to pass/fail you is always right.
 
pflemming said:
I messed up my cross country flight plan, I had the wrong initial altitude for the direction of flight for the first leg. He said you need to choose the correct altitude based on the initial leg, even though the altitude was correct for the remaining legs. I mean please. I couldn't even climb to my initial altitude anyway before the first way point. Then we had an ongoing fight about retarded paper charts vs iPad's. The old geezer needs to move into the 21st century. And, no, I didn't have this attitude during the exam but right now I'm mad as hell. What kind of idiot uses pencil and paper these days to figure out a crappy inaccurate flight plan, when there are wonderful tools to do all that now?

And his fly was down when he first came in, and I pointed that out. I was doing him a favor. If the prick got all ****y about that, then HE is the one with a problem!
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this should be a sticky 'what not to do during your check ride oral'
 
Welcome to Pilots of America. Tell us a little about yourself in another thread. You are just about to get your head handed to you in this one.

Tell us a little about you, such as why you took up flying, where you live, what you like to fly and why.

For example, I'm an older retired woman who has been flying for about a dozen years. I like to go out for the occasional $100 hamburger or fly-in. Used to go to Young Eagles events. Also like to fly out to visit family and friends. Hubby and I own a C-172 and have done a few coast-to-coast cross countries. We just moved to Oklahoma and as soon as I can buy another plane or we can get our first plane moved here to the middle of the country, we'll be doing some fun flying.

Enjoy.
 
I doubt that one mistake (and it really is serious -- you don't proofread?) was the only reason you failed. Just the last one.

Apparently, that "wonderful tool" didn't find your problem, whereas perhaps thinking about it a bit more closely might have.

Your altitude should have reflected what you were REALLY going to do at that first waypoint. Most of the computer-generated flight planners aren't very good at that -- even those that have different cruise and climb speeds treat the climb as constant speed both vertically and horizontally (more realistically, the vertical speed falls off as you climb -- and the POH tables include this). Had you gotten to the flight portion, you would have been graded on how close you were to reality. This suggests you don't understand the basics of flight planning, which is an entirely legitimate reason to flunk you.

There is no excuse for punching your route into Foreflight and just believing it uncritically. I presume your first waypoint included a turn across 0 or 180? I have yet to see an electronic planner that handles that correctly. Or even pausing a climb under Class B. You used the wrong tool for the job.

You have to understand what your iPad is doing. You didn't. And I doubt this "I don't give a ****" attitude is going to score you any points.

No one fails you for not doing your calculations on paper, but not being able to do the calculations on paper is an entirely different story.

The DPE saved you some money by not flying with you. You would have failed that if you got there, and then had to pay Hobbs as well.

You need a serious attitude adjustment. It sounds like you went there just expecting to breeze by and are getting all bent out of shape because it didn't work that way.
 
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Bet he failed you because you didn't know your 91.205 requirements. Got your FLAMING TOMATOS confused with BURNT PEPPERS. Happens.
 
pflemming said:
I messed up my cross country flight plan, I had the wrong initial altitude for the direction of flight for the first leg. He said you need to choose the correct altitude based on the initial leg, even though the altitude was correct for the remaining legs. I mean please. I couldn't even climb to my initial altitude anyway before the first way point. Then we had an ongoing fight about retarded paper charts vs iPad's. The old geezer needs to move into the 21st century. And, no, I didn't have this attitude during the exam but right now I'm mad as hell. What kind of idiot uses pencil and paper these days to figure out a crappy inaccurate flight plan, when there are wonderful tools to do all that now?

And his fly was down when he first came in, and I pointed that out. I was doing him a favor. If the prick got all ****y about that, then HE is the one with a problem!
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This is just too funny to be real. Anyway, thanks for the laugh.
 
If you can't use a paper chart, you deserve to fail. If you can't plan a flight with paper and without an iPad, you deserve to fail. You need to stop and think that the reason for this is in the case that all your wonderful electronics fail, you still need to be able to navigate. Think this doesn't happen? It happened to my father, total electronic failure of his glass cockpit. He used the six pack on the other side.
 
Let me guess, you planned your checkride XC 30mins before the ride on your iPad, and thought thats good enuf?
 
Someone has a duplicate account.

Not because of the made up story, but with a join date of today he just happens to know someone with a gender neutral name is a female, and refers to her as sweetie, in a field with 94% guys.

Busted - and it ain't on the check ride.
 
EdFred said:
Someone has a duplicate account.

Not because of the made up story, but with a join date of today he just happens to know someone with a gender neutral name is a female, and refers to her as sweetie, in a field with 94% guys.

Busted - and it ain't on the check ride.
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dr-evil.jpg
 
EdFred said:
Someone has a duplicate account.

Not because of the made up story, but with a join date of today he just happens to know someone with a gender neutral name is a female, and refers to her as sweetie, in a field with 94% guys.

Busted - and it ain't on the check ride.
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I was thinking that too.
 
EdFred said:
Someone has a duplicate account.

Not because of the made up story, but with a join date of today he just happens to know someone with a gender neutral name is a female, and refers to her as sweetie, in a field with 94% guys.

Busted - and it ain't on the check ride.
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Well... he could be gay...

-Rich
 
pflemming said:
I don't agree, I pay for his time to examine me properly. You even say yourself, I pay for the EXAM SLOT. That slot is 2-4 hours. He should have let me fly.
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If you fail the oral, the exam is over.

What questions did you fail ? Considering that you have a recording, you should be able to answer that one.
 
RJM62 said:
He did notice and point out the DPE's zipper being open...

-Rich
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:D Had an instructor in college once who spent an entire period with his zipper open. At the end of the class a student made him aware of his zipper. Next day he got all ticked at us for not telling him at the beginning of class. Some things are best kept quiet.
 
pflemming said:
I messed on some of the questions. I will admit that. But he was so aggressive. I could tell he wanted to fail me right from the beginning. Don't they have to fail a certain number of applicants?
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No - just you.
 
There are simple and very nonconfrontational ways to point out these sorts of wardrobe malfunctions. I'm with the DE. I can't read a fraking iPod in full sunlight, not enough to read frequencies. And the things can loose power and break. Gotta know charts, gotta know how to plan a flight off them using a pen and a plotter. If the OP can't do this stuff he should learn. If he can't learn he should stay on the ground and take up something less taxing, like stamp collecting. We have enough pilots with the whole attitude thing, don't need any more.
 
This is really driving home what i've been studying lately re: fundamentals of instruction. Defense mechanism - projecting
 
I'm guessing this is a troll. If not - please upload a link to the audio of that tape for our entertainment.
 
AuntPeggy said:
or we can get our first plane moved here to the middle of the country, we'll be doing some fun flying.

Enjoy.
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I'll move it for free if you'll pay for my airline ticket.
 
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EdFred said:
Someone has a duplicate account.

Not because of the made up story, but with a join date of today he just happens to know someone with a gender neutral name is a female, and refers to her as sweetie, in a field with 94% guys.

Busted - and it ain't on the check ride.
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I heard a PP student call me "that Barbie."
 
pflemming said:
If I were your student, sweetie, I wouldn't want you to sign me off to solo either.

Just kidding. Okay, I know, stop rubbing it in, I messed up. I do that when I get nervous. My point though is shouldn't he have given me the respect of giving me a proper test? I can actually fly. I do actually know my stuff. I'm not perfect, it is true, but this was grossly unfair what happened.
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You sound like an ass, and it doesn't sound like you have done anything to deserve respect.
 
pflemming said:
... What kind of idiot uses pencil and paper these days to figure out a crappy inaccurate flight plan, when there are wonderful tools to do all that now?
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Whoa!! DANGER Will Robinson!!!

Dude, you have way too much attitude. ALL of my private pilot students must be idiots...because they all learn to do cross country planning using charts, pencils and plotters.

Oh, wait a minute....they've all passed their checkrides. Now who's the idiot??

Somehow I think that word of your attitude was passed along to this DPE long before you ever met him. Could have even been your own CFI. I wouldn't blame him if he did.

JMHO,

Mike
 
MikeELP said:
Whoa!! DANGER Will Robinson!!!

Dude, you have way too much attitude. ALL of my private pilot students must be idiots...because they all learn to do cross country planning using charts, pencils and plotters.

Oh, wait a minute....they've all passed their checkrides. Now who's the idiot??

Somehow I think that word of your attitude was passed along to this DPE long before you ever met him. Could have even been your own CFI. I wouldn't blame him if he did.

JMHO,

Mike
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I believe the consensus on this one is "troll".
 
Is that you skynewbie / benpilot?

Does anyone know if skynewbie ever took his checkride?
 
DesertNomad said:
Is that you skynewbie / benpilot?

Does anyone know if skynewbie ever took his checkride?
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Not yet, to my knowledge. He's on the schedule for one of the Warriors Saturday and Sunday (though I think the weather won't cooperate Saturday).

I heard him on the radio recently and he sounded just fine. But I haven't talked to him in person in several weeks.

This clearly isn't Ben. Ben wasn't a troll. He really didn't understand what happened at his checkride. I think I know what happened, as there is an understandable explanation, and there is a little corroboration, but it's secondhand.
 
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Okay. I started this wrong. I apologize. For those saying I shouldn't know the gender of a prolific poster here... Please, it's not like this is the first time I've ever been on this website! It is possible to actually peruse the forums without an account. I've never felt the need to post before. What, I'm going to go on and say "Hi! I'm Pete! I'm the loser student pilot who can't seem to get his PPL!" Sorry I bothered all of you. I was just looking for advice. I've read some checkride reports here. None of you are perfect, and you make mistakes. I made a mistake or two but I was taken to the cleaners because I'm honest. I'm honest and tell the examiner what I think about his stupid papyrus navigation aids? Yes, I made a couple of other mistakes but I know my stuff believe me.

Thanks some of you for trying to be helpful. The rest of you calling me a dumbass or gay, or whatever... Thank you too. Glad you enjoyed kicking me in the teeth while I'm down.

And as for knowing the gender of a poster... Well, duh, I've been reading this forum for a long time, many months. This is just the first time I posted. To post I had to register. See how it works? I've seen a lot of the posts by many people on this thread.

Have a nice weekend. Nice to know how friendly pilots are.
 
AirDC said:
I'm guessing this is a troll. If not - please upload a link to the audio of that tape for our entertainment.
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Andrew, tell me honestly. If you had a recording of yourself FAILING, would you post it? Didn't think so. I would like to humiliate myself for your enjoyment, but perhaps some other time okay?
 
pflemming said:
Okay. I started this wrong. I apologize. For those saying I shouldn't know the gender of a prolific poster here... Please, it's not like this is the first time I've ever been on this website! It is possible to actually peruse the forums without an account. I've never felt the need to post before. What, I'm going to go on and say "Hi! I'm Pete! I'm the loser student pilot who can't seem to get his PPL!" Sorry I bothered all of you. I was just looking for advice. I've read some checkride reports here. None of you are perfect, and you make mistakes. I made a mistake or two but I was taken to the cleaners because I'm honest. I'm honest and tell the examiner what I think about his stupid papyrus navigation aids? Yes, I made a couple of other mistakes but I know my stuff believe me.

Thanks some of you for trying to be helpful. The rest of you calling me a dumbass or gay, or whatever... Thank you too. Glad you enjoyed kicking me in the teeth while I'm down.

And as for knowing the gender of a poster... Well, duh, I've been reading this forum for a long time, many months. This is just the first time I posted. To post I had to register. See how it works? I've seen a lot of the posts by many people on this thread.

Have a nice weekend. Nice to know how friendly pilots are.
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Pete

There's a great cartoon from the 90s. It has a dog sitting at a computer terminal with the caption "On the internet, no one knows you're a dog".

There are no face-to-face hints here, no body language, nothing but what you write. Your original post was a rant, a hostile rant, in fact. And people responded in the same manner as you started it. We're a very friendly group, most of the time, when others are friendly.

What's the adage? Reap what you sow....
 
You may be a troll, or we may all have become so cynical with posters like you and think you are a troll. So assuming we just are a bunch of old crotchety cynics, it seems to me you failed because you did nothing right, from start to finish, and the DPE realized that pretty quickly, and in effect saved you time. I think you should go back to your CFI, talk this over, and on your next checkride (assuming there is one) think about what you did on the first one and do the exact opposite.
 
Pete - I failed my first checkride (go ahead and search - around 2009) you may have had an attitude, could have been nervous. You probably did review the material with your CFI between passing the written and the checkride. If you do take the 'ride again may I suggest paying $11 for the paper sectional and do it the "old fashioned" way? My CFII and friends all ask me about getting an iPad/mini iPad. I have considered it but ain't no way I'm getting one before my IR ride is done. I know the DPE and he would "fail" the iPad en route. Not going to take that risk I'm going to do it old school for the test and then learn how to do it with fancy electronics.

Pick up your boot straps. Ask your CFI for a review and call for the DPE again (maybe even the same one to prove your worthy)
 
pflemming said:
I made a mistake or two but I was taken to the cleaners because I'm honest. I'm honest and tell the examiner what I think about his stupid papyrus navigation aids? Yes, I made a couple of other mistakes but I know my stuff believe me.
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You're still making a whopper of a mistake. Actually, several.

You're unfiltered, not honest. Big difference.

Taking what you're saying at face value (I have my doubts about your veracity as well, as it's WAY over the top), you seem to be unconcerned about the results of your "honesty." What possible purpose can you expect to accomplish by arguing that the DPE is old-fashioned? Newer isn't necessarily better, and you completely missed that lesson in this thread.

Oh yes, we make mistakes. I've made some boneheaded moves myself. But, as pilots, we simply must learn from them.

Are you a teenager? That might explain a few things.

I'm not entirely convinced you aren't EdFred himself, as he's not kidding when he calls himself corrosive. He who smelt it dealt it, and all that.
 
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