Private Pilot Checkride

[Saitek]

Hi Everyone!

I can't pass the checkride... I take off and climb to 2000ft, maitaining my direction. Once I reach this without doing anything wrong the examiner kicks me out and fails me. She says I rolled out to soon. I have not even been told to turn yet!!!

Please help, I really want to complete this.

Ben

[Scottler]

As with all versions of FS, the checkrides are full of bugs.  Skip 'em completely.  The lessons are great, but the checkrides suck.

[Saitek]

Is there no way it can be done???

Ben

[BiggBaddWolf]

I did go through some of the lessons.......as for the checkride....I gave up on that on a LONG time ago  :-/

[gw]

I breezed through the student pilot checkride and tried to do the same thing on the private.  I found out real quick that I couldn't just throw the plane around the sky and expect to pass.  These checkrides take time, they take skill and they take knowledge - not just of how to fly the plane but of what the examiner expects and that knowledge isn't always in the briefing.

So, Saitek, you're failing because you are blowing the initial heading.  You start off on runway 19 on a heading of about 192 degrees.  You have to maintain that heading through the takeoff roll, the climb and leveling off at 2000 feet.  If you get off of the heading by more than 10 degrees on either side she will fail you.  The rolled-out-too-soon is her way of saying "Watch your heading."

I have passed the private pilot's checkride so I know it can be done.  In fact, I just went back and flew the takeoff and climb.  If you hold your heading she'll tell you "Good Job" just before she tells you to start your first turn.

Go for it!

gw

[randombeaner]

you might want to check out
http://www.fs9.org/fshangar/tutorials.htm for some of the latter checkrides, I'm still not there but i'll get there eventually

[jordonj]

I have passed the private pilot checkride as well..it can be done!

Don't give up!!!

[Saitek]

Thanks everyone. Practice makes perfect!! I won't give up!! Thanks very much for the info gw and the website randombeaner.... I'll just check it out..

Ben

[Scottler]

Yes, it can be done, but not easily.  You can do virtually the exact same thing twice, and not pass the second time.  Impossible?  No.  Likely?  Nope.

[Corbin]

Saitek:  I am new to the Simviation Forum and  also Flight Simulator 2004....I have been enjoying reading the posts for the past few weeks.  I, like you am having difficulty trying to get my Private Pilot Checkride passed.  I can get through the first two steps of the check ride but can't seem to get past the 360 degree "C" turn without hearing those dreaded words "I'm sorry....but I am going to have to terminate, eliminate and kick you out of this checkride....and Ron said you were ready"!  My question is....could my joystick be too sensitive?  Anyone have any ideas?  It is extreamly difficult to maintain an exact heading, altitude, and speed without any deviation while turning.  Good luck with your checkride.  Like you...I will keep on trying.

[codered]

I did the real FAA checkride and you have to maintain your altitude within 100 feet above or below.  Plus you have to maintain your heading within I think 5 degrees.  Is FS so picky that you have to hold the exact altitude and heading regardless!

Plus the other problem is there is no human factor.  My FAA examiner was pretty cool.  Even though he made me nervous as heck!  I find the sim to be a lot tougher than the actual thing.

[gw]

codered,

FS9 looks for altitude +/- 100 feet most of the time and heading +/- 10 degrees.  On the VOR approach in the instrument checkride the altitude is +100/-50 because, I think, the approach plate specifies a minimum altitude.

And, yes, you're right about the human factor.  The FS9 lessons and checkrides are pretty good programs but they are, in that respect, fairly simple so it can be easy to get them confused if you stray too far from what they expect.

gw