Scared about your pilot check ride? Watch this

It's so common to be nervous for your private pilot check ride, or any check ride for that matter! I've taken three so far, and each one has gotten progressively easier as I've aggregated different advice from lots of instructors and fellow pilots along the way.

I wanted to put this video together for anyone feeling scared or stuck in the mud about their upcoming check ride. These tips have been incredibly helpful for me, and I hope they'll help you in your confidence level leading up to your big day.

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[elias]

My Examiner, seeing me being nervous and starting to talk quickly, few times said: "Ilya, just take a deep breath, brain needs oxygen". Good man!

[donjennings]

My last CFI did 3 mock check rides with me before my actual PPL check ride. Best thing he could have done.
During my actual check ride it was just a repeat of my last few lessons.

[codyrice]

Watched this last night. Passed my PPL checkride today. Definitely helped ease some nerves. Thank you.

[mmccarth]

Great advice! As a CFIA, I can tell you that you will always be nervous, but there is a difference between anticipation when you are prepared and fear when you aren't prepared. "Perfection is not the standard." You will make mistakes--manage them and don't dwell on them. If you are safe in the air, fixing your mistakes shows a certain level of competence. "Detect your errors, confess your errors, fix your errors." If the examiner knows what you are thinking, he'll give you more room to work. The narration shows you aren't just wandering blindly through the maneuvers.

[PrenticeAviation]

I just passed my PPL checkride today and this video helped a lot! Thanks!

[EvanDaFish]

I always was very nervous for every check ride. Best advice I received was “decide you’re going to be a great pilot, practice hard and have faith in your ability”. I just recently passed my CFI initial and while I was nervous, I was a lost less so than any other check ride because of that advice! It’s very true that the examiner is not out to fail you so don’t beat yourself up for every mistake you make in either the oral or flight portion.

[davidmalone]

The narration point is a good one. In addition to informing the examiner that you know you did something wrong, it also lets him/her know you are thinking of more than is apparent (e.g., noting airspeeds for rotation and climb, checking pressure and alternator after full power, speed alive, etc.) When I took my private check ride, the examiner was having me do a full stop, but on short final told me to go around. As I begin my climb out, the controller (Cheyenne) told me to exit the runway when able. Embarrassed, I informed him of the go-around. His response was, "It sure would be nice if you told me what you were planning." I thought the examiner would blame me; however, the opposite was true. He went off on how the controller gets to sit up there in his ivory tower (really, he said that) with his air conditioning and coffee and doesn't think about what you are facing. You have the right to go around any damn time you please. (Really, he said that.) So, sometimes, they really are on your side and want you to be confident in your new skills.

But, in contrast, on my instrument check ride, right out of the gate, we're taxiing out to the active (Lewiston, ID) and the examiner suddenly jerks the yoke over to the right to position the ailerons for the apparent wind (when there was virtually no wind.) That ride didn't go well as I was on edge the rest of the way. But, still, I am an instrument rated pilot, so there's that. Along with one bad memory. Meh.

[liborgallik]

Passed my checkride the other day! Thanks for all the great videos.

[pfd_mark_taylor]

My PPL SEL check ride is Friday. Fingers crossed

[bradleyschlesinger]

Perfect timing, my Private check ride is this Friday and this helped calm the nerves a bit. Unfortunately, the few maneuvers I'd like to practice a few more times won't be able to make it onto the calendar. Weather is shaping up for Friday, but non of the days prior. I'll just have to trust the training I guess. As always I appreciate the great content.

[KimWentworth-ye]

I am doing check-ride prep and I have been told by my school that we are only allowed to look up 10 percent of the oral questions. You better know your stuff.

[stubby]

Great tips. I passed my PPL check ride in Nov. and your advice is sound. The practice check ride would have been a great help in calming the nerves! Next time.

[stevecalder]

Great tips - thank you. I appreciate the content on your channel. I’m working on my PPL now and hope to take my check ride within the next month. Thanks for your help!

[johnopalko]

On my Private checkride, I made a complete hash of my entry to one of the ground-reference maneuvers. The examiner said, "Well, that wasn't great. Get set up and try it again and, this time, do it as well as we both know you can."
I passed!

[VictoryAviation]

Awesome tips! I think student pilots are very afraid to make contact with the DPE. I went out of my way to make direct contact with them, introduce myself, and ask any questions I had about how they wanted to handle certain aspects of the check ride (will they let you use ForeFlight? Will they let you use a digital FAR/AIM?) Ask the questions ahead of time and you’ll have no surprises on the check ride. Remember, you’re paying the DPE hundreds of dollars for this. They can spend the time with you before the check ride.

[chasingmydreamaaaa]

I appreciate your response to my fears and I did listen to your video. I’m impressed that you are reading the comments and even trying to respond with content that help us who are in pursuit of our ratings.
Thank You
Stephen

[ranjrog]

Great tips but one day late! I took the instrument check ride today and passed anyway! Great content and I really enjoy your channel!

[chloemichelle]

Checkride in 2 days . Sick to my stomach. Delirious from nerves. Thank u for this video

[mitchallen]

Needed this vido. Got my private pilot checkride in the morning and I'm freaking out! My instructors say I'm gonna kill it, just hard finding that confidence in myself.

[sethregan]

My PPL checkride is scheduled for Jan 1, 2024... Looking forward to it like crazy