Failure of checkride

[PitotTube]

Hello,

I am wondering if there are any pilots out there flying for airlines etc. that look back at their career and remember the day they failed a checkride? I just came back from the school where I failed my commercial checkride earlier today. Please tell me your stories.

best regards,
pt

[redsnail]

Yeah, I have failed checks and tests before. It's easy to blame the aeroplane/weather/instructor but the bottom line is that there is a bench mark and you just have to hop over it.
I could give you every excuse I have wanted to give... but all you have to do is look back over the flight objectively and see where you fell down. Your examiner should have debriefed you too.
View it as a learning exercise. That's what I have done with all my various stuff ups. "Where did I go wrong, what can I do to fix it?" Also, remember that you should have done some things correctly. Note those too.
Failures will occur in life. To change it from failure to success is up to you. Sit down with your instructor (or get a new one) and work out a plan of attack that will sort out the faults.

There aren't too many pilots around that haven't blown a check or a test of some sort. Mind you, not many will admit to it. ;)
If it hasn't been a test or a check, you can fail to do a drill/action properly and stuff up. It's called character building and you have to dig deep.
Good luck and report back when you have passed.

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Having been someone who has failed checkrides and who has failed people on checkrides all I can constructively tell you is that is part of being a professional pilot. How you handle a fail is a telling test of your professionalism.

Don't try to find excuses, be chided but not gutted and crucially use the dissapointment to fuel the effort required to blow the examiners socks off next time.

Some of the best passes I have seen have been from people who have recently been failed or partialled...

Good luck,

WWW

[Splat]

PitotTube,

Not ofthen that I agree with WWW, but this is a rare exception. As redsnail says, use that failure as a learning point, something that you can build on to improve where you went wrong.

Finding a cause for the failure will just not have the desired effect, and will not generate that (probably) small improvement that the examiner is looking for.

Be positive, ask questions, and put it down as part of the learning process (and life for that matter).

Keep enjoying it too.

S

[HARRY GREYHOUND]

I once failed a base check, I can only put it down to a bad day at the office, isuppose it could happen to any of us during our careers. Unfortunatley it cost me my job and as you can imagine my confidence too.I even considered quiting aviation for good but after a time of reflection decided to give it another go.I felt i had something to prove so i studied much harder and concentrated on my weak points.I then got another job and sailed through the sim check my confidence restored. Looking back in a strange way I believe that failure made me a better pilot and I have not suffered any lasting harm. Someone once said a failure is only a failure if you do not learn from it.

[PitotTube]

Hello,

thanks for all replies. what does a base check mean? what kind of check is it? what did you do wrong? Glad to hear you decided to continue your career, and that things went well. And since I failed my checkride, I am using my failure as to learn as much as possible where I did wrong and to improve my skills and knowledge about it.

have a nice day.
pt

[brownstar]

Mike Hayes - Failure is a stepping stone to success

That is a quote from the top 10 pilots in the rumours forum, it's worth a read.

the best thing to do with a failed check ride is learn from the experience, take from it what you can, Forget the bad stuff - you will probably beat yourself up more than any Trainner. and set yourself your next goal. Lots of people have failed check rides and still get on with it and move on to better things.

Good luck with your next one !

[covec]

Learn from the experience, mate. It WILL help you "mature" re flying attitude...

One other tip - crack several tubes...NOW!!

[redsnail]

Base checks required every 12 months. IR renewals are required every 12 months. To keep every thing nice and legal they are usually scheduled ~6 months apart.
A base check is not unlike an IR renewal. Many operators use them as a means of practicing non normal/emergency procedures. Something that can't be done during line flying.
There is another check that is slotted somewhere during the year. It is known as a route check. That is done on a revenue flight and your SOPs and day to day operating methods are observed.
Therefore, you are checked a minimum of 3 times a year, whether you fly a bugsmasher in the Aussie outback or a 737 out of Standsted.

[PitotTube]

Today I did the retake with the examiner. He was so impressed with my checkride. He told me I did an "excellent" job. You really learn from failure experiences. He told me to disregard the "pink slip", and just take it as a learning experience. And I feel I have become a better pilot due to this failure I had earlier.

have a nice weekend,
pt

[Low-Pass]

Congratulations!!! :D :D :D

[Pegasus77]

Well deserved congratulations! Welcome to the commercial pilots family :cool: :cool:

P77

[spitfire747]

The saying goes, the best drivers on the road failed their test first time. I guess that goes for flying and everything else in life, once a failure insomething is highlighted, you are determined not to fail it next time, so the effort put in exceeds that before, confidence increases and generally it is better than before.

Do not see it as blotch on your career, NO ONE IS PERFECT
:D

[FL000]

ahh wee willy welshdick, always wondered why you were hanging around spouting your crap as 'the moderator' nice to know you finally feel comfortable in your little ****house....
an admission of failure, you really did not have to I think the majority guessed that already.

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

FL100 - you must be a sad little man to spend time composing such a poor posting on this site.

Who - pray - kicked your kennel?

WWW

[spitfire747]

WWW - FL000 is only jealous because he can't pass a driving test to get to the airport to take a flight test !

[stargazer02]

Hey there FL000
you only have a CPL no types and you are spouting.....
You know some people may have thought you were a fool...but now the whole site knows that you ARE a fool....since you have proven it with you stupid comments....
:mad: :D :cool: :( :mad:

[WX Man]

Some more Wise Words from the Welsh One there. I was in this position a few weeks ago. Get over it- the biggest barrier is the psychological one (another subject that WWW knows a lot about). You lose confidence, and it affects your ability, so it affects your confidence, and then your ability....

You obviously picked it up, well done mate! FWIW (and for anyone else in a similar position), I know a guy who was having a particularly bad start to his ATCO training. Ended up getting one of the highest marks in his practical exam (I hope I can follow this bloke's example).

Normally I'd just read this kind of thing and not comment but I felt that FL000's post warranted some kind of response in order, hopefully, to prove that WWW's comments are very valid!

[Busterplane]

FL000 It appears to me that that is about as high as your career is going to get you sad little man! WWW makes well informed posts as you know. I dont always agree with his conclusions but that is the way of the world.

pray tell us all, what vast couldron of experience do you dip into in order to be able to spout your words of "wisdom"

[Non Iron Chippy]

I stuffed up a sim ride for a dream job, my own fault, knew what I had done within seconds, no blaming anyone else and took it on the chin, I've learned from it, you learn from your mistakes if you are wise enough, never repeat the same mistake twice-that is incompetence.

FL000 you sound like a bitter and twisted prat, I will not mince my words, with your attituded I hope that I will never have to share a flightdeck with you but then again why am I worried? you aren't going to make it!!!