P&P Dec 2012.pdf - Plane & Pilot News

Page 10 PLANE & PILOT NEWS December 2012
“Plane & Simple”
by Jim Trusty
FROM The Logbook:
cHecKRIDe-ITIS . . .
ReAL OR ImAGINeD?
Checkride-itis, is it real
or imagined? The answer
is probably both, but there
are ways to make it a little
less hectic and they seem
to work.
How do you spot those
students that might decide
to go nuts when checkride
time arrives? Beats me! I
just had one that was so
nervous that the examiner
almost postponed the ride.
When he called me to see
if I could think of anything
that might help this young
lady get over her fear, I
was absolutely shocked
that she could be nervous
or afraid of anything. This
lady is the type you would
think could go bear hunting
with a switch and give
the bear fair warning that
she was on the way.
I seldom have anyone
receive a pink slip,
although more than a
few have come close. I
have had students tell the
examiner they were looking
forward to the checkride
because after they
pass it they will not have
to endure me any more.
These are the same students
that recommend me
to their enemies and come
back themselves when it
is time for the next rating
or certificate. I personally
have high praise for the
Practical Test Standards
booklet and the level playing
field it produced. Also,
The Oral Exam Guide that
accompanies it really helps
the instructor prepare the
student for the questions
and answers containing
the multitude of information
they are expected to
know and retain before a
license can be issued.
As a flight instructor, I
never pass up a chance to
have another flight instructor
fly with my students.
It serves several purposes
at the same time. First,
they get to see what other
Jim Trusty
instructors say and do in
similar situations and they
come in contact with a different
face and voice in
the cockpit. Second, they
hear the same questions
but they are asked in a different
way and sometimes
they get new answers to
those same questions.
I really wonder if it is the
CRS#DKZR372X
test the student fears or if
it is the fear of failure itself.
The test, from the Practical
Test Standards, can be
given over and over again
from day one by anyone
so that the answers can
become second nature.
So it could be the person
giving the testing—the raw
power that they have with
which to fail you at the
drop of a hat.
It is kind of scary now
that you mention it. I have
never seen the necessity
of frightening someone
so badly that they could
not perform in a normal
manner, nor have I ever
found that to be the reason
behind the PTS or testing
in general. Power does
strange things to some
people, and a lot of them
would be better off without
it. I have several examiners
to choose from in
my area, and I refuse to
use an examiner who psychologically
beats up or
verbally abuses my students
simply because they
have the power to pass
or fail them. What makes
them so arrogant anyway?
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Is it because they have
more flying experience and
feel superior because the
student is lacking in the
same?
I’ve watched checkrides
deteriorate over the
years simply because the
examiner did not have any
people skills whatsoever,
and then I have seen other
examiners take a nervous
student and turn them into
I’ve never met an
examiner or an
inspector that killed
the victim on the
spot and ate them,
although I have been
told of it happening.
a successful test taker.
Some of the reasons given
to me over the years for
failure include the examiner
having the power to
fail you, being afraid to fail,
being nervous because it
is all finally coming to a
head, the misuse of position
by the examiner, the
student being improperly
prepared, poor instruction
on the part of the instruc-
tor, and just the fact that
two strangers are meeting
for the first time.
Most often we find that
the person taking the test
is just not a good test taker
at this point in their life
because they have not
taken very many tests.
Sounds goofy, I know,
but give it some thought.
Usually the best test takers
are those who have
taken a lot of tests, either
in school, in the workplace,
or somewhere else. They
have taken so many tests
that the mystery has been
removed. They understand
a test is not a measurement
of their intelligence; it
is simply a test to see what
they know about the subject
matter they are being
tested on today, which is a
big difference.
Careful preparation by
the flight instructor in finding
examiners who complement
the candidate,
having mock examinations
throughout your training
syllabus, and getting ready
for this test far in advance
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continued on page 11
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