Technique: Don’t scare the examiner

It is a question I certainly have asked my instructors as I was earning various ratings. They all gave different answers, or maybe different versions of the same answer. Now that I have become an FAA designated pilot examiner, I’ve developed my own answer to that age-old question. Passing the checkride is easy as long as you remember one thing: Do not scare the examiner. While we have the FAA’s practical test standards and now airman certification standards to determine whether or not someone will make a safe, competent pilot, the answer is not always black or white. I have found there are certain red flags that pop up on checkrides that cause me to fear for the safety of that pilot and his or her future passengers. Quite simply, if I am concerned for someone’s safety, I cannot, in good conscience, issue a pilot certificate. Here are some things that scare me as an examiner:

Unfamiliarity with the airman certification standards. In the precheckride brief, I announce that the checkride will be conducted according to the airman certification standards that apply to that rating. Then I say, “Do you know what the ACS is?” Blank looks here are concerning. If the entire checkride is going to come directly from one book, wouldn’t it make sense to be familiar with it? The ACS describes, in detail, exactly which subjects and maneuvers will be covered—no more, no less. It also says some reassuring things such as, “The tolerances represent the performance expected in good flying conditions.” In other words, if turbulence is causing your altitude to fluctuate, the examiner will take that into account. The ACS also outlines common reasons for an unsatisfactory performance, such as “consistently exceeding tolerances stated in the skill elements of the task” or “failure to take prompt corrective action when tolerances are exceeded.” These words should serve as a comfort to applicants. The FAA recognizes that pilots are human and make mistakes. As long as those mistakes are corrected and are not an indication of an unsafe condition, then a satisfactory outcome still is probable.

Not using your resources. Another thing I tell applicants is that the test is mostly open book. If they don’t know an answer, try to find it in the pilot’s operating handbook or FAR/AIM. Granted, it is not acceptable to look up every answer. Certain things need to be part of a pilot’s knowledge base in order to operate safely. But a lot of things can be looked up. Do you remember in high school when the teacher announced that the test would be open book? There was always a resounding chorus of relief when students realized they would have some help recalling information. I expect a similar response when I inform pilots they can use their resources during the oral exam. However, several applicants have told me, “I brought my FAR/AIM but I don’t know how to use that thing.” This is a problem. If you cannot use appropriate resources to find the answers to your questions now, when all of the information is fresh in your mind, how do you expect to be able to do it 10 years down the road?

Designated pilot examiners approved 76.7 percent of pilot certificate applications in 2017.Unfamiliarity with maintenance records. According to the ACS, the applicant is supposed to demonstrate that he or she can determine airworthiness by finding the current inspections in the maintenance logs. Several applicants have told me, “This is the first time I have looked at the logs.” This usually begins a painful process of reading every word of every endorsement for the last 30 years before the student can point out the annual, 100-hour, ELT inspection, and other requirements. Do yourself a favor, and review the maintenance logs before checkride day so you can zip through that section quickly.

Ignorance of special emphasis items. For those checkrides that still fall under the practical test standards—CFI, CFII, MEI, and ATP—be familiar with the abbreviations and acronyms listed in the special emphasis items section. These are topics, listed near the beginning of each PTS, that highlight the FAA’s special safety concerns. When I ask an applicant about CFIT or LAHSO or TFRs, it is concerning when the applicant is not familiar with any of the terms. How can one operate safely if a briefer warns of a TFR, but the pilot does not understand the significance? Special emphasis items are still incorporated into the ACS, but they’ve been moved to the risk management or skill sections of the tasks.

Exceeding aircraft limitations. For the flight portion of the checkride, consistently exceeding aircraft limitations scares me as an examiner. When an applicant repeatedly extends flaps outside of the white arc or exceeds maneuvering speed on a steep turn, I become concerned that he or she either is not aware of the aircraft’s limitations or just doesn’t see them as important. Either reason is not good, and points to a pilot who may put him or herself into unsafe situations in the future.

Unsafe landings. What goes up must come down. If you cannot safely land the aircraft, then you are not ready to hold a pilot certificate. On the short-field landing task, a common mistake is to approach high or fast then bounce the airplane or land nose first in an attempt to hit the assigned spot on the runway. Forcing the airplane onto the intended landing spot, rather than landing slightly long or going around, points to risky decision making and will make the examiner think twice.

No clearing turns. The ACS states that “failure to use proper and effective visual scanning techniques to clear the area before and while performing maneuvers” is a common reason for a notice of disapproval on checkrides. Examiners understand that applicants get nervous but, if pilots become so focused on maintaining checkride margins of airspeed and altitude that they fail to look outside, then they are a danger to themselves and others.

In addition to avoiding certain pitfalls, there are things you can do to make the examiner more comfortable with you. Verbalize your thought processes—if you decide to turn to a certain heading or choose a different altitude, tell the examiner why, even if they don’t ask. Likewise, perform checklists out loud so that there can be no confusion as to whether it is actually completed. You are pilot in command on the checkride, so be assertive with ATC, other traffic, and even the examiner if any of them ask you to do something you are not comfortable with.

Remember, most examiners understand that nobody is perfect, especially not in the high-stress situation of a checkride. Comfort yourself with the knowledge that the ACS makes allowances for mistakes and minor deviations, as long as you move toward a correction. As much as possible, try to relax on checkride day and fly the way you were trained to fly.

Just remember one thing: Don’t scare the examiner.

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