Advices for checkride with Examiner

If you are asking about the quick advices and tips for checkride with EASA examiner, here are the most important ones. Be sure you comply with them....

✅ Do not interfere before

In most cases we will have to get in touch with your aviation authority - so-called state of license issue. We know what to do and we will do it. Please do not interfere with our job by contacting the authority yourself and making redundant queries. Most of the authorities are overloaded anyway. Eventhough for you it migh seem complex, usually the EASA checkrides are straight forward in procedures. So please do not bother local CAAs on our behalf.

✅ Come prepared

Same like for a final academic exam, you are expected to study also before checkride. In case of skill test mostly depends on the quality of your flight school and your instructor. If the training quality was not best, you have to study yourself. For the proficiency check, you are expected to refresh the knowledge for particular kind of the operation (IFR/VFR) as well as type or class-related technical knowledge. Examiner will ask you theoretical questions and if you dont answe them, you will fail your checkride in classroom even before sitting into the aircraft.

✅ Get prepared

Remember that you will be required to act as pilot in command. So make sure all necessary arrangements are done. Even small thing may prohibit us from flying your checkride.

Make sure that:

  • aircraft is airworthy (physically and administratively)
  • your documents are complete
  • your personal documents are up to date
  • all arrangements are done (airspace, airport slot, flight plan, aircraft booking)
  • weather and NOTAMS are sufficient
  • fuel is available
  • etc

✅ Assess your skills

In case of the skill test and for renewal proficiency check the flight school and flight instructor is responsiblle for the skill test recommendation. However for a revalidation proficiency check, you can attend the checkride without additional training. Please consider your skills before attending the exam. If the skills will not be sufficient, flight examiner will have to fail your exam and prescribe additional flight training. In that case you will have to attend the flight training prescribed by flight school and repeat the proficiency check. It will definitely costs you more than one proper refresh flight with an instructor just before the checkride.

✅ Sleep well - rest well

We can understand - a lot of Exam candidates are stressed and excited a day before checkride. However it is very important to have a good sleep night before checkride. Being tired you will start making mistakes you would never done if well rested.

✅ Stay hydrated

As you probably know, hydratation is very important. Being under stress and trying to provide peak performance in the aeroplane may cause you to loose a lot of sweat. Especially in summer time. Remember to drink enough water even during the preparation for your checkride. 

✅ Relax

Be relaxed. We all want you to pass the checkride. Failing you is even additional workload for us, because we have to write failure report with sufficient reasoning. However you have to meet at least the pass standards required by Part FCL. Otherwise we can not let you go thru. If you did a minor mistake during the checkride you will be allowed to repeat it. Anyway, you have unlimited attempts to repeat the checkride.

✅ Don't argue

Once again, we all want to pass you thru the checkride. We all know and we are aware that nobody is happy when we fail you. You will be disappointed, flight school will not be happy about your performance and we will have an additional workload. However if we decide to fail you, it is the ultimate decision and there must have been strong reason for that. That reason can also be strictly individual and considered individually by Flight Examiner. Please rather than argue, just ask about the feedback and through debriefing.

Steps towards EASA exam

0 - What exactly do you need?

It is very important to assess what knid of checkride do you need.

  • license skill test for obtain the class rating, typerating, instrument rating or license
  • license proficiency check for revalidation of the class rating or typerating
  • license proficiency check for renewal of the class rating or typerating
  • assesment of competence (initial, revalidation, renewal) 

For initial skill test or initial assessment of competence as well as renewal of class or type rating, instrument rating or renewal of instructor certificate completion of training in flight school is mandatory. For revalidation, the training is usually not mandatory.

1 - Before the checkride

Before the checkride we need to know all necessary information about Exam candidate (in the way of his aviation creditentials). For example aviation experience (total flight time, PIC, etc), and about the proficiency check for renewal or revalidation of the rating requested for flight test, as stated in the regulation EC1178/2011 - FCL.1030 (a) (2). In most cases we will have to get in touch with your state of license issue. However please leave all the administration on us.

If there are any administrative tasks neccessary, we will take care about them and will prepare them for your signature. 

2. Agreed date

After reviewing all documents and completing required administrative procedures we will both agree the date of the flight examination. Primarily, we always try to adjust the date and exact time of the flight test according to your possibilities. The weather and the other operational conditions plays an important role when planning an flight test. We surely have to take them into account, in particular cases during the transitional period of autumn and spring.

The exact date is agreed in advacne. The final date and exact time of your flight test is confirmed when we have a real picture of the weather forecast. Usually the final confirmation is to be done by email the day before the flight test or in the morning at the day of the flight test.

3. Content of the examination itself

Each checkride has its own scope and items we are particularly focusing. As a matter of fact, there are checkrides with very similar content - such as skill test PPL and skill test CPL. However there is different scope of the test for skill test towards issuing the flight crew license and different scope of the test for instructor assessment of competence. 

The flight examiner does not participate on the management of the aircraft except where intervention is necessary in the interests of safety or to avoid an unacceptable delay to the rest of the traffic.

Before undertaking checkride an flight examiner will verify that the aircraft or Flight Syntethic Training Device - FSTD intended to be used is suitable and appropriately equipped for the checkride.
Checkride is allways conducted in accordance with the Airplane Flight Manual - AFM and, if applicable, the Aeroplane Operating Manual - AOM and within the limitations contained in the operations manual of an flight schol - approved training organization - ATO.

Should an applicant choose not to continue a checkride for reasons considered inadequate by an flight examiner, the applicant will be assessed as having failed those items or sections not attempted. If the checkride is terminated for reasons considered adequate by the flight examiner, only these items or sections not completed will be tested during a subsequent test or check.

An flight examiner may terminate a checkride at any stage, if it is considered that the applicant’s competency requires a complete re-test or re-check. At the discretion of the flight examiner, the applicant may be repeated once any maneuver or procedure. If the flight examiner determines that the flight applicant's ability to require a re-test, the flight examiner may check the air at any stage stop and stay.

The applicant shall describe to flight examiner how to perform inspections, checks and neccessary tasks, including the identification of radio navigation aids, if any. Checks and procedures carried out by the applicant shall be according the aircraft flight manual for the specific aircraft on which the test is performed. During pre-flight preparation, the applicant must determine power settings and speeds for different phases of flight (ie. rotation, climb, approach and landing).

The applicant shall calculate performance data for take-off, approach and landing in accordance with the operations manual (OM) or aircraft flight manual (AFM) for the aircraft used for the flight test.

When conducting skill tests, proficiency checks and assessments of competence, EASA examiners shall:

  • ensure that communication with the applicant can be established without language barriers;
  • verify that the applicant complies with all the qualification, training and experience requirements in Part FCL for the issue, revalidation or renewal of the licence, rating or certificate for which the skill test, proficiency check or assessment of competence is taken;
  • make the applicant aware of the consequences of providing incomplete, inaccurate or false information related to their training and flight experience.

For details of the checkride, please refer to the respective qualification.

5. After the checkride

You and flight examiner together will debrief the checkride. Examiner will announce final result of the checkride. The examiner will advice you the insights that he have observed during the examination. He will note the highlights and in case he feel you need to improve the knowledge or skills, he will reccomend you that though.

In case you have PASSED the checkride an examiner will perform all of the neccessary paperwork and communication with the civil aviation authority.

In case you have FAILED or PARTIALLY PASSED the checkride, he will provide you with the all of the necessary details. He will recommend you the refresher flight training and follow-up that is required to renew the your rating or certificate.

The examiner will provide you with a signed report and will perform all the necessary administrative steps in order to notify  the Authority that issued your pilot license about the completion of the examination and its result.

In other words, flight examiner will deliver all the necessary documents, either by regular mail, electronically, or e-mail to the place where they should be delivered. From your point of view, as an applicant for the flight test, testing is completed.