"Pete" wrote in message

I wanted to hear about others experiences during their Oral portion. So
if
you would, share

Pete.....
Orals present two different problems -- 1) knowing the information, and 2)
presenting the information. It is #2 that usually trips up most people
early on, because that's what you learn through experience. My 727 & 747
orals lasted about 3-1/2 hours each, but I was more comfortable throughout
than during my Private Pilot oral.

Knowing your stuff is not difficult, if you put in the effort. Remember,
you don't have to memorize *everything*. Very few things, in fact. You can
refer to a sectional, you can refer to an AIM, etc. You don't have to know
*all* the answers, but you do have to know where to find the answers. If
you're asked something you don't know, don't fumble and sweat and try to
remember. Say "I don't know, but that's in the AIM and I can look it up."
In politics, you get high marks for bs-ing your way through a situation; in
aviation, people can get dead. That's the difference.

It's the presentation that gets most people. When people are new to
something, it is very easy to get tongue-tied or intimidated. Self-doubt
creeps in, and from there the downhill slide commences. Practice, and try
some tricks. Practice: Get together with a friend, and explain the x-c
planning process, with charts, etc. There's no better way to learn
something than to teach it to someone else. Explain how to find data in the
AIM. Explain to the friend what paperwork is required on the plane, and
why, and where it is kept. You get the point. Use different friends if
they get bored. When you're comfortable explaining these things to others,
the examiner becomes just another "other". Tricks: act like the teacher
you've become. There's no rule that says you have to be glued to a seat
during an oral. Stand up and move around while you're talking. Many people
are more comfortable that way; I found that I am. Plus, you gain a
psychological advantage when explaining things, in that your eye level is
above the examiners. For example, when showing your x-c planning, walk
around the table so both you and the examiner are looking at the chart
right-side-up. It is handy to be able to read a chart upside-down, but I
don't think it is required.


Regards,

John Gaquin
B727, B747