The PTS is just what it says it is: a standard to be used for testing, so it can be determined that you've acquired sufficient skills and knowledge to continue learning how to fly. The world of aviation has many paths, each requiring specialized development of your basic education. The PTS is not all there is, and conscientious flight instructors will always add extra touches to round out your training.
| Going beyond the PTS means incorporating real-life scenarios into training. Taking a simulated engine failure (above) low over a field is good practice, but taking one to the runway is even better. And instead of just practicing soft-field takeoffs, go and take off from a soft field (below). |
For instance, I take students into some carefully chosen grass airstrips as part of their schooling on short-field and soft-field takeoff and landing techniques. Even if their plans don't include landing at unpaved airports, they may encounter an emergency situation sometime, and the knowledge that landing on grass is an option could save the day.
Rather than discover it on their own, it's far better for a student to learn about the bouncy ride and additional taxi power required to negotiate a turf runway while the instructor is able to choose the day and location for a safe introduction. Not every school can do this, because insurance may not cover such operations and suitable grass strips may not exist in the area.
The problem with teaching something such as a soft-field takeoff on a dry, hard surface is that it's all theoretical. Actually launching from a weed-patch runway reveals the reason behind the textbook technique; the tires take a severe pounding until the wings lift the airplane free of the bumps at minimum speed. And when you skim over real trees in the approach path you will understand why restricting the approach speed to exactly 1.3 VSO increases the usable runway length remaining after touchdown.
If one's good, two's better
The PTS requires a demonstration of a steep-banked turn of 360 degrees. That's well and good, but practicing two turns, or 720 degrees, adds some of your own wake turbulence to the second circle, increasing the difficulty of holding a steady bank angle and pitch attitude. Is this sadistic? No, it prepares you for taking the test on a turbulent summer afternoon, rather than the calm of an after-work training session.
Making do
Most instructors will cover an instrument with a sticky note or rubber circle, to teach students how to cope with the loss. I call this "simplifying," because you'll have one less thing to look at. Flying with a failed gauge just requires substituting information from other sources. I like to slap the cover on the airspeed indicator right at liftoff, because that's probably about the time you'll realize it's not working. Again, the PTS doesn't demand such a simulated failure, but it will happen some day, and confidence comes from knowing you can get back on the ground with a minimum of difficulty.
One of my pilot examiner friends recommends covering the entire instrument panel with a sectional chart, then making the student fly all the basic maneuvers by outside references while taking the airplane back to the airport for a landing. Why? Because he often observes applicants staring at the needles on the instrument panel, instead of looking at the world outside. Smoother and more precise flying results from flying by visual references, using the three-foot-wide horizon in the windshield instead of the three-inch one on the panel.
It's understandable that you will want to look at the airspeed or altimeter constantly because you're trying to get your performance as perfect as possible as the checkride nears. Remember, though, those instruments are for checking performance, not achieving it. If the altitude isn't where it's supposed to be, adjust power or attitude, and maybe add a touch of trim, and when the airplane reaches the correct altitude, readjust them for level flight. Don't just fly the needle-fly the airplane!
One thing leads to another
Another designated pilot examiner showed me a realistic training scenario that incorporates a landing approach stall demonstration, followed by an immediate entry into a takeoff stall. His theory is that a go-around from a mishandled landing attempt often places a pilot in just such a position, as the now-mistrimmed airplane tries to rear its nose skyward. A well-prepared pilot knows to begin retracting the flaps, make a quick trim adjustment, and establish a climbing attitude and power setting that will keep the airplane out of the stall.
Learning the PTS demonstrations, meanwhile, means that you essentially treat each stall as a complete, choreographed set of tasks. You'll learn how to do the required stall and recovery, but not why the stall happens and what results from inattention when one circumstance leads to another. The danger of stalls lies not in an intentional, careful slowing of airspeed, but in the accidental stall during a moment of distraction.
And then, there was none
Raising the bar above the level needed for the forced landing task on the private checkride can involve making an actual landing after a power failure. PTS procedure is to trim to glide speed, choose a field, and troubleshoot, knowing full well that the demonstration will be terminated as soon as a successful approach is established. Instead, I'll borrow from the commercial PTS and have the student fly over a quiet airport at 3,000 feet above ground level (agl), whereupon I'll take the power away and ask, "What are you going to do now?"
Of course, the answer will be, "I'd land right down there," and I'll say, "All right, make the runway. Your power is not coming back." This time, the student must manage the altitude loss to keep the aircraft in a safe position to land on the runway, despite wind drift, errors in bank and speed control, and added drag as flaps extend. We'll also discuss options if it were a real emergency, such as landing on a taxiway if an airplane doesn't clear the runway-or even using the grass alongside the runway. The important thing is to stay ahead of the airplane, planning for a successful outcome, rather than waiting for the dust to settle.
Most important, try to carry away from your preparation for the checkride a desire to know more about the wonderful world of flight. A sport, recreational, or private pilot certificate is a building block upon which you'll continue to place layers of aeronautical experience and learning. The flight instructor's bits of supplemental training, over and above what's required for test taking, should whet your appetite for making continued progress as a pilot, rather than stopping at the checkride.
Evaluation by following the PTS is a fine way to determine that training has had the desired result-but it is not, in and of itself, the training you need. Go beyond the PTS, and learn to thrive in the real world.
LeRoy Cook has been an active flight instructor since 1965 and has had more than 1,350 articles published. He is also the author of 101 Things to Do With Your Private License and Flying the Light Retractables.
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