Advice for / stories about Commercial practical test?

[Roger Worden[_2_]]

If all goes well, I'll be taking my practical test for the Commercial
certificate in just a few weeks. Any Commercial glider pilots have any
words of wisdom for the test? Anything that your examiner had you do
that was a surprise or harder than you expected? Any relevant (or
irrelevant but humorous) stories from your Commercial practical test?

Thanks in advance.

[Tim Mara[_2_]]

yes....go through the PTS...that is the only guide the Examiner has to go
by, it tells you what they can and must test on....answer the questions they
ask......then shut up!...if you don't before long you'll certainly find
yourself telling them what you don't know! :o)
tim
(former FAA DPE)
Please visit the Wings & Wheels website at www.wingsandwheels.com


"Roger Worden" > wrote in message
...
> If all goes well, I'll be taking my practical test for the Commercial
> certificate in just a few weeks. Any Commercial glider pilots have any
> words of wisdom for the test? Anything that your examiner had you do
> that was a surprise or harder than you expected? Any relevant (or
> irrelevant but humorous) stories from your Commercial practical test?
>
> Thanks in advance.

[vontresc]

On Aug 9, 7:38*am, "Tim Mara" > wrote:
> yes....go through the PTS...that is the only guide the Examiner has to go
> by, it tells you what they can and must test on....answer the questions they
> ask......then shut up!...if you don't before long you'll certainly find
> yourself telling them what you don't know! :o)
> tim
> (former FAA DPE)
> Please visit the Wings & Wheels website atwww.wingsandwheels.com
>
> "Roger Worden" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
> > If all goes well, I'll be taking my practical test for the Commercial
> > certificate in just a few weeks. Any Commercial glider pilots have any
> > words of wisdom for the test? Anything that your examiner had you do
> > that was a surprise or harder than you expected? Any relevant (or
> > irrelevant but humorous) stories from your Commercial practical test?
>
> > Thanks in advance.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

This piece of advice comes from Ron Levy. He is a CFII for PIC doing
10 day IFR courses, but it is good advice for any checkride...

1. Relax and enjoy it. Nationwide, about 90% of applicants pass on the
first try, so look around and see if you think you’re as good as 9 out
of 10 other students. Also, your instructor must maintain a pass rate
of at least 80% to get his ticket renewed, so he’s not going to send
you up unless he’s pretty darn sure you’ll pass – otherwise, he has to
find four other people to pass to make up for you, and that’s not
always easy.

2. Go over with your instructor the logbooks of the aircraft you're
going to use the day BEFORE the checkride to make sure it's all in
order (annual, transponder checks, ELT ops and battery, 100-hour if
rented, etc.). If the airplane's paper busts, so do you. Run a sample
W&B, too – get the examiner’s weight when you make the appointment. If
you weigh 200, and so does the examiner, don’t show up with a C-152
with full tanks and a 350 lb available cabin load – examiners can’t
waive max gross weight limits.

3. Relax.

4. Rest up and get a good night's sleep the night before. Don't stay
up "cramming."

5. Relax.

6. Read carefully the ENTIRE PTS including all the introductory
material. Use the checklist in the front to make sure you take all the
stuff you need -- papers and equipment. And the examiner’s fee UP
FRONT (too much chance a disgruntled applicant will refuse to pay
afterward) in the form demanded by the examiner is a “required
document” from a practical, if not FAA, standpoint.

7. Relax.

8. You’re going to make a big mistake somewhere. The examiner knows
this will happen, and it doesn’t have to end the ride. What’s
important is not whether you make a mistake, but how you deal with it
– whether you recover and move on without letting it destroy your
flying. Figure out where you are now, how to get to where you want to
be, and then do what it takes to get there. That will save your
checkride today and your butt later on.

9. Relax.

10. You're going to make some minor mistakes. Correct them yourself in
a timely manner "so the outcome of the maneuver is never seriously in
doubt" and you'll be OK. If you start to go high on your first steep
turn and start a correction as you approach 100 feet high but top out
at 110 high while making a smooth correction back to the requested
altitude, don't sweat -- nail the next one and you'll pass with
"flying colors" (a naval term, actually). If you see the maneuver will
exceed parameters and not be smoothly recoverable, tell the examiner
and knock it off before you go outside those parameters, and then re-
initiate. That shows great sense, if not great skill, and judgement is
the most critical item on the checkride.

11. Relax.

12. During the oral, you don’t have to answer from memory anything
you’d have time to look up in reality. You never need to memorize and
know everything. Categorize material as:

a. Things you must memorize (i.e. emergency procedures, radio calls,
airspace, etc).
b. Things you must know or have reasonable understanding of (i.e.
interpreting weather codes, non-critical regs).
c. Things you know about but can look up and will have time to look up
on the ground.

(Thanks to Mark Bourdeaux for this categorization.) So if the examiner
asks you about currency, it’s OK to open the FAR book to 61.56 and
61.57 and explain them to him. But make sure you know where the answer
is without reading the whole FAR/AIM cover-to-cover. On the other
hand, for stuff you’d have to know RIGHT NOW (e.g., best glide speed
for engine failure, etc.), you’d best not stumble or stutter – know
that stuff cold. Also, remember that the examiner will use the areas
your knowledge test report says you missed as focus points in the
oral, so study them extra thoroughly.

13. Relax.

14. Avoid this conversation:
Examiner - Q: Do you have a pencil?
Applicant - A: I have a #2, a mechanical, a red one...
Examiner - Q: Do you have a pencil?
Applicant - A: I also have an assortment of pens, and some
highlighters...
Examiner - Q: Do you have a pencil?
Applicant - A: Yes.
Examiner - Thank you.
One of the hardest things to do when you’re nervous and pumped up is
to shut up and answer the question. I've watched people talk
themselves into a corner by incorrectly answering a question that was
never asked, or by adding an incorrect appendix to the correct answer
to the question that was. If the examiner wants more, he'll tell you.

15. Relax

16. Some questions are meant simply to test your knowledge, not your
skill, even if they sound otherwise. If the examiner asks how far
below the cloud deck you are, he is checking to see if you know the
answer is “at least 500 feet,” not how good your depth perception is.
He can’t tell any better than you can, and the only way to be sure is
to climb up and see when you hit the bases, which for sure he won’t
let you do.

17. Relax

18. Remember the first rule of Italian driving: "What's behind me is
not important." Don't worry about how you did the last maneuver or
question. If you didn't do it well enough, the examiner must notify
you and terminate the checkride. If you are on the next one, forget
the last one because it was good enough to pass. Focus on doing that
next maneuver or answering the next question the best you can, because
while it can still determine whether you pass or fail, the last one
can’t anymore. If you get back to the office and he hasn't said you
failed, smile to your friends as you walk in because you just passed.

19. Relax and enjoy your new license.


Ron Levy, ATP, CFI, Veteran of 11 license/rating checkrides, including
4 with FAA inspectors

[chipsoars]

On Aug 11, 11:50*am, vontresc > wrote:
> On Aug 9, 7:38*am, "Tim Mara" > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > yes....go through the PTS...that is the only guide the Examiner has to go
> > by, it tells you what they can and must test on....answer the questions they
> > ask......then shut up!...if you don't before long you'll certainly find
> > yourself telling them what you don't know! :o)
> > tim
> > (former FAA DPE)
> > Please visit the Wings & Wheels website atwww.wingsandwheels.com
>
> > "Roger Worden" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > > If all goes well, I'll be taking my practical test for the Commercial
> > > certificate in just a few weeks. Any Commercial glider pilots have any
> > > words of wisdom for the test? Anything that your examiner had you do
> > > that was a surprise or harder than you expected? Any relevant (or
> > > irrelevant but humorous) stories from your Commercial practical test?
>
> > > Thanks in advance.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> This piece of advice comes from Ron Levy. He is a CFII for PIC doing
> 10 day IFR courses, but it is good advice for any checkride...
>
> 1. Relax and enjoy it. Nationwide, about 90% of applicants pass on the
> first try, so look around and see if you think you’re as good as 9 out
> of 10 other students. Also, your instructor must maintain a pass rate
> of at least 80% to get his ticket renewed, so he’s not going to send
> you up unless he’s pretty darn sure you’ll pass – otherwise, he has to
> find four other people to pass to make up for you, and that’s not
> always easy.
>
> 2. Go over with your instructor the logbooks of the aircraft you're
> going to use the day BEFORE the checkride to make sure it's all in
> order (annual, transponder checks, ELT ops and battery, 100-hour if
> rented, etc.). If the airplane's paper busts, so do you. Run a sample
> W&B, too – get the examiner’s weight when you make the appointment. If
> you weigh 200, and so does the examiner, don’t show up with a C-152
> with full tanks and a 350 lb available cabin load – examiners can’t
> waive max gross weight limits.
>
> 3. Relax.
>
> 4. Rest up and get a good night's sleep the night before. Don't stay
> up "cramming."
>
> 5. Relax.
>
> 6. Read carefully the ENTIRE PTS including all the introductory
> material. Use the checklist in the front to make sure you take all the
> stuff you need -- papers and equipment. And the examiner’s fee UP
> FRONT (too much chance a disgruntled applicant will refuse to pay
> afterward) in the form demanded by the examiner is a “required
> document” from a practical, if not FAA, standpoint.
>
> 7. Relax.
>
> 8. You’re going to make a big mistake somewhere. The examiner knows
> this will happen, and it doesn’t have to end the ride. What’s
> important is not whether you make a mistake, but how you deal with it
> – whether you recover and move on without letting it destroy your
> flying. Figure out where you are now, how to get to where you want to
> be, and then do what it takes to get there. That will save your
> checkride today and your butt later on.
>
> 9. Relax.
>
> 10. You're going to make some minor mistakes. Correct them yourself in
> a timely manner "so the outcome of the maneuver is never seriously in
> doubt" and you'll be OK. If you start to go high on your first steep
> turn and start a correction as you approach 100 feet high but top out
> at 110 high while making a smooth correction back to the requested
> altitude, don't sweat -- nail the next one and you'll pass with
> "flying colors" (a naval term, actually). If you see the maneuver will
> exceed parameters and not be smoothly recoverable, tell the examiner
> and knock it off before you go outside those parameters, and then re-
> initiate. That shows great sense, if not great skill, and judgement is
> the most critical item on the checkride.
>
> 11. Relax.
>
> 12. During the oral, you don’t have to answer from memory anything
> you’d have time to look up in reality. You never need to memorize and
> know everything. Categorize material as:
>
> a. Things you must memorize (i.e. emergency procedures, radio calls,
> airspace, etc).
> b. Things you must know or have reasonable understanding of (i.e.
> interpreting weather codes, non-critical regs).
> c. Things you know about but can look up and will have time to look up
> on the ground.
>
> (Thanks to Mark Bourdeaux for this categorization.) So if the examiner
> asks you about currency, it’s OK to open the FAR book to 61.56 and
> 61.57 and explain them to him. But make sure you know where the answer
> is without reading the whole FAR/AIM cover-to-cover. On the other
> hand, for stuff you’d have to know RIGHT NOW (e.g., best glide speed
> for engine failure, etc.), you’d best not stumble or stutter – know
> that stuff cold. Also, remember that the examiner will use the areas
> your knowledge test report says you missed as focus points in the
> oral, so study them extra thoroughly.
>
> 13. Relax.
>
> 14. Avoid this conversation:
> Examiner - Q: Do you have a pencil?
> Applicant - A: I have a #2, a mechanical, a red one...
> Examiner - Q: Do you have a pencil?
> Applicant - A: I also have an assortment of pens, and some
> highlighters...
> Examiner - Q: Do you have a pencil?
> Applicant - A: Yes.
> Examiner - Thank you.
> One of the hardest things to do when you’re nervous and pumped up is
> to shut up and answer the question. I've watched people talk
> themselves into a corner by incorrectly answering a question that was
> never asked, or by adding an incorrect appendix to the correct answer
> to the question that was. If the examiner wants more, he'll tell you.
>
> 15. Relax
>
> 16. Some questions are meant simply to test your knowledge, not your
> skill, even if they sound otherwise. If the examiner asks how far
> below the cloud deck you are, he is checking to see if you know the
> answer is “at least 500 feet,” not how good your depth perception is.
> He can’t tell any better than you can, and the only way to be sure is
> to climb up and see when you hit the bases, which for sure he won’t
> let you do.
>
> 17. Relax
>
> 18. Remember the first rule of Italian driving: "What's behind me is
> not important." Don't worry about how you did the last maneuver or
> question. If you didn't do it well enough, the examiner must notify
> you and terminate the checkride. If you are on the next one, forget
> the last one because it was good enough to pass. Focus on doing that
> next maneuver or answering the next question the best you can, because
> while it can still determine whether you pass or fail, the last one
> can’t anymore. If you get back to the office and he hasn't said you
> failed, smile to your friends as you walk in because you just passed.
>
> 19. Relax and enjoy your new license.
>
> Ron Levy, ATP, CFI, Veteran of 11 license/rating checkrides, including
> 4 with FAA inspectors- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

If your instructor prepares you properly, the check ride should be
anti-climatic. Obtaining my endorsement has always been the difficult
step.

Chip F.