PPL Skills Test - Hints, tips and experiences

[BigAl's]

Pruners,

I am now at 44hrs TT, and now contemplating the upcoming skills test for PPL. :bored:

I have done a search, that didn't turn up too much, so thought this was a candidate for a new thread. I suspect I will be corrected! :rolleyes: I have read and inwardly digested CAA doc 19 which is very informative with regards to what to expect etc. My instructors and club are also very helpful.

What I am really after are any little hints, tips and experiences that you are willing to pass on in order help me prepare for the big day. I am due for a mock test when the wx improves, so would like the opportunity to try out anything you have to suggest.... anything at all...please! :}

I hope to continue on to start studdy for ATPL theory on completion with hour building etc etc etc... usual stuff.

Many thanks in advance.

Bigals

[Will Hung]

I found it very beneficial to spend many hours whilst driving, practising my RT, EFATO, PFL, HASSELL, HELL, FREDA etc. etc. Don't do it at traffik lights though, people will think you're mad !!

[Dave Gittins]

Excellent advice, make absolutely sure you commit all the memory items to memory But ...... Don't do things from memory that you can do from the checklist. You will forget something in the heat of the moment. Even do the walk-round with a checklist.

[wombat13]

Mate, in addition to the very important technical tips you will recieve from others, let me suggest the following:

Your examiner wants you to pass. He is not an ogre. It is OK to make some mistakes, inform the examiner as soon as you can. He will have noticed. Consider the mistakes on the ground and under no circumstances allow them to get in the way of the rest of your test.

Finally, arrive at the field in plenty of time.

Good luck.

Wombat

[matelot]

Make sure you are mentally prepared, and that you want to do it, and you feel capable of doing it.

After the event, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about, so... relax and enjoy it. :ok:

[kevmusic]

Hi BigAl's,

Excellent (but huge ) thread an all aspects of FT but this page gives his skills test write-up:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=138022&page=67

Enjoy! (took me ages to find it...:{)

Kev. Good luck! :ok:

[BigAl's]

Super stuff, thank you all for your advice and input :ok:

[davidatter708]

Pfl's are what let me down. Always remeber to fake tune transpnder to engine failure and then say i would say a mayday. My instructor never taught me these two things my examiner had a field day with them. Also have fun treat it like a normal flight as soon as you get tense you start making mistakes. And when he asks if u want to land and have a break dont be forced into landing as ur landing will count. I didnt land and im glad sun was in my eyes and I'd never been to that field before.
Good Luck
Dave

[1d2d3d4d]

Try and get an aircraft you know well. I did my test in an aircraft with a comms system I hadn't used before and also had a coarser prop which threw out my cruising speed and nav timings. I did spot that I was going to be early and adjusted my ETA accordingly.

Chris

[Cricket23]

As has been said, try to relax and remember that the instructor wants you to pass. He is not looking for perfection but more the case that you're safe.

Remember also to treat the examiner like a passenger. I did the following:
1) Asked him his weight, obviously for W&B calcs.
2) Asked him to keep quiet whilst I verbally conducted the walkround
3) Said to him that if he were a normal passenger that I would ask him not to touch anything in the cockpit unless asked but that if he did by accident then he should tell you.
4) Also, again if he were a normal passenger then could he please keep a sharp lookout and tell me if he saw any traffic. Don't assume that I've seen it.

Hopefully by doing this he will feel comforted that you a reasonably in control and should make a good 'captain' of your aircraft.

All the best and let us know how you get on.

C23

[BigAl's]

Thanks again chaps. Really appreciate your advice and experiences. Naturally I will let you know when the day comes how it goes!

[Whopity]

I am now at 44hrs TT, and now contemplating the upcoming skills test for PPL.

There is a belief that you have to wait to 45 hours before you can do the skills test. In fact you can take the test at any point after you have completed all the mandatory training i.e. after 35 hours flying. Not may ever do but it is an option.

The main tip is enjoy yourself and just show the examiner that you can safely operate the aircraft.

[HR200]

I had a radio failure on my test, or at least the PTT button on my side of the airplane. Felt like a right prat seen as it had been working until about 20 mins into flight.

Examiners button worked, but we had to go back to leeds straight away because if I cant use the radio, then I cant complete the test.

Passed a couple of days later, but the weather up here aint been good the passed month and have only hade 40 mins flying time in the past 4 weeks.


GOOD LUCK and just be yourself

[silverelise]

I had a radio failure on my test, or at least the PTT button on my side of the airplane. Felt like a right prat seen as it had been working until about 20 mins into flight.

Examiners button worked, but we had to go back to leeds straight away because if I cant use the radio, then I cant complete the test.

I did my first solo with the PTT not working on my side, wasn't difficult to use the PTT on the other side.

[wbryce]

Remember your instructors putting you forward for test on his own review of your performance so fly as you would. The examiners looking for a safe approach to your flying, if you make a mistake rectify it safely.

Give your examiner a call the night before your test to review everything, he might give you his weight and route to plan which will give you more time to mentally fly your test. I was unfortunate in this area, my examiner gave me exactly 1 hour to plan everything before my test. Its not as much time as I would've liked but its enough.

I messed up my PFL on test day, I thought I had failed, I continued but for a few moments I thought I had just ballsed the LST up, I decided to continue positively and identifyed my errors with examiner...I made all the right decisions on the day and passed so if you mess up, pick yourself up fast and continue. If you don't you will only make the examiners decision easier for him.

Good luck with test day and enjoy it! I was physically and mentally drained after LST, that I struggled to drive back home!! :E

[mad_jock]

A trick I used to tell my students was to turn the heating off and open up the cold vents in winter.

Never failed to get a quick test done with minimal mucking about.

[HR200]

I did my first solo with the PTT not working on my side, wasn't difficult to use the PTT on the other side.

The aircraft I was flying, a Robin 200, wouldn't allow me to do that, I tried everything, and the examiner, decided to go back because the aircraft wasn't airworthy.

[Hampshire Hog]

A couple of things I'd add to what has been said above.

Remember, you are trying to sell to the examiner the concept that you are a competent safe pilot. No examiner expects perfection - although they may discuss some of the less than perfect points with you. Mine demonstrated several things during the test. I still passed (and that was after me demonstrating an accidental spiral dive from a steep turn!)

A great deal of this is about your professional attitude. Try to relax and remember that, even during the test, you should be enjoying flying. The most likely thing, if you stuff something up, is that you will be deferred. That is not the end of the world and does not equate to that other great dread in life - failing the driving test!

If you can, opt to do the nav first. That gets you used to flying the plane in the conditions on the day.

Finally, I haven't read the rules about provision of aircraft for the test - which probably require a working radio - but since when has a faulty PTT button rendered an aircraft unairworthy? Seems to me like the examiner lacked a certain amount of common sense and discretion; if you had passed the radio test previously, he could have opted to do all the radio work himself.

HH

[BigAl's]

Thanks to all who posted here.
I promised to let you all know how I got on. So....


I PASSED MY SKILLS TEST TODAY!!! :}

Hoorah and Huzah!

[tiggermoth]

Big Al,

May I be the first so say a Big
CONGRATULATIONS!

T.

[TurboJ]

BigAls - Well done - now go and learn to fly -

TJ

[1d2d3d4d]

BigAl's

Many congratulations.

This for me is where it seemed to get scary! Have fun and safe flying.

Chris

[BigAl's]

Gents,

thanks v much. Now looking forward to handing over more fist fulls of hard earned cash (and that's just to get the license!!) :bored:

Happy landings one and all.

Big Al