After the qualifying x-country

[Pilot16]

Hi,
How soon after the solo qualifying cross country do you take the skill test...? My instructor mentioned something about doing some revision fying with him, what does it involve precisely?

Im feeling more nervous about the Skill test than the qualifying cross country itself...what exactly do you do in the skill test? What were your experience...Im sure you're replies would be appreciated by all us student pilots...Is it easy to fail the skill test? And what is the pass rate?

Thanks very much,
P16

[vancouv]

There is no set time after the X-country before the skills test, but it is quite normal to do some revision flying before you take it - it may be some time since you did stalling, PFLs etc.

Your instructor will be able to tell you exactly what is in the skills test, but briefly it is in 2 parts, navigation and flying skills. In the navigation part you have to plan and fly a route, without navaids, and then plan an inflight diversion that the examiner gives you.

The flying skills has all the things you've learned before, such as stalling, slow flying, PFLs, various types of circuits etc.

I don't know what the fail rate is, but it certainly isn't easy - I wouldn't have thought your instructor would put you in for it if he didn't think you could pass.

I got a partial fail on mine, and had to go out again to do the PFLs. Great feeling when it'sover though!

[Pilot16]

Thanks very much vancouv,
Why was it that the examiner gave you a partial fail on PFL, if you dont mind me asking? What did you not do, or what did you do that resulted it? :) thanks.

:ok:

[Maxflyer]

Hi there.

I found these notes very useful in preparing for my Skills Test.

Guidance Notes From The CAA (http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/175/srg_fcl_19v2.pdf)

Hope this helps.

Maxflyer

[Hersham Boy]

My experience (fairly recent):

Skills test was nerve-wracking, but nothing I hadn't a) done already and; b) prepared for.

There are no trick questions, your examiner will want you to pass (if you are showing him/her you are a safe and competent pilot) and you wouldn't be sitting next to him/her unless you were deemed ready for it.

I found the QX/C more nerve-wracking - but, that said, I LOVED the feeling of being a proper solo pilot at last!

Go for it, enjoy it and come back and tell us all about it.

Hersh

[eharding]

Pilot16 - I'm in the same situation - QXC last Thursday (WW->Thruxton->Kemble->WW) - left Kemble 20 minutes before the PFA rally took over - and went out for some general handling revision with my instructor on Wednesday - haven't booked the Skills Test yet (I'm doing an NPPL, so did the Navigation test before the QXC) - but hopefully it shouldn't be too long now. BTW I found the revision very useful. Also, does your school organise a 'mock' skills test with a different instructor prior to the real thing? - we did this for my Navigation Skills test, and found it very useful. Good luck. Ed.

[28thJuly2001]

Quick Look At Log Book.

23rd July 2001....X-country.
25th July 2001....2 hours revision of everything.
26th July 2001....Failed the skills test:O (cocked up the circuits)
27th July 2001....1 hour circuit training.
28th July 2001....Passed the skills test.:ok:

If I remember from 'A Plane Is Born' the instructor mentioned a 80% pass rate. So using my bit of maffs I am a 1 in 5.

Of course it is easy to fail, you could have a bad day when nothing goes right, but, you know you are ready, your instructor knows you are ready so just go out there and show the examiner that you know how to fly SAFE. You do not have to be perfect and he does not expect perfection, he just wants to feel SAFE being your passenger.
If you do fail any section it is just a case of doing a bit of revision and taking that part of the test again, if you fail again then it gets a bit expensive because you have to do the entire test again.
28th,

P.S. If you cock anything up just forget it and move on. I thought I had cocked up the PFL so it played on my mind for the circuits and I proceeded to fly the worst 3 circuits of my life. Incidentally, although I was a bit high for the PFL he passed that section.

[FlyingForFun]

(* FFF idly wonders why 28thJuly2001 picked the user name he did... *)

[28thJuly2001]

...because 29thJuly2001 was already taken.

28th,,

[RodgerF]

Pilot16

Before the Skills test make certain all the exams have been passed and are in date. Your application form is complete for the examiner to see with all the exam dates and signatures. Your medical must be OK as well.

Partial fail is pessimistic, its actually called a partial pass which sums things up better

Best of luck

RF

[Pilot16]

Thanks for the advise :ok: really appreciate it...

Have R/T Oral and Written to go...and the qualifying cross country...

[oli carley]

dont worry bout it, id be more worried about the r/t oral i found that harder! Where you flying from?

Oli.

[vancouv]

P16,

I made a complete **** up of it! I've always found PFLs quite tricky, but I think at the end of the test, when I did it, I was just tired.

Took a long time picking a field, and then failed to get myself positioned for an into wind landing. It was a mess!! Did some more practice with my instrcutor, and then went out, did the PFL, and passed! Phew!

[englishal]

I failed on PFL's as well, so did quite a few of my mates, so I think it is a fairly common one. No big deal, went up with the examiner the next day, he demonstrated one then made me do it until I was getting it right every time....then he passed me.

Good luck
EA:D