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View Full Version : How do you know when they are ready ?


VNA Lotus
31st Aug 2008, 10:59
pprune forum

helimutt
31st Aug 2008, 11:10
The easy answer is 'You'll Just know'. When the student is capable of carrying out the tasks you set, to a standard you set yourself (obviously not at the expense of the student and lining your pockets), without input from yourself to correct for mistakes, it's then for the examiner to pass or fail him. If the examiner knows you well enough, he'll know that the student you're putting up for test should, under normal circumstances, be capable of passing the test. It all comes down to experience. When I first started sending student ppl(h)'s off on their first solo's, I was a nervous wreck.
For a ppl test, the student should be able to demonstrate the aspects of the course within defined limits, without your input, and hopefully have the mental capacity available to carry out other tasks, ie map adjusting etc You don't want to overload a ppl student too much but it's good to give them more and more stuff to do. Make their brain work hard.

It's a steep learning curve, enjoy the ride. :ok:

VNA Lotus
31st Aug 2008, 11:59
pprune forum

212man
1st Sep 2008, 08:34
If your student is wannabe24 it's easy - he'll tell you when he's ready! Then he'll tell you (and all and sundry) why it was unfair he failed and it wasn't really his fault :ok:

duveldrinker
1st Sep 2008, 11:07
when they are aware of every mistake, correcting for it in time but not overloading themselves, making every decision a safe decision....

tbavprof
1st Sep 2008, 13:14
Get out the PTS and give him a simulated check ride. A few slips, that he catches himself and corrects, okay. The tolerances aren't as tight as your CPL or IR, so don't expect that. Remember,you don't have to do every maneuver and can combine tasks.

The PPL is just a license to learn, independently. Is he safe? Is he still willing to learn? Rank 'em 1)attitude, 2) knowledge, and 3) ability. Somehow I've always found these endorsements easier to give than when the teenager wants to get a driving license.

Whopity
1st Sep 2008, 14:37
The question I always wonder, how exactly I know when my student is ready for the test...

Would you send your family flying with him? If not, he is not ready!

VNA Lotus
1st Sep 2008, 19:07
pprune forum

Whopity
1st Sep 2008, 20:08
No, only the FAA do that!

timzsta
1st Sep 2008, 20:20
No VNA I don't think you will find they do! Sometimes the student will fail through no fault of the FI, just pure nerves. As mentioned above you will get ones that demand to do the test because they think they are ready when they are not and then fail it. I had one fail because he set off on test with nothing in the aircraft to enable him to identify the VOR's and had bought himself a new plotter the day before the test and didn't know how to use it. Examiner had to intervene to prevent controlled airspace penetration as a result of the latter.

A dummy skill test is required in my opinion. One of the problems for the student is a properly conducted PPL skill test will last comfortably over two hours. The student will never have flown a detail of that length of time and will thus find the test very tiring. So in my opinion you have got to put them through a dummy test, and the one I do will last about the two hour mark.

Any weak areas will require further revision before I put them up for test.

Being of not that greater experience myself I always talk to the Examiner afterwards as to how things went in case there a things that I have missed or not taught particularly well.

tbavprof
1st Sep 2008, 22:36
Talking to the examiners is good practice. I also used to do two debriefs with my students. One right after the checkride to catch the points that stuck out for them, and another a day or so later (when their adrenaline level is down and they've stopped staring and grinning at the temporary) to see if they actually remember anything else. Write these down and keep a book.

And Timza's point on the length is important...even more so with IR training, where once you done the basics, building up the stamina for an IR checkride is key.