Examiners The Good The Bad the Ugly?
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Examiners The Good The Bad the Ugly?
After posting so much on N reg ( hint From MEP its being dropped 
Thought I would start thread on examiners.
I had an examiner on an N reg Jet. Mr Boeing as he was supposed to have been rated on every boeing ever made.
I had a flight test with him and an overseeing examiner. He has a reputation of shouting a lot. The shouting was true to form until he requested a clean approach and landing. He right seated for the flight and bugged the VREF speed for my "clean" approach! Being aware of the overseeing Examiner in the back I noted that he had used the full flap speeds.
Deciding that he had done this on purpose to catch me out I checked the manual and added 20 KTS to the full flap numbers without changing his bug speeds.
True to form on short finals came the response! 20 kts too fast VREF Now!!!
I smiled and complimented him on trying to catch me out! The poor guy spluttered so much I was sure he would cough up yesterdays sandwich.
The second examiner in the back chuckled and said well spotted!
After his red face had changed to a normal shade I got a good pass on te flight test
have you had any unusual examiners
Pace
Thought I would start thread on examiners.I had an examiner on an N reg Jet. Mr Boeing as he was supposed to have been rated on every boeing ever made.
I had a flight test with him and an overseeing examiner. He has a reputation of shouting a lot. The shouting was true to form until he requested a clean approach and landing. He right seated for the flight and bugged the VREF speed for my "clean" approach! Being aware of the overseeing Examiner in the back I noted that he had used the full flap speeds.
Deciding that he had done this on purpose to catch me out I checked the manual and added 20 KTS to the full flap numbers without changing his bug speeds.
True to form on short finals came the response! 20 kts too fast VREF Now!!!
I smiled and complimented him on trying to catch me out! The poor guy spluttered so much I was sure he would cough up yesterdays sandwich.
The second examiner in the back chuckled and said well spotted!
After his red face had changed to a normal shade I got a good pass on te flight test
have you had any unusual examiners
Pace
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Just one, who was quite a character.
On my IR flight test, on the last approach he goes "I have control". He takes the aeroplane, and revs the throttle up and down about 4 times and then says "you have control". I looked at him and he said "that is to let my wife know I'll be home in 30 minutes" - we were over his house....
On my ME test soon after take off he was chatting to me and started saying "doesn't that engine sound rough?" (which I thought it did)...Unbeknown to me he had reached down and switched off the fuel to the engine and low and behold a second or two later the engine stopped
Finally after completing the ME test we were at 8500 somewhere over the LA basin and his final instructions were "take me back to the airport as fast as you can, put everything forward and start your decent now"....then he explained that when you get to his age, when you need a pee, you have to pee and he was busting for a pee !!
He's a great guy though, very experienced and chats to you all the time. The reason he chats is to distract you from things he's doing to see how you handle all sorts of situations.
On my IR flight test, on the last approach he goes "I have control". He takes the aeroplane, and revs the throttle up and down about 4 times and then says "you have control". I looked at him and he said "that is to let my wife know I'll be home in 30 minutes" - we were over his house....
On my ME test soon after take off he was chatting to me and started saying "doesn't that engine sound rough?" (which I thought it did)...Unbeknown to me he had reached down and switched off the fuel to the engine and low and behold a second or two later the engine stopped
Finally after completing the ME test we were at 8500 somewhere over the LA basin and his final instructions were "take me back to the airport as fast as you can, put everything forward and start your decent now"....then he explained that when you get to his age, when you need a pee, you have to pee and he was busting for a pee !!
He's a great guy though, very experienced and chats to you all the time. The reason he chats is to distract you from things he's doing to see how you handle all sorts of situations.
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My best examiner story cannot be posted because it could not be sufficiently anonymised
And, no, it is not the bloke some will be thinking of. I have never flown with him.
And, no, it is not the bloke some will be thinking of. I have never flown with him.
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My best examiner story cannot be posted because it could not be sufficiently anonymised
Could have a guess was the guy up north?The old one was the wartime instructor/examiner who just before he cleared a student solo unfastened his rear stick and threw it out over the field telling the student he now had to land.
A student who had heard these rumours smuggled a spare stick into the front.
When the examiner unfastened and threw his out the student threw the spare out proclaiming he thought he was supposed to do the same
Pace
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I did my initial FAA instructor's rating (I did the instrument version first) with someone that can only be described as a good ole southern boy (although he referred to me almost exclusively as "boy").
I'm not a coffee drinker but this chap plied me full of caffiene with cup after cup of coffee during our 4 hour pre-flight oral exam - thought it would be rude to decline. I was so wired by the time I got into the plane that I could only manage the jerkiest of movements. My brain seemed to be going at light speed!
At one point, he told me to take the hood off and I found us about to fly straight into a cloud (we were VFR). Thinking this was a trick, I rolled into a steep turn to avoid the cloud while muttering something politely about cloud clearance requirements.
I was yelled at at very high volume when looking up at the compass to reset the DG on an NDB approach (I think he thought I was cheating) and I had a number of comments about being jerky on the controls (thank you again, coffee).
When we landed, I was absolutely sure I had flunked but was very surprised to hear him say: "Boy, I like your attitude and I'm gonna issue you your certificate".
Then there was the other examiner I flew with several times in New England who was reputed to decide whether or not you would pass within the first five minutes and then type up the temporary airman certificate while the student was getting the plane and paperwork ready. On each of my 3 checkrides with him, I was always delighted to hear his typewriter going while I was planning the cross country portion of the flight!
I'm not a coffee drinker but this chap plied me full of caffiene with cup after cup of coffee during our 4 hour pre-flight oral exam - thought it would be rude to decline. I was so wired by the time I got into the plane that I could only manage the jerkiest of movements. My brain seemed to be going at light speed!
At one point, he told me to take the hood off and I found us about to fly straight into a cloud (we were VFR). Thinking this was a trick, I rolled into a steep turn to avoid the cloud while muttering something politely about cloud clearance requirements.
I was yelled at at very high volume when looking up at the compass to reset the DG on an NDB approach (I think he thought I was cheating) and I had a number of comments about being jerky on the controls (thank you again, coffee).
When we landed, I was absolutely sure I had flunked but was very surprised to hear him say: "Boy, I like your attitude and I'm gonna issue you your certificate".
Then there was the other examiner I flew with several times in New England who was reputed to decide whether or not you would pass within the first five minutes and then type up the temporary airman certificate while the student was getting the plane and paperwork ready. On each of my 3 checkrides with him, I was always delighted to hear his typewriter going while I was planning the cross country portion of the flight!
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Its strange how different examiners can be! One a Piston single/twin examiner barrel rolled a twin on the ILS much to my horror (I will say I made it up if challenged)
The other an ex squadren leader checked me out to fly for a group of corporate jets.
On the ground he was the most placid gentle natured indiviidual I had met and I quite happily decided that the whole check flight would be a piece of cake.
How wrong I was. This guy was so detailed a real Rottweiler as soon as he entered the cockpit! I had never seen anything like it.
He loaded and loaded and loaded me quickfire.
After the flight I shook hands with my tail between my legs and slinked off mumbling that I was sure he would find a suitable pilot soon
" No No you were fine" But I realised I had a lot to learn and how good some really are!
Pace
(I will say I made it up if challenged)The other an ex squadren leader checked me out to fly for a group of corporate jets.
On the ground he was the most placid gentle natured indiviidual I had met and I quite happily decided that the whole check flight would be a piece of cake.
How wrong I was. This guy was so detailed a real Rottweiler as soon as he entered the cockpit! I had never seen anything like it.
He loaded and loaded and loaded me quickfire.
After the flight I shook hands with my tail between my legs and slinked off mumbling that I was sure he would find a suitable pilot soon
" No No you were fine" But I realised I had a lot to learn and how good some really are!Pace
Last edited by Pace; 25th Nov 2010 at 12:56.
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I'm stacking the odds up against myself for future ratings/licenses, as the four checkrides/flight tests I've had so far in my life have all been with absolute pussycats. On the last one I screwed up pretty badly, but still somehow managed to pass. I guess they must feel sorry for me somehow.
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Doing my multi with the examiner. Neither of us could get the engine to restart.
I think he was more worried than I was. I remain very grateful when I had an engine fail for real a while after.
Sorry, I have nothing as interesting as the earlier posts, this is the best I can do.
I think he was more worried than I was. I remain very grateful when I had an engine fail for real a while after.
Sorry, I have nothing as interesting as the earlier posts, this is the best I can do.
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Mostly I have fond memories of the instructors I've flown with - generally we've had fun as well as learned stuff. However, I have one particular in mind - I confess not a favourite, very much a procedure man, whereas most of my instructors have been stick and rudder folk. Most of all what unsettled me is he could go for hours without uttering a word. I did a PPL test in two sentences, and a night in about 6. Oddly on the ground he was as chatty as you like..
When I turned up for my night (VFR) test I got a lecture on it being a 'license to kill myself', and that I was not expected to use it - he also took a garmin etrex along propped on the panel (the a/c was equipped a panel mount garmin, 2x VOR and NDB, and we were flying in what's basically our back garden).
Half way down the first leg the cloudbase was dropping - I commented that there was space above MSA, so I would descend to the next cruise level (No IR, just basic 2hrs of instrument appreciation for VFR pilots), got a curt 'fine. climb 500'. Into the cloud we went and spent the next 45 mins doing every possible intercept on the NDB, then the VOR all in solid cloud, turbulence and pouring rain. Talk about sweating! When we came out I was fairly disoriented - I'd have orbited a bit to get my bearings, but started a turn and was promptly lambasted for turning the wrong way to intercept my track to the next waypoint, and asked if I wanted to go home and try another time. Didn't say a word, just went the other way.
The only high point was him failing the GPS, and me not caring 'cos I wasn't using it anyway.
Later he turned down all the panel lighting and asked me what I noticed - I commented that the view outside was much better. Apparently I was supposed to treat that as an electrical failure! Then I got told off for not knowing the 430 in detail.. I nearly suggested going home on the spot.
Eventually after another bout of silence he asks if I can find the airfield from here? "reckon so", "get me back there in one piece and you've passed".
When I turned up for my night (VFR) test I got a lecture on it being a 'license to kill myself', and that I was not expected to use it - he also took a garmin etrex along propped on the panel (the a/c was equipped a panel mount garmin, 2x VOR and NDB, and we were flying in what's basically our back garden).
Half way down the first leg the cloudbase was dropping - I commented that there was space above MSA, so I would descend to the next cruise level (No IR, just basic 2hrs of instrument appreciation for VFR pilots), got a curt 'fine. climb 500'. Into the cloud we went and spent the next 45 mins doing every possible intercept on the NDB, then the VOR all in solid cloud, turbulence and pouring rain. Talk about sweating! When we came out I was fairly disoriented - I'd have orbited a bit to get my bearings, but started a turn and was promptly lambasted for turning the wrong way to intercept my track to the next waypoint, and asked if I wanted to go home and try another time. Didn't say a word, just went the other way.
The only high point was him failing the GPS, and me not caring 'cos I wasn't using it anyway.
Later he turned down all the panel lighting and asked me what I noticed - I commented that the view outside was much better
. Apparently I was supposed to treat that as an electrical failure! Then I got told off for not knowing the 430 in detail.. I nearly suggested going home on the spot. Eventually after another bout of silence he asks if I can find the airfield from here? "reckon so", "get me back there in one piece and you've passed".
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Again, not an examiner but an instructor... I once acted as safety pilot and watched as he taxied, took-off, flew a circuit, made a good approach and a greaser of a landing...
... All while looking over his shoulder and out the back window
... All while looking over his shoulder and out the back window
I do hope that anyone under training for the JAR-FCL PPL in the UK hasn't been put off by reading about the unprofessional clowns described in this thread.
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Beagle
This thread is to show that even examiners are just human and do make mistakes. We often put them in a God like status! Of the ones I have dealt with the only one that fits your description was actually JAA and sadly no longer with us without going into further details.
Pace
This thread is to show that even examiners are just human and do make mistakes. We often put them in a God like status! Of the ones I have dealt with the only one that fits your description was actually JAA and sadly no longer with us without going into further details.
Pace
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On my Czech PPL exam, as I was flying the planned route about halfway through the exam (or so I thought), the examiner, a stern-looking man in his sixties, suddenly asked: "May I have it for a couple of minutes? There was a big fire around here, and I want to see if my friend's house is intact." So I relinquished control, and off he went, looking for something on the ground. A few minutes later, he gave it back to me: "You have control. And by the way, WHERE ARE WE FLYING RIGHT NOW?"
When I immediately pointed at a nearby town and identified it as Lazne Belohrad, he smiled contentedly and said: "Fine, let's have one more forced landing, just in case, and we can go home."
When I immediately pointed at a nearby town and identified it as Lazne Belohrad, he smiled contentedly and said: "Fine, let's have one more forced landing, just in case, and we can go home."
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Aerobatics in a non aerobatic cleared aircraft is a no no and a hanging offence. Doesn't matter is he is an examiner. That should have been reported. Someone else has to strap their backsides to that aircraft after a 
act like that.
Stopping an engine deliberately is also foolish IMHO. What is to stop the examiner using a zero thrust power setting? As stated you may not get it started. There is also shock cooling to be taken into consideration here. "Look after your aircraft and it will look after you". Keep doing that and it may stop on some other unfortunate individual at the wrong time with disastrous consequences.
act like that.Stopping an engine deliberately is also foolish IMHO. What is to stop the examiner using a zero thrust power setting? As stated you may not get it started. There is also shock cooling to be taken into consideration here. "Look after your aircraft and it will look after you". Keep doing that and it may stop on some other unfortunate individual at the wrong time with disastrous consequences.
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I suggest you find new examiners. I am shocked at these anecdotal stories if they are true. The role of an examiner is to assess, not show boat or try and impress the candidates with their self perceived skills. An examiners job is merely to verify that the skills required are up to standard, not to stress test or try and catch people out. A test is stressful enough and not a real reflection of true life despite our best efforts. We have to make allowances for this when asessing skills not try and make it even more difficult. I conduct any test as per the guidance for examiners and the content of the SRG1157, nothing more, nothing less.
Perhaps, it is those posting stories of how they survived the examiners from hell that are show boating to impress us with their own sky god skills?
I can honestly say I have never met a bad examiner and I am on the receiving end of a lot of tests every year!!
* stopping and restart of an engine is a requirement for the MEP initial.
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Bose
I cannot be critical of what you say. In an ideal world all examiners would be like you. Sadly it is not an ideal world.
There are a multitude of personality types amongst examiners too and sadly some are type A personalities guys who want to impress. All l have written is true but then I have been through a lot of examiners both sides of the pond.
The vast majority are excellent.
The one serious event I would not detail here as he died in tragic circumstances. Different animals for different work.He was regardless an excellent pilot of his type.
Pace
I cannot be critical of what you say. In an ideal world all examiners would be like you. Sadly it is not an ideal world.
There are a multitude of personality types amongst examiners too and sadly some are type A personalities guys who want to impress. All l have written is true but then I have been through a lot of examiners both sides of the pond.
The vast majority are excellent.
The one serious event I would not detail here as he died in tragic circumstances. Different animals for different work.He was regardless an excellent pilot of his type.
Pace
Last edited by Pace; 26th Nov 2010 at 09:26.
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There have been cowboy examiners in both JAA and FAA systems, over here. And yes sometimes they had (well known) fatal accidents, though one cannot say it was caused by the examiner. It is one thing to be doing legally dodgy stuff (itself driven by a combination of DfT rules and airspace regs) and another to be a bad pilot. My best PPL instructor was a total cowboy, pretending to have an ATPL, various type ratings, and god knows what else.
A friend of mine was having his PPL re-val and his instructor pulled the mixture shut after takeoff - in a SE. At about 500ft. The engine did restart OK.... this was at the place where I am based.
The worst things I saw were not crazy instructors but instructors who fully condoned their employer's dodgy maintenance practices. That is worse than most things. I walked out of my first PPL school over that. The instructor is still there, more than 10 years later, presumably still thumbing through the airline job ads, probably having unfrozen his fATPL several times over
A friend of mine was having his PPL re-val and his instructor pulled the mixture shut after takeoff - in a SE. At about 500ft. The engine did restart OK.... this was at the place where I am based.
The worst things I saw were not crazy instructors but instructors who fully condoned their employer's dodgy maintenance practices. That is worse than most things. I walked out of my first PPL school over that. The instructor is still there, more than 10 years later, presumably still thumbing through the airline job ads, probably having unfrozen his fATPL several times over