The Skills Test

[TraineePilot01]

I've passed all of my skills test except the arrival section, and I is cacking myself about it because...is it true that I have to do the whole test again if I fail this section again when I retake it next week?

Any advice appreciated.

Cheers. TP01

[Noggin]

Think about it, arrival is pretty important or the rest of the flight is pointless. The moral is get it right, you must have done it before, so its just a case of consistency. No point being a good navigator, if you crash on arrival, unless you want to be a Kamakaze pilot.

[ 16 November 2001: Message edited by: Noggin ]

[Stan Evil]

The arrival and circuits is as much about airmanship and safety as anything else. When coming into the circuit LOOKOUT and make sure you don't carve anyone else up. If you can see that your approach is c**p then go around on your own initiative - much better than ending up with a c**p landing as well! The examiner wants to see YOU making the decisions 'cos that's who's going to be making them if he signs you off.

[FlyingForFun]

Stan/Noggin,

I agree with what you've said, but I'm not sure you've answered TP's question...

TP, what you're asking is, if you re-take part of the test (as you're going to have to) and fail it, is it true that you then have to take the whole test again - am I right? Because if that's the question, I think the answer is Yes. There's lots of cool words like "Series" and "Attempts" and things like that, I can't remember the exact terminology or the exact rules, but I'm sure someone here will. If not, try posting the same question on the Flight Instructors forum, because they should know!

Good luck anyway - if you follow the advice Stan and Noggin gave, you won't need to re-take anyway so don't get stressed about it!

FFF
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[TRANQUILLO]

Hi TP1,

Sorry to hear that you haven't passed completely but well done for the rest.

When I did my skill test I passed everything but not the PFL so I had to retake it and....I Passed!!

The day of the second attempt I booked a lesson with an instructor so I tried the PFL five times just to make sure that I was able to do such an important thing ,first because I wonted to pass and second because if the engine fails I want to know what to do!!

After landing The examiner took the instructor's seat and off we went for 15minutes to do a perfect PFL!!!

This is to suggest you to book an hour with an instructor before you go again just before the test so you have done it only minutes before it...

If you fail again .....I think you have an other attempt but I am not sure!!!

good luck

[eyeinthesky]

Returning to the airfield from a Cross country is something with which many people have trouble. It is very easy to bowl along to your end point in Nav mode (which is not always a very high state of alertness compared with circuit flying) and arrive overhead high and fast and be left running to catch up. A couple of tips:

Plan to end your navigation leg a little way from the airfield if possible, not the overhead. This gives you time to get into arrival mode before you find yourself on a base leg join before you have done any checks. Of course it has to be sensible, as you do not want another mini navex to find the field.

As you approach the end of the navigation leg, I encourage my students to talk themselves into changing modes from navigation to circuit flying. You need to chivvy yourself up to get the height and speed right, checks done and ATC contacted in good time. Many is the time in a twin when a student has arrived back with 1 mile to go at 150 kts and 2000 feet high. You might get away with it in a c152, but you wouldn't in an airliner!!

Good luck with the retest!

[CaptAirProx]

Hate to bring a bit of doom here but......

Unless your examiner has officially stated that you are to do some further re-training b4 the next attempt etc, you should not be flying with an instructor on an instructional flight. I am surprised that if the chap is correct in the earlier post that his examiner took the seat of the instructor after the candidate had taken a lesson ad-lib, the examiner should get a rollocking. And yes, to answer the original question, my understanding without lookin at the standards doc 'guide to examiners', I believe that you will have to take the skill test again. Good luck!

[TRANQUILLO]

CAPT AIRPROX,

Why couldn't I be retrained for something that I failed before the attempt number two?

The examiner suggested to me ...so I did it
:confused: :confused: :confused: