PPL (A) Skills Test

[mikegreatrex]

Have my skills test coming up, and would welcome any thoughts / feedback as to the test process:-

1, Things to watch out for.
2, Must do items
3, Nice to do items but not mandatory

I have a copy of the Standards document which looks quite imposing.

All guidance gratefully received

[FlyingForFun]

Mike,

Try to arrange for a beer with the examiner a day or two before your test - he might give you some clues about the specific things he looks for.

Apart from that:

1) Don't do anything dangerous. Remember, when doing circuits, you can always go around, and you will not be failed for doing so

2) The PFL is the only thing that's vital to get right first time - everything else, as long as you can recover from any screw-ups, you'll get another go at

3) Pass first time! ;)

Seriously, relax and enjoy it. Your instructor wouldn't have put you in for it if he didn't think your normal standard of flying was good enough, so you have nothing to worry about .

Good luck!

FFF
---------------

[Julian]

- Do your checks and make sure are obvious about what you are doing i.e. dont mumble to yourself.

- Dont let the plane get ahead of you and if it does, dont go into a flap but think about what you are doing and recover.

- Try and find out if the examiner has 'favourite things' i.e. where he generally does the divert.

- Keep a good lookout.

- Make sure you know where are on the map at all times! (Obvious but surprising!)

- Make sure your scan is sh1t hot !!!!

- Ask your instructor if he knows the examiners traits. Mine chatted at various points during the test so I had to ask him to wait a bit until I was sorted. When I spoke to my instrucor afterwards he apologised for not telling me earlier but he known for this, basically he was looking how you would cope taking friends, etc up who will be chatting away when your workload is high.

[Evo]

Julian and FFF are quite right, as usual. One more tip... If you mess something up, speak up and say that you know you have got it wrong and tell him what you are going to do to fix it. Better than trying to hide it (they'll have noticed) :)

I was really nervous before my test, but once in the air I relaxed - too much - and was so busy enjoying flying that I was almost into Farnborough MATZ before I realized that I had forgotten to talk to them. ******. I confessed to the examiner that I'd screwed up, told him what I was going to do (orbit while I talked to them and got the MATZ crossing) and got on with it. Passed OK. Obviously if you've just busted the London TMA then you'll fail, but if you catch it in time then there's hope.

[Holloway]

sounds scary!!! :eek: Im not to great with the old PFL etc, might feel different later. Im 25 hrs in at the moment

[vancouv]

Make sure you explain what you are doing and why, especially when doing things like FREDA checks. Also my examiner asked me quite a few times where we were on the map so it's good to know!

When doing the diversion, remember that your heading and time estimate can be changed if things aren't panning out as you expected, but tell the examiner. He won't mind if you say 'I think I will be there at 40 instead of 30', but he won't like it if you just arrive at 40 having told him 30.

Also make sure you are well rested - my skills test lasted 2 and a half hours and I was absolutely kn**kered afterwards.

Easy to say, but try and relax - the examiners know you are nervous, and they do make allowances - even if you do something wrong, carry on and don't think 'Oh no I've failed!'

Good luck!

[Bootlegger]

Dont put too much pressure on yourself thinking you must pass first time....for a week before my test i was thinking this, and it just made me more nervous. On the day of the test i just thought "sod it ...i can always take it again "....this seemed to work for me, and took away most of the nerves. Your examiner expects you to be a little nervous.
Dont worry....you're not on your own....most people are nervous. ;)

[Kingy]

Worst 2.5 hrs of my life!

You will get a divert, It will take you over/near a drop zone/ tma / matz. Don't just head straight off, orbit and really LOOK at the map. Mine took me North from Didcot through the nightmare which is Brize/ Oxford/ Weston on the Green to Gaydon. Luckily I spotted Gaydon, but realised later I was just 2 miles from busting Birmingham airspace if I missed it...!

My Pfl went OK but I screwed up my flapless approach. If this happens own up and ask to do it again - If you are in control you're still in the game...

Looking back, what was really funny was that my examiner spent most of our circuit time literally shouting and swearing at one of his students also in the circuit for his huge circuits and sloppy RT. And when he turned to the live side for a go around, well... I thought he would explode!

Being mid summer in a Katana It was just sooo hot. As I taxied in and shut down genuinely didn’t care if I had passed or failed - Just wanted to get out of that bl**dy oven and get a drink!

Happy days and the very best of luck Sir

Kingy

[Bluebeard2]

The examiner is looking for you to be safe, not perfect. Even the best pilots make mistakes (including instructors :)), so whilst you should always aim for perfection don't beat yourself up if/when you don't quite achieve it - there's a fair chance your flying is better now than it will ever be! Keep the instructor abreast of events to demonstrate you are in control, if there is a change of plan then let him/her know.

[Aussie Andy]

[its all been said, I'll just add].... and don't worry overly about the PFL. Sure, its a tough one to get right every time... but the guy will be looking to see how safe you are within the bounds of others he's seen at the PPL level. I thought my PFL was not great... the examiner I had (God bless you Bob!) told me afterwards "I've never seen anyone do a good one really"!

Also, don't worry if you don't pass everything first time - there's no shame in re-sitting all or part of the test! Well, I would say that wouldn't I: my circuits were lousy on the day - my excuses relate to major x-wind and shear on the approach, but it was do-able... calmed down and did it great the following Saturday, albeit in better conditions.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

Andy

[DB6]

All good stuff, and to amplify a point already made - if you do cock something up, DON'T DWELL ON IT. Put it behind you and get on with things, don't think about it until you're on the ground. It might have been much less significant then you think, but if it throws you, you'll be ******ed.
Your instructor won't send you until you're ready anyway, the CAA started getting pissed off with people 'having a go' and floundering.

[Saab Dastard]

mikegreatrex,

When it comes to the PFL, the most important thing is to demonstrate that you can FLY THE AEROPLANE SAFELY TO YOUR INTENDED LANDING AREA.

Checks are a nice to have and the mayday is a luxury.

Only 2 things matter - your speed and where you are going to land. Get those right and you won't have a problem.

This is personal experience from having failed the PFL first time around (but got it the second).

Good luck.

SD

[AerBabe]

PFLs - if your instructor is any good he will have generally pulled engine failures over small fields. In your test your examiner will probably do so over a stonking great one.

The main thing is to enjoy it. The examiner isn't trying to catch you out, just to make sure you're safe. I had a great time on my GFT, it was probably the most enjoyable flight I've ever done. I made sure I got to know my examiner before the test and it really made a difference. He kept asking me questions and, about 1 hour into the test, said "You keep looking at me suspisciously." I said "Yup, I'm wondering whether you're trying to catch me out." "No, I didn't know the answer and wondered if you did!" he replied....

Do watch out for nasty tricks. If he points to some interesting ground feature and shortly after your engine starts running rough... make sure he's not turned the fuel pump off! I won't disclose any more secrets. ;)

[BEagle]

We Examiners know you won't be perfect, but equally you can't expect to have a go at everything twice.

Normally I'll start by chatting through the trip with the 'applicant' as JAA describes you, give him/her the navigation route and then leave him/her to plan it whilst I have a cup of tea and check the paperwork. We're actually supposed to collect the fee before we fly with the applicant, incidentally - but few do!

Then it's out to the ac after booking out; I normally watch the applicant doing his/her pre-flight checks and ask the odd simple 'oral question'. Then in we get, crank up and putter off on the navigation section. First leg I will play the quiet passenger and will let the applicant get on with it - but ask for the ETA and also for any decisions regarding alteration of heading and revision of ETA to be made known to me. On the second leg the applicant will get an unplanned diversion. Personally I ask the applicant to show me where we are (when there's an obvious feature coming up) and then say "Weather ahead has deteriorated, when you are ready, I'd like you to take us there" - and pass over a page from Pooley's, showing the applicant roughly where 'there' is. Just before we set off towards 'there', I'll ask for a heading and ETA; on that leg please feel free to augment your flying with some map reading. When we get to 'there', we'll either do a join and circuit to go-around - or just climb up and get on with the general handling. But I will be looking after the navigation at that stage. Expect to climb up, FREDA check, then a couple of steep turns including a recovery from a spiral descent. Then a few stalls, settle back down and turn onto a heading which I'll indicate. After a short while I then get the applicant to fix position by use of radio nav, then track towards a beacon for 5 minutes - the last couple wearing foggles to get used to them before flying the 180 deg IF turn. Then foggles off, fly as directed and we'll have a simulated icky-poo engine leading to an off-aerodrome practice forced landing. Overshoot from that, climb up to about 2500 ft at best angle of climb, including the odd turn. The applicant will then be somewhere he/she knows well - so it's "Let's go home for a few circuits" time. Join, normal, glide, flapless, sim bad weather plus the inevitable EFATO and low go-around. Final landing, taxy in, shut down - then the YES/NO verdict.... The huge majority get a 'YES'!

We'll then refuel the ac, tie it down and wander in - I make the applicant a cuppa before we have a chat about the trip and I do the paperwork whilst the applicant grins like a Cheshire Cat!


We know you'll be nervous, we'll try to make you relax. Just enjoy showing us what you can do!

[Doghouse]

BEagle's right. We're not looking for perfection, just safe flying - hell, if I had a penny for every mistake I'd made I wouldn't be examining for a living!

If you're instructor puts you up for test, then you're good and ready. So take your time and enjoy it.

We're examined too you know, so we know exactly how you feel - and that most of us only fly to 75% ability under test. Be safe and get your ticket.

Oh, and a beer at the end of the day often helps smooth the passage of paperwork! Good luck

[GRP]

I thought 'sod it' on the day of my test also.... the problem was I was already 45 minutes into it and had very nearly wandered into the Solent class D. My route involved crossing it once and then turning back to go through the side of it again and we were refused a transit on the first attempt. This put me into a bit of a state and I then had my brain engaged in kicking myself rather than just getting on with the situation as it had presented itself.

I did carry on to complete the handling section and went on to pass the nav section on a different route a few days later.

After the first partial result I was debriefed and was told that my problem had been that I had taken off with only one plan. This was actually a valuable lesson. Always have a plan B! What I should have done was to have planned a diversion as soon as my first route became unavailable to take me through the zone by a different route. What I did was to continue on the planned route at a lower altitude which left me in all sorts of problems.

The test is not difficult. As everybody has said, if your instructor says you are ready then you are capable of passing. If you don't pass there is no shame in it and you can just do it, or part of it, again.

[mikegreatrex]

What a great community I hopefully will soon be a part of.

Thanks for all your help

Mike

[paulc]

Echo what Aerbabe said - your instructor should do pfl's over small fields - examiner will do it over a airfield and you will have to land it.

My pfl on the gft was at Goodwood (having trained at Easteigh) 2500ft o/h - examiner 'failed' the engine and i was told to land it.

Another trick to watch for, depending on aircraft being used - I flew AA5's and the fuses/cb's were on the right lower section of the panel - various instructors & examiner used to pull the odd fuse to see if you noticed anything wrong when scanning. ie t & p's not indicating or a warning light coming on.

[PilotOnline]

The diversion route I was given would have taken me straight through a danger area so I totally echo comments about orbiting and make sure you're happy with your heading, ETA and route before you divert! I felt I orbited for ages before heading off on that leg! God bless the inventor of the Knightston diversion computer, just a small piece of plastic but so useful!!

At one point on a rather lengthy nav leg my examiner dropped off for a few minutes! I thought it was a wind up, made me more nervous than when he was awake!! If you explain what you're doing out loud to the examiner, when under stress or pressure it makes both of you aware of what you're doing and most importantly can make you realise if you're forgetting something.

It is tiring but really good fun, it's surprising how quickly the flight passes.

[mad_jock]

If its any help.

I rekon I am more nervous than my students.

I know they can do it, but there is always an odd chance they could cock up the PFL or get lost.

And its the CAVOK 30k+ zero wind days I am most nervous. The plane glides for miles in the PFL. And the supposed easy conditions seem to relax the student a bit to much. And they don't get much practise at zero wind were i teach ;)


MJ

[mikegreatrex]

What radio calls are you supposed to make during you practice PFL into an active Aerodrome? Have only done practice PFLs into fields.

"xxx radio G-xxxx carrying out a practice PFL, request airfield information and circuit traffic"

What if there is circuit traffic?????

Mike

[tmmorris]

Don't do what I did and say 'Look at that nice old airfield there - that must be Sleap' when actually it was Rednal, about 10 miles away... nearly cost me my pass, that... As he said afterwards, I should have kept my bl**dy mouth shut...

Similar consolation stories to the others, though: I nearly busted the Liverpool CTR (had to orbit while I sorted out the clearance) and my circuits were terrible (but I blamed a late decision to go around on the examiner - I had suggested a go-around at about 500ft (aircraft on the runway) and he had told me to continue, so when I went around at no more than 50ft he couldn't really complain...).

Good luck! I've got my IMC test today so I feel for you...

Tim

[Julian]

Dont worry about the PFLs, EVERYBODY on my course hated them!! I even heard of one guy on a mates course who was so worked up about them he turned base at 3000' DOH!!! My examiner got a b0ll0cking during my GFT for mucking about aorund an airfield when he had told them on our departure we were off to do something else, trying not to laugh as would have cost me my pass!!!!

On another note, on my IR checkride coming down the ILS I called out 'Minimums' at which point he would usually say 'OK, hood off and land' or 'Go around' but not this time! His response was ' I like you so you are taking her all the way down or I will have you back again tomorrow!' . He took me down to 50' before he took over and landed, he did say he has had poeple land under the ood before but we were slightly too fast for that hence why he took control. I passed though :)

[simonh11]

When I did my test on Sunday (which I passed :D ) the PFL was done out in the country and a glide approach done at the airfield, exactly as I had been taught. As I see it the whole point of doing a PFL is to practice/demonstate your ability to choose a suitable field and then to get the aircraft into a position where it is obvious you will get in, while going through the various checks. Doing a PFL at an airfield takes away what I think is the hardest part, which is the choosing of a suitable field.

Simon

[Evo]

A good PFL tip is to turn to the right when the examiner shuts the throttle, so you can see what field he has spotted. On my test there was nothing very inspiring on the left hand side of the aeroplane - on the right hand side was a disused airfield... :)

[Northern Highflyer]

I agree with simonh

My PFL was in the countryside. The examiner was looking for me to find a suitable field and position the A/C into a circuit at the right distance to get "in" safely.

The actual landings came back at my own airfield.

One tip I would offer is what my instructor told me. Don't worry about the skills test because by then you have already done a QXC solo into controlled airspace which is far more nerve wracking as you are alone.

If you pass the syllabus you have already proved you can do it so go out and have fun.

[oli carley]

keep your eyes outside the cockpit as much as you can, remember VFR!!!

[Keygrip]

There is a helpful guideline issued by the CAA to examiners - they are supposed to ensure that it is made available to candidates.

Did a search on the CAA website ( entered standards documents into the general search field - NOT the publications search field).

If the link doesn't work, look for Standards Document 19 (http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/175/srg_fcl_19v2.pdf)

Best of luck.

BTW - if you think the examiner has tricked you in any way - or you get something like the "go arounds" listed above (it's up to YOU if/when to go around), you should appeal under "Section 6".

[redbar1]

I totally agree with most of what has been said here.
FYI, JAA/Licensing Division has just finalized a document called 'Flight Examiners Manual'. It's meant to be guidelines to the national CAA's as how their examiners should do the SkillTests. It also contains lots of guidance as to test tolerances, maneuvers. etc etc. It's a huge pile of paper but can still be worth a glance.

It should be here at the JAA website (http://www.jaa.nl/secured/Licensing/Flight%20Examiners%20Manual/) .

Enjoy!

cheers,
redbar1

[Keygrip]

Be wary of "test tolerances" - PPL, for example, says ±150 feet of nominated altitude.

Captain Examiner, however, would be more likely to growl at you for doing a negative G nose down to stay within ± 150', than he/she would if you did an immediate but smooth and gracefull cordinated descent from 200' high (provided you hadn't just climbed in to airspace that you shouldn't be in!!).

(Works for being too low, aslo - but hope I don't have to stress that).

[redbar1]

Keygrip,

Agree wholeheartedly! The average Captain Examiner would react as you say.

One problem with ST pass/fail criteria is just this: How much use the general terms "airmanship' and 'good judgement' etc. etc, being very difficult to quantify, versus the use of fixed tolerance limits, easily quantifyable but not neccessarily reflecting the above terms?

As FI, having as many tolerance limits as possible gives a 'measuring scale' of kinds to evaluate the training standards.

The legal bureaucrats (I know of) prefer the clear quantifiables of tolerance limits, and tend to dislike terms like 'airmanship'.

As FE, it's usually much less controversy connected to failing a candidate on landing 15 kts slow, than failing the person on 'bad airmanship'.

Anyway, the FEM is not regulatory, it is 'Advisory & Guidance Material' only, intended to increase the standardisation of ST between the JAA states. And in the regulations (FCL) it clearly states that 'The following limits are for general guidance'.

Luckily for the survival of the term 'airmanship'!

cheers,