PPL Test

[Kevin31]

Hey all,

Finally think im near the end. I have my PPL skills test in the coming weeks and was after peoples advise on what I need to read up on and study at home before test please?

One thing not sure on is briefing the examiner on weather? I can talk through the metar and taf but what if they ask me day before to talk through a forecast? Do people use Met office or other sites?

I can go through paper work before test make sure its all in date and bits do i need to make sure of anything else?

Thanks

[foxmoth]

The person you should be asking here is your instructor, he/she will probably know the examiner and any particular foibles (they should all be testing the same, but they are only - believe it or not - human!). Weather will normally be for the day and very much if it is suitable or not for your test - watch for clues as well, some will help slightly, so when you say "I think the weather is OK" and he raises an eyebrow, be ready to say "but there again!" Know the info for the aircraft and relax, if you have been put in for it you should be ready. Good luck!:ok:

[dkatwa]

This is a long video but inspires so much confidence in the candidate.....
Private Pilot Oral Exam - YouTube


good luck!

[foxmoth]

Not sure how useful the video is being an FAA test.

[flyalotbob]

That video is enough to put anybody off!
My examiner was brilliant. Laughing, telling jokes, swearing quite often........
He was just making sure I could continue safely flying the aircraft whilst my 'passenger' (him) was distracting me

[Pilot.Lyons]

That video is enough to put anybody off!
My examiner was brilliant. Laughing, telling jokes, swearing quite often........
He was just making sure I could continue safely flying the aircraft whilst my 'passenger' (him) was distracting me
I had a similar experience, mine opened a can of coke and drank it whilst bumbing about in shocking weather.... He did let off a massive burp when walking away from aircraft which made me laugh, i said "i wondered when that would come up!"

Hehe can hear it now :D

[alexbrett]

My examiner was very relaxed - I'd got lots of things ready to show him like the 214+215, print out of NOTAMs for the route, W&B and performance calculations etc, but while he looked at a few of them he was fairly uninterested in the rest - I think the fact I was offering them was enough to show I knew what I was supposed to do!

He did ask me to talk him through the aircraft documents, which was fine, and then we were off. I'd already pre-flighted the aircraft before he arrived (to make sure it was OK etc), though I was expecting to do it again as a demonstration to him, but he was happy as was.

After the actual flying parts, he asked me a few questions about the aircraft (a C172 in my case) - things like what type of flaps it had etc, but it seemed to me he was doing that mostly as a 'ticking the box' exercise rather than actually being worried about my answers!

What I would say, is remember the examiner is not expecting perfection, they just want to make sure you're safe - as such if you realise you've got something wrong or whatever, just say so and you'll probably get a chance to do it again, there are very few things you can do that will be an instant fail...

[Steve6443]

If you know the examiner's weight in advance, get the weight and balance done and to get real browny points, show him your calculations - it's too easy to use (eg) WnB Pro on the iPhone.

Secondly, make sure you know what all the knobs, switches and dials do, even if you've never used them before - for example altitude preset on autopilot - or be aware where they are - alternate air on a Piper is always a favoured one to be asked for.

Thirdly, be prepared for changes - on my first take off, 500 feet in the air, the examiner closed the throttle and said "engine failure after take off" so be prepared to rattle off your immediate actions on the check list.

Fourth, whilst talking of check lists, refer to them at all times. I have flown (once) with some other pilots who believe checklists are not for them, they can "remember it all from memory" - however they still forget to set the gyro, turn the transponder to altitude or something stupid which would be a fail. By taking your time and following each step, you're less likely to make a mess of it.

Whilst flying, talk a lot about what you are doing and why you are doing it. The instructor wants to see that you know what you are doing and understands why you are doing it such that he feels comfortable if it were his own children in the plane with you.

Fifth, practise using an ADF or VOR to locate your position - once you've finished manoeuvring, there is a good chance you'll be somewhere totally different than where you thought you were - GPS isn't allowed - at least here it isn't, getting lost is an automatic fail so ensure you know how to confirm your position via VOR or ADF so that even if you are lost, you can demonstrate how to get a fix on your position to make sure you become "unlost", if you get my drift.

And finally, have fun. If you do something wrong, don't dwell on it, ask to try the exercise again, usually the examiners will allow you to do so, they don't want to fail you unless you are patently unsafe to be alone in the air - which obviously isn't the case if your instructor is recommending you for your skills test. And yes, although it is a test, it was fun (for me), the feeling of accomplishment is incredible, nearly as good as flying solo for the first time but you'll be smiling for days after......then it's welcome to the ranks of the terminally skint......

[Gertrude the Wombat]

getting lost is an automatic fail
I'm sure in every test I've taken the examiner has announced that he is responsible for navigation whilst doing handling tests etc.

Sure he might ask you to fix your position when finished messing around, but he won't expect you to know exactly where you are whilst messing around.

[piperarcher]

I'd say know your patch. By that I mean when your examiner gives you your route to plan, try and remember what airfields there are in the vicinity for a diversion, what VOR's you might need to use to do a cross-cut, what airspace to be aware of, what hours of operations a MAZT might be open in case your examiner asks you to transit across one (I had this to find out that it was not active at the weekend and my minutes trying to establish contact and miles spent routing around it were totally unnecessary and were not a good sign of airmanship or preparedness). Have a method for diversions and maybe be prepared to explain that method to your examiner if he asks you how you calculated the heading and time to the next waypoint.

Each examiner and FTO are different, so any homework you can do finding out what the examiner likes, doesn't like, might ask you, wont bother with etc... is probably very useful.

That FAA video is inspiring, but the UK PPL syllabus is different and I don't think if I was honest I could sit there for an hour answering questions like that under exam conditions. Luckily we don't have that part here in the UK.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

what hours of operations a [MATZ] might be open in case your examiner asks you to transit across one
I wouldn't get too hung up on this one, they often don't keep to the published hours, particularly if the Americans have decided to start another war that weekend. You're supposed to give them a few minutes notice, which is plenty of time to get your three calls in, and if they don't answer just carry on.

I've never planned a route round a MATZ. I have on occasion been asked politely if I would mind accepting vectors ... the really polite ones then tell you where you are when they've finished with you!

[Steve6443]

Quote:
getting lost is an automatic fail
I'm sure in every test I've taken the examiner has announced that he is responsible for navigation whilst doing handling tests etc.

Sure he might ask you to fix your position when finished messing around, but he won't expect you to know exactly where you are whilst messing around.

Hi GtW, that's what I was referring to, the ability to fix your position using the available technology, either ADF, VOR or similar, once the manoeuvring steps have been completed.....

[Kevin31]

Hey all

Thanks for the posts and some great info and advise. Think mind has been put at ease with regads to the MATZ I pretty ok with the radio side so happy there.

Think my issues will be with the oral side questions and briefing on weather and docs. Happy to decode a METAR and TAF just not the rest need to understand the 214 and 215 better from met office site.

Flying wise defo the PFL's and stalling stuff might be a concern seem to forget things very quick.