Cross Country Destination: Your destination will be assigned when you schedule your test.  Plan your weather assuming we will be departing two hours after the start time of your test.  Gather all of the information you'll need to discuss the trip.

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Examiner Weight: 165 Pounds

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Passenger weight: 170 Pounds in the back seat.

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Baggage Weight: 30 pounds, plus whatever you normally keep in the airplane.

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Test Fee: Please refer to the Rates page for current test fee information.

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Scheduling and Weather Policy: Please refer to the Scheduling page for details.

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Required Endorsements:

Please refer to the current edition of advisory circular 61-65.  At the time of writing, 61-65H is current.  You will need the following endorsements in order to take your Private Pilot practical test.  Please have your instructor review your logbook to ensure that these endorsements are complete and current.  Missing endorsements may prevent your test from being completed on schedule.  Other endorsements may apply, but at the minimum we will need the following:

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-A.1 Prerequisites for Practical Test (61.39)

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-A.2 Review of deficiencies on Knowledge Test (61.39)

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-A.3 Pre-solo Aeronautical Knowledge Test (61.87b)

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-A.4 Pre-solo flight training (61.87 C1 and C2)

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-A.7 Solo flight for each 90 day period.  You must have a current solo endorsement in order to take the practical test! (61.87p)

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-A.9 Solo Cross Country flights (61.93 C1 and C2)

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-A.10 Solo Cross Country flight planning (61.93 C3)

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-A.32 Aeronautical Knowledge Test (61.35 A1, 61.103d, and 61.105) (NOTE: Your knowledge test results by themselves are not sufficient. We need this endorsement too!)

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-A.33 Flight proficiency/Preparation for test (61.103f, 61.107b and 61.109)

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-A.73 Retesting after failure of a practical or knowledge test (61.49) (NOTE: Only required for a retest)

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Required Documents:

Please ensure that you have ALL of the following documents, in addition to the required endorsements listed above.  If you're missing documents or paperwork, I won't be able to conduct your test and we'll need to reschedule for another day.  That's not fun for anyone.

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-Completed application in IACRA

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-Please have your IACRA login credentials readily accessible.

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-Paper copy of the 8710-1 printed from IACRA after CFI signature.  (Please use the "View/Print PDF" button, not the "Print" button for best quality)

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-Knowledge test results

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-Pilot logbook, with all pages and columns totaled

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-Record of ground instruction received (This is missing all the time.  I can't do the test without it.  You're paying your CFI to give you ground training, make them log it for you!)

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-Government issued photo Identification.  Passport, US driver's license, Military ID, etc.  Foreign Driver Licenses are not acceptable.

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-Valid, unexpired medical certificate (Third Class or higher) OR Basicmed

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-Student pilot certificate

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-All aircraft documentation (ARROW, as applicable)

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-All aircraft maintenance records (AV1ATES, as applicable. Copies are fine, I don't need the original logbooks. Please confirm any pertinent AD compliance!)

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-Completed cross-country navlog, with supporting documentation (charts, weather briefing information, performance data, etc)

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Test Advice:

-Go through the maintenance records well in advance of the test date. Verify that all the inspections are up to date, ESPECIALLY the airworthiness directives. Remember, 91.7 says that it is your responsibility as PIC to make sure the airplane is airworthy. While it is the owner's responsibility to keep it airworthy under 91.405, it is your job to make sure the owner is doing their job. Please review 91.417 carefully.  AD Compliance is a consistent issue. If they are not documented correctly, I can not and will not fly your airplane, which means your test is cancelled.  Blanket statements such as "All AD's are current" are not acceptable.  The FAA is very clear about the requirements. For further detail, you can read the Easter-Precision Letter.  Remember that recurring AD's need to have their next due date listed too.  This has been enough of an issue recently that I have adopted a no-show policy, and I will probably charge you a cancellation fee if your test can't be conducted as a result of information that, in reality, is part of the test.

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-Read the ACS.  The whole thing.  ESPECIALLY appendix 4 and 5.  Everyone skips this section.  This describes how your test will be conducted and what the expectations are.  I'll cover this with you before starting the test, but there's a lot of details and it's better to be familiar with it up front.

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-Read the manual for your airplane, especially the systems section. Things like fuel capacity, V-speeds, gross weight, etc. should really be memory items.

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-Electronic flight bags like Foreflight or Garmin Pilot are fine, but be sure that you're comfortable with the technology and how to use it.  You'll be tested on the tools you bring to the test.

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-I strongly recommend getting an "official" weather briefing from Flight Service, Foreflight, or some equivalent program.  Printing METARs and TAFs from aviationweather.gov almost always leads to missing information.  As a good rule of thumb, if you didn't have to give someone your aircraft registration number in order to receive your briefing, you're probably missing information that you're going to need during the test and during your flight.  Don't forget to look at the NOTAMs!

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-Know where to find extra information about airports, airspaces, etc.  Hot spots are a great example.  What exactly is the problem in that hot spot?  How much runway will you have if LAHSO is in effect?

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-Please dress comfortably.  There's no need to "dress to impress."  Shorts are perfectly fine.

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-Bring a snack or some lunch.  Sometimes the test runs long, especially if we have any weather delays.  No one flies well when they're hungry.

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-Take your time.  A lot of the mistakes I see during tests are simply the result of people rushing into things without thinking about what they're doing.  If you take an extra 10 minutes to finish the test, that's fine.  Watch the details.

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-If it doesn't look right, go around.  Let me say that again: Go around.  Many accidents can be avoided simply by going around.

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-You're going to have a simulated engine failure during your flight.  There will most likely be a runway under you when that happens.  You will be expected to touch down on that runway.  Plan accordingly.  Many people fly their approach with no intention of actually landing, which totally defeats the point of the exercise.  Pick a touchdown spot, and then fly an approach that'll get you there.  

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-Landings: They don't need to be perfect, but they should be technically correct.  If the nose wheel is the first thing that hits the ground, that is fundamentally incorrect technique.  Don't force it on the ground if it isn't ready to touch down!  That's how we break airplanes.  The ACS says it best: Land with the longitudinal axis aligned with and over the centerline, at a proper pitch attitude, with the appropriate crosswind corrections made and maintained throughout the landing roll. Remember that both the Normal landing and the Slip to a Landing have graded touchdown points. For those, you need to be touching down at, or within 400 feet beyond, your selected touchdown point. For the Short Field Landing, you need to touch down at, or within 200 feet beyond, your selected point. If you touch down short of your point on ANY landing, then that landing is unsatisctory.  These are not my rules, that's straight out of the ACS. If you're not going to hit your desired touchdown point, you need to go around.

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-Stalls: You should be comfortable demonstrating the stalls to a full aerodynamic stall.  "To the break", basically.  Not the first indication, all the way in.  The power on stalls are going to happen at full throttle, not at a reduced power setting.  Yes, the ACS has a provision that allows for reduced power settings, but that's up to the DPE (that's me) and it's in place to allow for airplanes with more powerful engines than your average trainer. If you don't have a turbocharger, plan to use full throttle. For all the stalls, remember that we can do them either straight ahead or in a turn. I suggest practicing them both ways.  Remember as well that there are a number of stalls that may not be on the checkride, but if your CFI isn't teaching them to you, then you're not getting complete training.  Make sure you go through things like the cross-controlled stall, accelerated stalls, etc. The point is to be able to recognize the warning signs of these stalls and take action before they happen.

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-Slips and Skids: I've had a lot of issues recently with people who can't tell the difference.  That's a problem. We need to be able to identify each, use the appropriate one, and explain the aerodynamics involved.  I've had a number of people who tell me they're going to use a slip, but then show me a skid instead, and don't see that as a problem.  That's an automatic unsatisfactory test.  Deliberate skids thinking we're doing a slip are not acceptable.  When we perform the "Slip to a Landing" task, remember that the point of this task is a slip to a landing. It isn't a slip to intercept the VASI, then fly another 3 miles to the airport. It's supposed to be a relatively consistent descent to the runway.

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Questions?

Text me and ask!  I'm here to help.  You can try calling me too, but I do spend a lot of time in airplanes and I'm not always available to answer.  A text message is the most reliable and preferred way to reach me.  You can also take a look at some of the frequently asked questions page.

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