QXC v. Skills Test - which is worse in your opinion....?

[ariel]

Which one did you find the hardest / most nerve wracking - the Qualifying cross country, or the skills test.

I ask, because I'm due to take my skills test any day now, and to be honest, I suddenly find myself unexpectedly frightened to death!

I keep thinking it's the one thing standing between me and my licence, and keep thinking I'm going to get caught out, or don't know enough, etc...

It's taken me AGES to get to this end stage, (work, weather, cancellations, other commitments, etc.. you know the story!), and I don't want to screw it up now.

So, to my opening bit, to me, the looming skills test is worse than the QXC, (and I thought that was bad enough).

Anybody have any thoughts on the matter, (and how to calm yourself down, legally?)

Thanks a lot - ariel

[FlyingForFun]

I didn't think either of them were bad. They were both enjoyable in different ways. The QXC was nice because I felt like a "real pilot", flying around by myself, landing at a strange field for a cup of tea... that's what "real pilots" do isn't it? The skills test was completely different - a lot less pressure, because I knew the examiner was there to sort things out if I screwed up, but a lot more pressure, because I knew there was someone watching every move I made...

There's a similar thread about the skills test here (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=42661), although it does get a bit off-topic with discussions on flying techniques and the minutiae of the content of the test, but it'll give you an idea what to expect. But the main thing is to relax and enjoy it! :D

FFF
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[Ace Rimmer]

Chill ariel If you instructors didn't think you could hack it they wouldn't suggest you take the test - they think you can do it and they know a lot more about it than you do!
Take your comment "it the only thing between me and my licence" - and stand it on its head ...that's right one more hurdle to jump and it's the one you are most prepared for - go for it

[tomcs]

Hi! Its not really that bad mate...personally the QXC was more tiring and mentally draining for me...going into Exeter Int. was fun :D ....but I didn't have a problem with my Skills test. The best bit of advice i can give u is do it in two bits...the whole thing in one is way too much to concentrate like you have to

Good Luck

Tom:cool:

[AerBabe]

Worse?! :confused: No no no... which was more fun! That's the attitude you should have! Since your first solo you've been a 'real' pilot, and your Qx/c and GFT are just more chances to show everyone how good you are. :)

Like FFF I found my Qx/c really really tiring. It was a very long hot August day, and I was asleep in the chair soon after returning to the club house. But it was good fun! My first encounter with military controllers (what a nice bunch of guys!), and with real long-distance navigation. Of course I had a few problems along the way....... But that's part of the learning process.

The GFT was like an extended lesson, although that was partly because I knew my examiner fairly well from chats at the club house. As we went along he interacted with me more as an instructor than an examiner. He would ask me what I was planning to do, then give advice if I had forgotten something, or he thought I could do it a better way. I made mistakes, but then who wouldn't under pressure? The thing is I made sure he was aware that I KNEW I'd forgotten something.

A good tip I got from my instructor were to make sure your examiner sees you doing lookouts etc. As in a driving test, accentuate your movements. Use your right arm to push the examiner back as you check right. Point to each dial as you do your on-route checks... and make sure you do them out loud! :D

Just go with it! As Ace Rimmer says, your instructor won't have put you forward for the test if s/he didn't think you were ready. Remember, they've been through this a few more times than you! Enjoy the day. Enjoy showing your examiner how good a pilot you've become. And most of all, enjoy the feeling when you've returned to your home airfield, completed a few circuits, have taxied back to the aircraft park, and look across to your examiner who will probably have almost a big a grin as you do. This is just the beginning! :cool:

Oh... and good luck! Make sure you post as soon as you've done it, and let us know how you did!

[Saab Dastard]

Ariel,

Good luck with the test, whenever you do it.

I'm in the same position, QXC done - next stop skills test.

I really enjoyed the QXC and it went really well because I felt confident and I felt confident because I prepared well. I'm still dreading the skills test, but I'm going to try the same approach and prepare as thoroughly as I can and "try" to enjoy it, as others have suggested.

Every time I look at the details there seems to be something else I hadn't thought about - groan!
:eek:

SD

[Diplomate]

The skills test was FAR more stressful for me - sorry! I really hated having the examiner sitting next to me, knowing he was watching my every move. Fortunately, nothing went wrong and I passed first time.

I agree with the point about doing it in two parts - I did the handling in the morning and the Nav in the afternoon - with a 1 hr break for lunch. Although a tiring day, I would do it that way again.

I really enjoyed my QXC - despite one less than perfect landing and really "borderline" weather half way home. I really enjoyed landing away twice on my own for the first time and got a real buzz out of it. It was the first time that I actually felt that I would have enough confidence to go places after I got my licence.

[Cat.S]

I found the skills test far less daunting in actuallity than I expected, even when ATC diverted me from my planned route to Whitegate on climb-out due to traffic and I had to do a quick mental recalculation. (fortunately I got it right!) The examiner did his very best to relax me and everything went fine. My instructors had prepared me well and the mock test I'd done two weeks prior to the skills test was actually harder than the real thing. I preferred to do everything in one session as I'd already been waiting two weeks for a suitable day and being December, couldn't rely on weather being okay again for a long time. Another argument to do it one go is that you'll only be nervous once!
Good luck with the test- it's the most fantastic feeling in the world once you've passed it and worth every bit of hard work you need to put in to get there.