PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - silly CPL or IR exam mistakes
View Single Post
Old 17th March 2009 | 20:43
  #24 (permalink)  
Spunky Monkey
40 Countries Visited
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Nov 2007
: ATPL
Posts: 512
Likes: 829
From: UK
Chaps and Chapesses.

I wouldn't get stressed about mistakes during your CPL / IR tests. (The first time around only).
There are no super pilots, and sadly some of those people who believe that you can only get a job with a first time pass in everything are deluding themselves. Its about personality.

Use it as a learning experience.

I totally screwed up my CPL and I was really miffed about it. Not because I wasted money, but because I had uncovered several areas of my airmanship was not upto standard. There were holes in my knowledge. A simple request from ATC although out of the ordinary totally threw me out of kilter.

After the test, I decided to look at my options and take some advice from some very experienced pilots. (Mil and test pilots).
I hit the books again, rebuilt my handling skills (something that I was always very proficient at) I then completed my Instructor rating - it boosted my confidence and increased my knowledge.

Then came the IR - no problems - excellent compliments from the examiner.
Finally the CPL about 12 months after I first took it. An absolute breeze, couldn't understand what all the problems were.

I think we all get to hung up on trying to complete everything in the least hours (partly cost and partly pride). Experience and organisation in the cockpit are what count.

I walked straight into a job after finishing, not because I had +90% in all my exams, or first time passes or that I did a fully intergrated course. I had none of these. I have personality and experience, thats what people want when they are going to sit next to you for 8 hrs a day.

It is an incredibly rewarding job - please don't stress about it.

And yes I still make mistakes - that is why it is two crew in most operations.

Enjoy it and the rest will follow.
Spunky Monkey is offline