Checkride

As you proceed through your training to become a new private pilot, you may sometimes hear—or even read—that the checkride experience is something to dread, and maybe even fear. Chilling stories abound from the few people who love to share the horrific details of their “checkride from hell.” In contrast, little is mentioned or written about the well-prepared student whose checkride was well-delivered by one of those dreaded, seemingly overpaid designated pilot examiners (DPEs). For some reason, happier checkride stories aren’t as much fun to tell. Just like when going to the dentist, or to a doctor, who wants to talk about how fun or easy those experiences ever are? Let’s face it—a happy, positive checkride experience is just too boring to discuss. Don’t bother; nobody will want to listen anyway.

But similar to visiting your dentist or doctor for a checkup, the FAA practical test is a necessary and important reality that can produce significant benefits without being painful. Why are checkrides even necessary? Simple: Who gets a driver’s license without first having to demonstrate their knowledge and skills to a driving examiner? No one. So if something as (relatively) simple and easy as driving a car requires a test, how could anyone seriously argue that pilot certificates should be issued without tests? How many passengers would still wish to ride on my airliner if they learned that my piloting skills had never been tested? None!

We’ve all taken serious tests throughout our lives, for a wide variety of reasons. Thinking back, which ones were ever completely stress free? There’s one universal: The tests that end up being the easiest are the ones where you showed up fully prepared. Any serious pain ought to have been realized during the preparation. And, for your checkride—similar to a doctor’s appointment—the more work the DPE has to do on you, the more pain you will experience. There is nothing a DPE would like more than to see fully prepared applicants breeze through their checkrides. It’s the lack of preparation that causes the pain felt most acutely by both DPE and applicant.

Besides possibly hearing or reading a few horror stories, another reason private pilot applicants might fear a checkride experience is because it’s often the first FAA practical test they have ever taken. As a private pilot, my father often remarked how he could never have survived the many checkrides I had to take over the years. This came from a man who, during his nearly 40 years as a private pilot, easily passed his one (and only) checkride—although he is always quick to add that to him, his flight reviews (with me) every two years seemed like checkrides, too.

After receiving more than 50 checkrides during my flying career, I could share nothing but boring story after boring story about those checkrides—including the one I failed (initial CFI). Some were easy, some more difficult, a couple even rather unorthodox; but each was rewarding and educational.

The job of providing a complete, thorough, efficient, and fair checkride is much more difficult than it appears to the applicants or to their cfi.

And, after administering hundreds of practical tests during the 10 years that I have been a DPE, I can tell you that the job of providing a complete, thorough, efficient, and fair checkride is much more difficult than it appears to the applicants or to their CFI—hence the illusion that DPEs are paid too much for the “privilege” of witnessing their applicants squirm for several hours.

The point is that neither the FAA nor the DPE you selected ever desire to create practical tests that are stressful, overwhelming, painful—or unfair. You can take that to the bank! My suggestion, if you are preparing for your checkride: Stop listening to or reading about the terrible, scary stories by the vocal minority of pilots who showed up unprepared. These are the guys who love to blame their failures on the DPE. Continue to prepare as fully and effectively as you possibly can, so that on your checkride day there will be few, if any, surprises while your DPE simply observes you demonstrating the skills your passengers will insist that you truly have. No pain—no gain!