Check Rides
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What Is A Check Ride?
A
check ride is the final step in achieving your certificate or rating. Before
you can exercise the privileges of a certificate or rating, you must have
taken, and passed a check ride. This practical exam is taken with an FAA
Inspector or an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE).
The
Ground Portion:
The
purpose of the ground portion of the exam is for the FAA designated examiner
to test your knowledge in non-flight related items such as:
- Certification
and documents
- Obtaining
weather information
- Determining
performance and limitations
- Cross-country
flight planning
- Aircraft
systems
- Aero
medical factors
- Radio
communications and ATC light signals
- Visual
inspection
- Cockpit
management
- Special
emphasis areas (Introduction)
The ground
exam follows the Practical Test Standards (PTS) / Airman Certification Standards (ACS) one area of operation at a time
completing each task in sequence. This will continue until the entire PTS/ACS knowledge
portion has been covered to complete the ground portion of the exam.
The
Flight Portion:
Once the knowledge portion is successfully completed the flight portion begins.
Once again, the PTS is used and all tasks must be completed successfully.
The examiner will have arranged the tasks into a logical sequence for an efficient
practical exam. The purpose of the flight portion of the exam is for the FAA
designated pilot examiner to test your ability to perform specific flight
maneuvers and fly the aircraft safely. According to the PTS/ACS, the examiner
can ask you to perform any or all of these flight maneuvers.
-
Normal and crosswind takeoffs and landings
- Maximum
performance takeoffs and landings
-
All
stalls
-
Minimum
controllable airspeed
-
Steep
turns
-
Recovery
from unusual flight attitudes
- Simulated
flight emergencies
- Instrument
procedures (if applicable)
The
Outcome:
The
result will be one of three possibilities: a temporary certificate will be issued,
a notice of dissaproval will be issued, or a letter of discontinuance
(due to weather, maintenance, or illness) will be issued.
The Typical Check Ride
The typical check ride lasts approximately 4-5 hours. After getting acquainted,
the ground portion begins. After you have passed the ground portion of the test,
the examiner will watch how you perform the preflight, start-up, taxi, run-up
and departure checklist. You will almost always begin your flight portion with
the cross-country. The examiner will be checking your ability to follow your
preflight plan. From here you will be asked to perform all or a portion of the
flight maneuvers outlined in the PTS/ACS. Once those maneuvers are successfully
accomplished, you will fly back to the airport. (Your check ride
is not finished here, so don't let down your guard!) The examiner
will be inspecting your takeoff and landing abilities. Expect some short and
soft field takeoffs and landings, missed approaches, simulated emergencies,
and/or a possible go-around.
PTS/ACS
The following Applicant's PTS/ACS
Checklist is in the front of every PTS/ACS book. If you will follow this checklist
to get yourself
prepared for the
check ride you will have everything ready for check ride day.
Acceptable Aircraft
- Aircraft Documents:
- Airworthiness Certificate
- Registration Certificate
- Operating Limitations
- Aircraft Maintenance Records:
- Logbook
Record of Airworthiness Inspections & AD
Compliance
- Pilot's Operating Handbook, FAA-Approved Airplane Flight Manual
Personal Equipment
- View-Limiting Device
- Current Aeronautical Charts
- Computer and Plotter
- Flight Plan Form
- Flight Logs
- Current
FAR/AIM, Chart Supplement and Appropriate Publications
Personal Records
Checkrides
