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How to

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Your Recurrent Part 135 IFR-PIC Checkride

2003 REVISION – For Flight Express Pilots

By Austin S. Collins, Manager of Training

READ the three applicable recurrent testing regulations: FAR §135.293 (the VFR Competency Check), FAR §135.297 (the IFR Proficiency Check) and FAR §135.299 (the Line Check).

STUDY the Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook.

PRACTICE running the flows and checklists while sitting in the airplane, vocalizing everything as you go.

DO NOT show up unprepared (as if you haven’t known for the past six months that the checkride was coming). Be professional.

DO NOT act like having to do a recurrent checkride is an unfair and unreasonable burden that you must suffer through. We all have to do it. Be professional.

DO NOT take an arrogant, immature attitude. “Hey, I’m a great pilot; I don’t need all these stupid rules and procedures to do my job!” Be professional.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION PAGE BRIEF ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 3 INTRODUCTION 7 WHY DO WE DO RECURRENT CHECKRIDES? 8 THE REGULATIONS 12 FAA FORM 8410 17 THE TASKS 19 THE FAA PTS FOR AN ILS 22 THE FAA PTS FOR A NON-PRECISION APPROACH 23 WHAT’S ON THE WRITTEN TEST? 24 GRACE PROVISIONS 25 COMMON EXCUSES FOR A BAD CHECKRIDE 27 WE DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO 28 LEVELS OF ABILITY 29 RECURRENT GROUND TRAINING 31 FREIGHT DOG SYNDROME 32 OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO LEARNING 33

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BRIEF ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (See the rest of this booklet for more detailed information.)

Q: What’s going to be on the checkride? A: All of the maneuvers and procedures listed on FAA form 8410 and/or in Federal Aviation Regulations §135.293, §135.297 and §135.299. Be sure to read them carefully. Q: Will there be a written test? A: Yes. §135.293 and §135.297 both call for an “oral or written test,” each on a different list of subject areas. (Most pilots seem to prefer the written format to the oral format. Plus, from the Check Airman’s perspective, it is easier to administer to groups and also to grade objectively. Also, it provides tangible proof to the FAA that we are testing our pilots on all of the required subject areas.) Q: What will be covered on that test? A: All of the subject areas listed in paragraph (a) of §135.293 and paragraph (c) of §135.297. (See page 22.) Q: Can I do it as an oral instead of a written? A: Yes, unless there is a group being tested, in which case it is more practical and expedient to do it as a written. In any case, the subject areas will be the same. Q: Will it be open-book or closed-book? A: This will be a closed-book test; no reference materials may be used. Q: Why? A: The regulations say that a test must be given “on that pilot's knowledge,” which implies that what is being tested is what that pilot actually knows as opposed to what that pilot knows how to look up. (During the post-test review and critique, however, reference materials may be used for discussion.) Q: On the checkride, do I have to use all those flows and checklists we learned in initial training? A: Yes. Those are among the standardized, FAA-approved company operating procedures you are supposed to use for safety on every single leg of every single flight, just like a flight crewmember of a major national passenger airline would. As a single-pilot crew, you can get away with not using them because there is no captain or first officer or flight engineer or FAA inspector or Check Airman sitting next to you and observing all the time. If, during your checkride, you either completely fail to use any of your flows and checklists or you do them in such an awkward, confused and disorganized way that it’s patently obvious to the Check Airman that you never use the correct procedures when flying the line, that will be a valid basis for an unsatisfactory checkride and, at the discretion of the Director of Operations, termination. Q: Why is the company so concerned with flows, checklists and procedures? Don’t they just want me to get the work delivered on time? A: Repairing and replacing parts (and even whole airplanes) damaged as the result of pilot errors costs Flight Express hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. About two-thirds of these costly incidents and accidents could have been easily prevented if the pilots had followed the standardized, FAA-approved company operating procedures published in the General Operations Manual and the Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook.

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Q: How much notice will I have? A: As much as possible, which unfortunately often isn’t a lot. As soon as we know, we’ll tell you. It may be two weeks or one day. Q: Will I have to travel? A: Maybe. Flight Express may send a Check Airman to a centrally located airport such as Nashville or St. Louis and then have all pilots due for recurrent testing converge on that location for a weekend of checkrides. Or the company may ask you to travel to our Principal Operations Base in Orlando. Q: Will I be allowed to use a Flight Express airplane to travel to and from my checkride? A: We sometimes allow this, depending on the details of the situation. Don’t do it unless you receive specific permission from the Director of Operations! Q: Will I be compensated for my travel expenses? A: Depending on how far you have to drive, yes. If you only have to drive across town, for example, then you will not be compensated for local mileage. Q: Will I be provided with a hotel room? A: No, unless circumstances beyond your control (such as bad weather or mechanical problems) force you to stay somewhere overnight. Q: Will I get a second chance if I fail? A: At the discretion of the Chief Pilot and the Director of Operations, you may receive remedial training and be allowed to take the checkride again or you may be terminated. Q: What’s the difference between the recurrent ground training and the oral or written test given as part of the checkride? A: §135.351 requires that recurrent ground training be given to each flight crewmember every 12 calendar months. We meet this requirement with an open-book written test on the POH for the 210 or the Baron and a course of computer-based, self-directed tutorials. You can complete the computer tutorials in Orlando or on a mobile laptop which we circulate through the northern bases. The oral or written test given as part of the checkride, however, is required by paragraph (a) of §135.293 and paragraph (c) of §135.297. This is a separate, different requirement and is not generally met at the same time. Q: Does it change my base month when I take an initial equipment checkride in the Baron? A: Yes. Unless you take it in your current base month, the month in which you take your upgrade checkride will be your new base month. Q: I’m dual-qualified in the 210 and the Baron. Which one do I take my checkride in? A: You will alternate between types. Q: How long do I have to take the checkride before I’m overdue? A: You can take your checkride from the first day of your early base month until the last day of your late grace month without changing your base month (a total of three months). If you take your checkride before the first day of your early base month or after the last day of your late grace month it will “reset” your base month. If you haven’t taken your checkride after the last day of your late grace month then you are no longer legal to fly for us. It is worth noting, however, that if you fail a checkride you are immediately illegal to fly for us, even if you failed it on the first day of your early base month.

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Q: Can I take my recurrent checkride with an FAA inspector at my local FSDO? A: Yes. But be aware that §135.301(b) does not apply to FAA inspectors; if you fail a maneuver you fail the checkride. You will not receive additional instruction during the flight. Q: What happens to the three copies of the 8410 form that the Check Airman makes? A: One goes to our Principal Operations Base in Orlando, where the Director of Operations puts it in your personnel file. Another goes to the Orlando Flight Standards District Office. The third is your copy to keep. Q: Do I have to carry my copy of the 8410 form with me when I fly? A: No. If an FAA inspector ever asks to see proof that you are legally qualified to work for Flight Express, have him or her call our Principal Operations Base in Orlando and speak to the Director of Operations. Q: Is there any reason for me to keep my copy of the 8410 form? A: Your recurrent checkride is good as a §61.56 Flight Review for 24 calendar months and also counts to fulfill your §61.57(c) recent instrument experience requirement for 6 calendar months. If you own or rent an airplane, this may save you some time, money and trouble. (Think of it as a fringe benefit.) Q: Will the Check Airman give me any kind of logbook endorsement or signoff? A: No. Since you are already appropriately certificated, rated and endorsed to fly the category, class and type of aircraft in which you take your checkride, you can simply log it as regular pilot-in-command time, not dual received. Q: Why do we meet the requirements for all three checkrides every six months? Aren’t the VCC and the Line Check only due every 12 months? A: We do it this way to make it easier to keep track of who is due for what and when. And because there is so much overlap and duplication between the checkrides, it actually doesn’t take much longer to meet the requirements of all three of them than it does to meet the requirements of any one of them. Q: What is the overall pass rate? A: The pass rate has varied greatly in the past. There were periods when the pass rate was as low as 75%. Most of the time, however, the pass rate is very high – as it should be – ranging between 95 and 100%. Q: What is the average score on the written test? A: Over the course of the past year the cumulative mean monthly scores have been in the high 80s and low 90s. Q: How many questions are on the written test? A: The current version of the test booklet consists of 100 questions. Your Check Airman will assign you some of the questions – not all of them. The 100 questions in the pool are arranged in 8 parts which correspond to the regulatory requirements which dictate the contents of this test. The smallest part contains only 2 questions; the largest part contains 30 questions. The minimum passing score, as with all FAA written exams, is 70%. (This means that you can miss up to 24 questions and still pass the test.) Q: Why is the written test so long? A: We need to be able to prove to the FAA that we are testing our pilots on all of the required subject areas. Q: Is the recurrent checkride going to be easier or harder than the initial checkride? A: It will be exactly, precisely, 100% identical in every way.

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Q: Will I fail the checkride if I make a single mistake? A: If you are flying with an FAA inspector, probably. If you are flying with a Check Airman, probably not. A Check Airman will usually provide additional training and then allow you to repeat unsatisfactory tasks. For example, if the checkride was going pretty well so far but then you made just one minor goof and blew a maneuver, the Check Airman is very likely to exercise his §135.301(b) authority and allow you to try it again. Moreover, he will probably only fail you if you either make a very serious blunder (the kind that would have killed you in real life) or show a consistent pattern of mistakes – a symptom of a general lack of overall competence and proficiency. In other words, you won’t “bust on a technicality.” Q: What if I already have something else scheduled – an appointment or an airline reservation or something? A: We strongly recommend that you check with us before you make any firm commitments during that period of time when your recurrent checkride is due – mainly in your base month and especially in your late grace month! Q: But what if there is something that I just absolutely, positively can’t get out of? You know, like a wedding or something? A: If you can’t make it to your scheduled checkride because of a personal conflict, talk to the Chief Pilot or the Director of Operations. You will probably be required to assume financial responsibility for getting yourself to Orlando to take your recurrent checkride before time runs out. Q: What happens if I’m too busy to get my recurrent checkride done and I run out of time? A: Then you will not be allowed to work for us any more until you complete your recurrent checkride.

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INTRODUCTION The fact that you are reading this is a good sign; it means that you have taken an interest in preparing for your checkride. Most people who fail checkrides – whether it’s a Part 61 private pilot checkride or a captain’s Part 121 line check – do so simply because they didn’t take the time or make the effort to get ready. Since you have this booklet open in front of you, you will probably not be one of those people. I wrote this because I have received many requests from the field for a single-source reference explaining what recurrent checkrides are all about, especially from those who had never taken one before and were worried. Hopefully you can find the answers to all your questions here. (If not, you can always call me at extension 618.) Once you understand the requirements you may find that there is nothing to fear.

Some pilots seem to think that a Check Airman’s job is to try to find a way to “get you” – to trick you, trap you and distract you into failing your checkride. Nothing could be further from the truth! First of all, remember that a Check Airman is a company employee. Although he is bound by the FAA’s regulations and standards when giving a checkride, his desire is for you to pass so that business can go on as usual. What does the Check Airman want? He wants the checkride to be a quick, painless experience in which the pilot being checked does everything right the first time. Then the Check Airman can finish the paperwork, shake hands, say “thank you” and move right on to the next one. That’s what the Check Airman wants! OK, so what does the Check Airman not want? He does not want the checkride to be a difficult, drawn-out ordeal in which multiple maneuvers must be repeated and the pilot being tested argues and makes excuses. That’s a hassle for everyone; it really slows things down. And what does the Check Airman really not want? He really doesn’t want to have to fail a pilot. That causes all sorts of problems for everybody. But a Check Airman will fail a pilot if the pilot leaves the Check Airman no choice. If a pilot does not demonstrate to a Check Airman that he can meet the FAA’s published minimum standards for acceptable performance, the Check Airman has no alternative but to call the checkride “unsatisfactory.” So don’t let this happen to you. (. . . Please!) Read the advice and suggestions on the following pages for preparing for your next recurrent Part 135 IFR-PIC checkride. Use them and ace it!

– Austin S. Collins

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WHY DO WE DO RECURRENT CHECKRIDES? The first, most obvious answer is that we have to. Recurrent checkrides are required by federal law. But there is another reason. They are a good idea. As much as many pilots hate them, they force everyone to stay current and proficient. They also weed out pilots who have lost their touch or who have developed personal, emotional, physical, psychological or mental problems and are no longer capable of safely doing their jobs. Moreover, the use of recurrent training is common and widespread in many industries. Medical doctors, for example, must undergo periodic re-training. Many doctors are board-certified, and in order to maintain this certification they must take an extremely rigorous and demanding round of exams – comparable to the exams they took in medical school – every few years. Let’s say that Dr. Smith has been practicing medicine for 30 years has to go through a recurrent training program at his hospital. He fails it, and fails it badly. Here’s my question to you: even though he has a license to practice medicine and 30 years of experience, would you want Dr. Smith to treat you or your family now? Of course not! Maybe he used to be a great doctor – or maybe he was never really that good. We don’t know. The only important fact right now is that he just failed a test that any competent physician should be expected to pass. Something isn’t right. So the hospital is right to get rid of him – to protect themselves and their patients from a doctor who doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing. Even Las Vegas showgirls, to use a very different example, have to formally re-audition every six months in order to keep their jobs. A panel of casting directors observes and evaluates their performances. The panel keeps the ones who look best on stage and terminates the ones who fail to dance well – no matter how long they have been in the show. “I can’t believe they fired me,” Heather cries. “I’ve been working here for ten years!” Maybe she used to be a great dancer . . . a decade ago when she was first hired. But now apparently she is past her prime and was ripe to be replaced with someone younger, stronger, faster, more flexible and less injury-prone, with a better memory for the routines. Heartless? Maybe, but that’s how the casting directors keep the shows filled with only the most talented performers. In the world of aviation, however, the stakes are a lot higher. The risks are much greater. We aren’t talking about an unsatisfied audience as the worst-case scenario. Instead, we’re talking about death and destruction.

The fact that you have been doing something for months or years does not necessarily mean that you have been doing it RIGHT or that you have been doing it WELL . . . or that you can do it right and well TODAY. You have to constantly study and practice. You have to relentlessly try to learn, grow and improve.

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Both Heather and Dr. Smith are likely to be very angry and bitter about losing their jobs. But that’s why this kind of testing is so essential: neither one of them would have stepped down voluntarily. Thus we see that the recurrent training and testing of pilots in the air carrier industry has a positive side and a negative side.

The Positive Side: It provides a means and an incentive for all line pilots to keep their abilities at a high level, including the abilities that they (fortunately) don’t have to use very often.

The Negative Side: For the good of the company and the safety of the pilot (as well as the general public), it provides a system for removing a person from the line whose abilities are not adequate.

We can’t afford to assume that people know what they are doing. FAA and NTSB statistics show this very clearly. “Pilot error” is overwhelmingly the most frequently listed probable cause in Part 135 on-demand, single-pilot, single-engine IFR operations.

Aviation-related knowledge and skills can be highly perishable if not used. Pilots who get overconfident, lazy and complacent can actually get worse, not better, as they accumulate hours because they are reinforcing bad habits. In other words, the pilot who is most at risk for an incident or accident is the one who has a bad attitude – “bad” in this case meaning unprofessional, careless, reckless and irresponsible.

In accordance with the “Positive Side” appearing above, recurrent checkrides are designed to help prevent this kind of attitude-based deterioration of knowledge and skills. And in accordance with the “Negative Side,” they are also designed to eliminate those whose knowledge and skills have already deteriorated beyond easy recovery – as well as those who may have previously “gotten lucky” and slipped through the cracks and in the back door on prior checkrides.

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“A checkride isn’t like flying in the real world!”

Nope. It isn’t supposed to be, either.

A person’s performance and attention plateau in a controlled, supervised environment will generally be much higher than it is in an uncontrolled, unsupervised environment. That’s just human nature.

Flight crewmembers who operate with two or more people on the flight deck benefit from this fact. Why do you think the FAA requires two-pilot or three-pilot crews on jets so automated they can practically fly themselves? It’s so that the pilots can cross-check each other and back each other up. And because people function with greater efficiency when they know they are being watched.

Psychologists tell us that flight crewmembers who operate alone – especially for days, weeks and months at a time – may discover that their procedural discipline, checklist use and focused, methodical, professional attitude all diminish, making them significantly more vulnerable to incidents and accidents related to carelessness, recklessness, complacency or overconfidence. Through bitter experience, we have found this to be true.

We only get to observe a pilot once every six months. This is why a pilot’s demonstration of knowledge, skill and conduct must be so high on a checkride. The pilot is expected to take extra time, be extra cautious and double-check everything even more than usual.

A = level of accuracy and precision during a checkride, when the pilot is paying close attention and being sure to do everything right. B = level of accuracy and precision when flying in a multi-pilot environment, when the pilot doesn’t want to embarrass himself by doing something wrong. C = level of accuracy and precision after flying alone and unsupervised for a long period of time. At level C, the pilot is so comfortable and relaxed that he may not realize how many things he is overlooking or neglecting . . . until an error or omission leads to an accident.

If A is unacceptable, then C is certainly going to be unacceptable.

A checkride is not intended to be a realistic representation of a typical flight. Instead,

it is supposed to be an exaggerated and amplified obstacle course, testing the pilot’s ability to function.

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The examiner’s responsibility is to make the checkride fair, reasonable and comprehensive while applying the FAA’s published standards objectively to evaluate the pilot.

The pilot’s responsibility is to be well prepared and take the checkride

seriously.

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THE REGULATIONS Flight Express, Inc. is a Part 135 commercial air carrier. Accordingly, we must abide by the applicable federal requirements for recurrent training. These requirements are strict, explicit and specific. Don’t waste your time questioning them. They are non-negotiable. You might not like them or agree with them – in fact, I might not, either – but it doesn’t matter. Rules are rules.

Misconception: The Check Airman primarily uses his own arbitrary, subjective judgment to evaluate a pilot. Reality: The Check Airman is severely limited by the FAA’s regulations and standards. Although some degree of subjectivity is inevitably involved in any interaction between human beings, the Check Airman is bound by the rules and guidelines published by the federal government.

For example . . . The FAA’s Practical Test Standards (PTS) for the instrument rating

include the following for a steep turn: Altitude – +/- 100 feet throughout the turn Airspeed – +/- 10 knots throughout the turn Bank Angle – 45° +/- 5 degrees throughout the turn Inclinometer – ball centered throughout the turn Heading – roll out as directed (after completing a 180° or 360° turn) +/- 10 degrees

If a pilot successfully does that, the Check Airman has no choice but to call it a satisfactory steep turn.

If a pilot fails to do that, on the other hand, the Check Airman has no choice but to call it an unsatisfactory steep turn.

It is not within the Check Airman’s discretion to arbitrarily or subjectively say “I liked the way you did that steep turn” or “I didn’t like the way you did that steep turn.” The pilot either met the published standards or else he didn’t. There is little or no room for the Check Airman’s personal opinion. If it’s in the FAA’s Instrument / Commercial PTS or the Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook, you have to do it that way. If it’s not in either of those publications, however, you can do it whatever way you like. There are three checkrides which you must satisfactorily complete on a recurring basis in order to remain legal for single-pilot IFR-135 operations. This is something the government takes very seriously. If the FAA discovers that a pilot flew for Flight Express under Part 135 without a current checkride, the company could be fined up to $10,000 – per flight leg! The three checkrides are: the VFR Competency Check (VCC) – FAR §135.293 – every 12 calendar months

the IFR Proficiency Check (IPC) – FAR §135.297 – every 6 calendar months

the Line Check – FAR §135.299 – every 12 calendar months

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The recurrent checkrides are 100% identical to the initial checkrides – the standards and requirements

are exactly the same in every way. The requirements for these three checkrides may be met all at once in a single flight. This is what we typically do at Flight Express because it simplifies the recordkeeping and is less confusing to the pilot. (We used to accomplish only the checkride that was actually due, but this led to a nightmarishly complicated system of keeping track of who was due for what and when – especially for those who were dual-qualified in the 210 and the Baron. Not surprisingly, the pilots had a hard time understanding it.) In fact, because there is so much overlap and duplication between the three checkrides, it doesn’t usually end up taking much longer to meet the requirements of all three of them than it does to meet the requirements of any one of them! So your recurrent checkride will actually be a “triple” checkride, just like your initial checkride was. During this “triple” checkride, you will meet the requirements for all three Part 135 checkrides (the .293, the .297 and the .299) at once, in a single flight that normally lasts about 1-2 hours. Part 135 checkrides may be conducted by FAA inspectors or by authorized Check Airmen.

A Check Airman is a pilot employed by the company and specifically authorized by the FAA to conduct initial and recurrent Part 135 checkrides. (A Check Airman is the Part 135 equivalent of a designated pilot examiner.) Flight Express employs two full-time Check Airmen: Chief Pilot Matthew Harper and myself, Austin Collins, the Manager of Training. We are both also fully qualified and active line pilots in both the 210 and the Baron. (In case you were wondering, we also have to take the same recurrent checkrides you do every six months, although we sometimes take them with FAA inspectors from the local Flight Standards District Office who monitor Flight Express.)

To pass a checkride, you must demonstrate all of the applicable maneuvers and procedures listed on FAA Form 8410 and/or listed in the three regulations above within the published commercial and instrument pilot FAA practical test standards (PTS). If you fail a checkride, you may receive remedial training and be allowed to take the checkride again or you may be terminated. That decision will be made by the Director of Operations on a case-by-case basis.

Now let’s have a look at these three checkride regulations in detail . . .

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FAR §135.293 The so-called “.293” is the VFR Competency Check, consisting of an oral or written test followed by a flight check. Both the oral or written test and the flight check are given by a company Check Airman, and you must satisfactorily complete them both every twelve calendar months or else Flight Express cannot use you as PIC. The oral or written test required by paragraph (a) of §135.293 must include:

(1) the appropriate provisions of FAR Parts 61, 91, and 135 and the operations specifications and the manual of the certificate holder [Flight Express]; (2) For each type of aircraft to be flown by the pilot, the aircraft powerplant, major components and systems, major appliances, performance and operating limitations, standard and emergency operating procedures, and the contents of the approved Aircraft Flight Manual or equivalent, as applicable; (3) For each type of aircraft to be flown by the pilot, the method of determining compliance with weight and balance limitations for takeoff, landing and en route operations; (4) Navigation and use of air navigation aids appropriate to the operation or pilot authorization, including, when applicable, instrument approach facilities and procedures; (5) Air traffic control procedures, including IFR procedures when applicable; (6) Meteorology in general, including the principles of frontal systems, icing, fog, thunderstorms, and windshear; (7) Procedures for-- (i) Recognizing and avoiding severe weather situations; (ii) Escaping from severe weather situations, in case of inadvertent encounters, including low-altitude windshear; and (iii) Operating in or near thunderstorms (including best penetrating altitudes), turbulent air (including clear air turbulence), icing, hail, and other potentially hazardous meteorological conditions; and (8) New equipment, procedures, or techniques, as appropriate.

If a subject area is listed in paragraph (a), then we must test you on it, either orally or in writing. You can therefore assume that you will be asked questions on all of the above topics. Be ready.

The flight check required by paragraph (b) of §135.293 . . .

may include any of the maneuvers and procedures currently required for the original issuance of the particular pilot certificate required for the operations authorized and appropriate to the category, class and type of aircraft involved.

In other words, I can ask you to demonstrate any maneuver or procedure currently in the FAA PTS for the commercial pilot certificate with an ASEL or AMEL rating, as appropriate. Now take a look at paragraph (d), which spells out the standard of competent performance which the pilot is expected and required to meet during the checkride:

For the purpose of this part, competent performance of a procedure or maneuver by a person to be used as a pilot requires that the pilot be the obvious master of the aircraft, with the successful outcome of the maneuver never in doubt.

This is a very important paragraph. Let’s take a moment to consider it.

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Paragraph (d) makes it very clear that it is not enough for a pilot to be able to just barely meet the minimum standards after multiple attempts, especially when it is clear that he is near the limits of his abilities. In short, this stuff is not supposed to be unreasonably difficult for an experienced professional pilot. It is stuff that you should be able to do without too much mental or physical effort.

If a pilot is struggling desperately just to perform a task within the PTS, that is not good enough to fulfill §135.293. He must be “the obvious master of the aircraft,” meaning that he is confidently in control, and the “successful outcome of the maneuver,” i.e., the performance of the task within the PTS, must “never” be “in doubt.” In a word, you are supposed to be an expert pilot. That’s why we hired you. FAR §135.297 The so-called “.297” is the Instrument Proficiency Check, and it must be satisfactorily completed every six calendar months.

(b) No pilot may use any type of precision instrument approach procedure under IFR unless, since the beginning of the 6th calendar month before that use, the pilot satisfactorily demonstrated that type of approach procedure.

In other words, you may not shoot an ILS under Part 135 unless you have demonstrated an ILS for a Check Airman or an FAA inspector within the previous six months.

No pilot may use any type of nonprecision approach procedure under IFR unless, since the beginning of the 6th calendar month before that use, the pilot has satisfactorily demonstrated either that type of approach procedure or any other two different types of nonprecision approach procedures.

Because of this provision, we will do at least one ILS and at least two different types of non-precision approaches (for example, a VOR and an NDB) during the IPC. This will enable you to shoot an ILS as well as any type of non-precision approach while flying the line.

The instrument approach procedure or procedures must include at least one straight-in approach, one circling approach, and one missed approach. Each type of approach procedure demonstrated must be conducted to published minimums for that procedure.

So now you know that you will do at least the following approaches during your checkride: an ILS down to minimums a non-precision approach down to minimums a second non-precision approach (of a different type) down to minimums a circling approach a straight-in approach a missed approach

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you will do six approaches; we can combine required tasks in order to complete the checkride in less time. For example, if you shoot a circling NDB, a VOR to a missed approach, and an ILS to a full stop then you will meet all the requirements.

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Please bear with us if airplane availability, airplane equipment, air traffic control issues or wind

conditions make it difficult to do everything that the FAA requires us to do. There are times when getting an IPC done involves a lot of flying and/or waiting. We apologize in advance for any delays we might face. Rest assured, we do the best we can to get the checkrides done in the minimum amount of time reasonably possible.

(c) The instrument proficiency check required by paragraph (a) of this section consists of an oral or written equipment test and a flight check under simulated or actual IFR conditions.

Once again, both a written or oral test and a flight check are required. Note the subjects about which you can expect to be quizzed.

The equipment test includes questions on emergency procedures, engine operation, fuel and lubrication systems, power settings, stall speeds, best engine-out speed, propeller and supercharger operations, and hydraulic, mechanical, and electrical systems, as appropriate.

§135.297 also specifies what we must cover during the flight check, and how well you must perform the maneuvers.

The flight check includes navigation by instruments, recovery from simulated emergencies, and standard instrument approaches involving navigational facilities which that pilot is to be authorized to use. Each pilot taking the instrument proficiency check must show that standard of competence required by §135.293(d).

It goes on to tell us that the IPC must . . .

For a pilot in command of an airplane under §135.243(c), include the procedures and maneuvers for a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating.

FAR §135.299 The so-called “.299” is the Line Check, and it must be satisfactorily completed every twelve calendar months. It must . . .

(2) Consist of at least one flight over one route segment; and (3) Include takeoffs and landings at one or more representative airports. In addition to the requirements of this paragraph, for a pilot authorized to conduct IFR operations, at least one flight shall be flown over a civil airway, an approved off-airway route, or a portion of either of them.

Once again, every time you come in for a recurrent checkride we will meet the requirements for, and sign you off for, all three of these checkrides — the VCC, the IPC and the line check — in a single flight which usually lasts about 1 to 2 hours.

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FAA FORM 8410 Whether it is your initial checkride or a recurrent checkride, the FAA inspector or Check Airman who gives it will fill out a document called FAA Form 8410. This is similar to FAA Form 8710, which is the Application for an Airman Certificate or Rating, except that when you pass a Part 135 checkride you do not receive a certificate or rating. Instead, you receive an “operating privilege:” the legal ability to act as PIC under IFR under Part 135. Form 8410 is filled out in triplicate. The primary copy goes in your training file at our Principal Operations Base in Orlando. The secondary copy goes to the Orlando Flight Standards District Office, FSDO-15. You get to keep the tertiary copy. You do not have to carry it with you when you fly the way you would with a certificate or rating. You can throw it away if you want to. You may wish to hang on to it, however, because it proves that you are legally current. And as long as you are current to fly for us under Part 135 you are also current to fly on your own under Part 91. Your recurrent checkride is good as a §61.56 Flight Review for 24 calendar months and also counts to fulfill your §61.57(c) recent instrument experience requirement for 6 calendar months. If you own or rent an airplane, this may save you some time, money and trouble. (Think of it as a fringe benefit.) FAA Form 8410 lists the following items which we are specifically required to do during the checkride. We may also do additional things, but these items are absolutely mandatory – the rock-bottom minimum. PREFLIGHT Equipment Examination (Oral or Written) Preflight Inspection Taxiing Powerplant Checks

TAKEOFFS Normal Instrument Crosswind With Simulated Powerplant Failure [multiengine only] Rejected Takeoff

INFLIGHT MANEUVERS Steep Turns Approaches to Stalls Specific Flight Characteristics [slow flight and/or minimum controllable airspeed clean and dirty] Powerplant Failure [the approved company procedure]

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LANDINGS Normal From an ILS [Note that this is a separate task from the ILS approach itself.] Crosswind With Simulated Powerplant(s) Failure [multiengine only] Rejected Landing [go-around] From Circling Approach [Note that this is a separate task from the circling approach itself.]

EMERGENCIES Normal and Abnormal Procedures [alternator failure, gear failure, vacuum pump failure etc.] Emergency Procedures [engine fire, runway incursion etc.]

INSTRUMENT PROCEDURES Area Departure Holding Area Arrival ILS Approaches Other Instrument Approaches Circling Approaches Missed Approaches Comm./Nav. Procedures

GENERAL Judgment

NOTE 1: All tasks listed above must be performed within the applicable FAA Practical Test Standards or else they will be considered unsatisfactory and a “U” will be placed on the 8410 form. NOTE 2: All tasks listed above must be performed exactly according to the Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook (where applicable) or else they will be considered likewise unsatisfactory.

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THE TASKS Let’s take a look at some of the maneuvers and procedures that you will do during your recurrent checkride and briefly discuss the standards and expectations for each. Three rules apply to all tasks. (This applies to every aviation job you are likely to have from now on.) USE YOUR COMPANY FLOWS AND CHECKLISTS FROM THE HANDBOOK. VOCALIZE all flow and checklist items. (You must say everything out loud as you go.) Proceed CAREFULLY and SYSTEMATICALLY, not mindlessly or reflexively. (Don’t rush, don’t

skip things and don’t assume things are already done.) FOR EXAMPLE . . .

WRONG

The pilot lifts off, immediately grabs the gear handle and mumbles “gear up.”

RIGHT 1. Verify / vocalize: “Postitive rate of climb on two instruments.” 2. Verify / vocalize: “Clear of all obstacles.” 3. Verify / vocalize: “Out of usable runway.” 4. Lightly apply the brakes to stop the wheels from spinning. “Tap brakes.” 5. Select gear handle – UP and vocalize: “Gear in transit.” (Use those precise three words.) 6. Verify / vocalize: “Amber light – ON.” 7. Verify / vocalize: “Hydraulic power pack – OFF” 8. Verify / vocalize: “Gear up and locked.” 9. flaps – ZERO The first way was a mindless, reflexive act. The second way was a deliberate, methodical procedure. Some pilots like to operate according to this motto: “Move slowly but move now.” You will probably never hear a Check Airman say “wow, you did that really fast!” But you may well hear him say “wow, you did that very smoothly, accurately and confidently.” In fact, nowhere in the PTS will you find the adjective “fast.” What you will find, however, are the adjective “prompt” and the adverb “promptly.” Which brings us back to the motto above: “Move slowly but move now.” Doing the wrong thing with amazing speed is not an accomplishment.

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All Flight Express flows are shown below in italics. All Flight Express checklists are shown below in ALL CAPS. For complete and detailed information on how each task should be done, refer to the Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook. For complete and detailed information on the standards for minimum acceptable performance, refer to the FAA Instrument and Commercial Practical Test Standards Preflight Inspection – Follow the green laminated Flight Express Pre-/Post-Flight Procedures Card. Don’t miss anything that could adversely affect the safety or legality of the flight. Engine Start – Run the BEFORE STARTING checklist. It’s absolutely amazing how many pilots skip this essential step on their checkrides – on their checkrides! – and just fire up the engine. Taxiing – Taxi at a steady and reasonable speed. Stay on the yellow taxiway centerline! Remember to perform your taxi instrument check flow as published in the Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook. Powerplant Checks – Follow the BEFORE TAKEOFF and ENGINE RUNUP checklists. (Refer to the Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook for amplification of the procedures they contain.) Normal or Crosswind Takeoff – Perform the lights, camera, action flow when cleared onto the runway. Acquire and maintain the centerline. Follow the takeoff flow and landing gear retraction flow. Perform the climb flow at the appropriate time. Instrument Takeoff – You will be wearing a hood (or Foggles) to simulate taking off in below-standard visibility conditions (under 1 statute mile). You can raise your view-limiting device so that you can see about two runway centerline stripes ahead. Once you have lifted off you will go fully under simulated instrument conditions. Rejected Takeoff – The Check Airman will say “abort.” Smoothly retard the throttle to idle. (Don’t yank it violently.) Remain on the centerline. If the Check Airman says “continue,” you may resume the takeoff. Steep Turns – Configure the airplane as published in the Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook. Perform steep turns to the left and right as instructed. Approaches to Stalls – Configure the airplane for a power-on or power-off stall as published in the Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook and as instructed by your Check Airman. Perform the maneuver as instructed, recovering at the first sign of an impending stall. (You may define “first sign” however you like, as long as you recover prior to the actual stall break.) Use the stall recovery / go-around procedure published in the Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook. Specific Flight Characteristics [slow flight and/or minimum controllable airspeed clean and dirty] – Configure the airplane as published in the Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook and as instructed by your Check Airman. Perform the maneuver as instructed. Powerplant Failure [the approved company procedure] – Execute the engine failure flow followed by the ENGINE FAILURES checklist. If your check airman tells you that the engine has not restarted, execute the engine secure flow followed by the FORCED LANDINGS checklist.

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Normal or Crosswind Landings – Touch down smoothly on the runway centerline at the airplane’s approximate stalling speed with the airplane’s longitudinal (nose-to-tail) axis aligned with the airplane’s direction of motion. Landing from an ILS [Note that this is a separate task from the ILS approach itself.] – Follow the landing from an ILS procedure in the Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook. Rejected Landing [go-around] – Smoothly and promptly execute the go-around flow from the Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook. Landing from a Circling Approach [Note that this is a separate task from the circling approach itself.] – Keep your pattern close in and high. Do not descend below the circling MDA until you are within 30 degrees of the extended runway centerline and landing is assured. Normal and Abnormal Procedures [alternator failure, gear failure, vacuum pump failure etc.] – Follow the appropriate normal or emergency checklist carefully, one item at a time. (Refer to the Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook for amplification of the procedures they contain.) Emergency Procedures [engine fire, runway incursion etc.] – Follow the appropriate emergency checklist carefully, one item at a time. (Refer to the Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook for amplification of the procedures they contain.) Mixture Management – Follow the procedure recommended in the Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook. Area Departure – Correctly follow whatever departure procedure you have been assigned. Perform the climb flow, cruise flow and CRUISE checklist. Holding – Hold as assigned. Use an entry that keeps you in the protected holding airspace. Perform the in-range flow and IN-RANGE checklist prior to reaching the holding fix. Area Arrival – Follow all ATC clearances and advisories. Listen to ATIS or ASOS or AWOS as soon as able. Perform the in-range flow and IN-RANGE checklist at an appropriate time. ILS Approaches – Correctly execute the published precision instrument approach procedure. Follow the precision approach procedure in the Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook. Other Instrument Approaches – Correctly execute the published non-precision instrument approach procedure. Follow the non-precision approach procedure in the Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook. Missed Approaches – Correctly execute the published missed approach procedure. Comm./Nav. Procedures – Use proper radio phraseology and technique as published in the Aeronautical Information Manual.

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U. S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration

Instrument Rating Practical Test Standards

for a Precision Instrument Approach

Exhibits adequate knowledge of the elements of an ILS instrument approach procedure. _____

Selects and complies with the appropriate ILS instrument approach procedure to be performed. _____

Establishes two-way radio communications with ATC, as appropriate to the phase of flight or approach segment, and uses

proper radio communications phraseology and technique. _____

Selects, tunes, identifies and confirms the operational status of ground and aircraft navigation equipment to be used for the approach procedure. _____

Complies with all clearances issued by ATC or the examiner. _____

Advises ATC or examiner any time the aircraft is unable to comply with a clearance. _____

Establishes the appropriate aircraft configuration and airspeed, considering turbulence and wind shear, and completes the

aircraft checklist items appropriate to the phase of flight. _____ [Note: in our case, this means accomplishing the IN-RANGE flow and then backing it up with the IN-RANGE checklist prior to intercepting the localizer and then executing the TBGUMPS flow shortly after glideslope intercept.]

Maintains, prior to beginning the final approach segment, specified altitude within 100 feet, heading or course within 10° and

airspeed within 10 knots. _____

Applies the necessary adjustments to the published DH and visibility criteria for the aircraft approach category when required. _____

Establishes an initial rate of descent at the point where the electronic glideslope is intercepted, which approximates that

required for the aircraft to follow the glideslope to DH. _____ [Note: in our case, this means about 120 knots / 600 feet per minute for a standard 3° glideslope, adjusting as necessary for headwinds or tailwinds, UNLESS otherwise instructed by ATC.]

Allows, while on the final approach segment, no more than three-quarter-scale deflection of either the localizer or glideslope

indications and maintains the specified airspeed within 10 knots. _____

Avoids descent below the DH before initiating a missed approach procedure or transitioning to a normal landing approach.

Initiates immediately the missed approach procedure when, at the DH, the required visual references for the intended landing runway are not distinctly visible and identifiable. _____

Transitions to a normal landing approach when the aircraft is continuously in a position from which a descent to a landing on

the intended runway can be made at a normal rate of descent using normal maneuvers. _____

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U. S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration

Instrument Rating Practical Test Standards

for a Non-Precision Instrument Approach

Exhibits adequate knowledge of the elements related to an instrument approach procedure. _____

Selects and complies with the appropriate instrument approach procedure to be performed. _____

Establishes two-way radio communications with ATC, as appropriate to the phase of flight or approach segment, and uses

proper radio communications phraseology and technique. _____

Selects, tunes, identifies and confirms the operational status of navigation equipment to be used for the approach procedure. _____

Complies with all clearances issued by ATC or the examiner. _____

Recognizes if heading indicator and/or attitude indicator is inaccurate or inoperative, advises controller, and proceeds with

approach. _____ [Note: in our case, this means running the VACUUM PUMP FAILURE emergency checklist and then configuring the airplane for partial-panel flying prior to beginning the approach.]

Advises ATC or examiner any time the aircraft is unable to comply with a clearance. _____

Establishes the appropriate aircraft configuration and airspeed, considering turbulence and wind shear, and completes the

aircraft checklist items appropriate to the phase of flight. _____ [Note: in our case, this means accomplishing the IN-RANGE flow and then backing it up with the IN-RANGE checklist prior to intercepting the final approach course and then executing the TBGUMPS flow at the final approach fix or appropriate final descent point if no FAF is published.]

Maintains, prior to beginning the final approach segment, altitude within 100 feet, heading within 10° and allows less than a

full-scale deflection of the CDI and maintains airspeed within 10 knots. _____

Applies the necessary adjustments to the published MDA and visibility criteria for the aircraft approach category when required. _____

Establishes a rate of descent and track that will ensure arrival at the MDA prior to reaching the MAP with the aircraft

continuously in a position from which descent to a landing on the intended runway can be made at a normal rate using normal maneuvers.

Allows, while on the final approach segment, no more than three-quarter-scale deflection of the CDI and maintains airspeed

within 10 knots. _____

Maintains the MDA, when reached, within +100 / -0 feet to the MAP. _____

Executes the missed approach procedure when the required visual references for the intended landing runway are not distinctly visible and identifiable at the MAP. _____

Executes a normal landing from a straight-in or circling approach when instructed by the examiner. _____

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WHAT’S ON THE WRITTEN TEST?

Subpart G – Crewmember Testing Requirements Sec. 135.293 Initial and recurrent pilot testing requirements. (a) No certificate holder may use a pilot, nor may any person serve as a pilot, unless, since the beginning of the 12th calendar month before that service, that pilot has passed a written or oral test, given by the Administrator or an authorized check pilot, on that pilot's knowledge in the following areas-- (1) The appropriate provisions of Parts 61, 91, and 135 of this chapter and the operations specifications and the manual of the certificate holder; (2) For each type of aircraft to be flown by the pilot, the aircraft powerplant, major components and systems, major appliances, performance and operating limitations, standard and emergency operating procedures, and the contents of the approved Aircraft Flight Manual or equivalent, as applicable; (3) For each type of aircraft to be flown by the pilot, the method of determining compliance with weight and balance limitations for takeoff, landing and en route operations; (4) Navigation and use of air navigation aids appropriate to the operation or pilot authorization, including, when applicable, instrument approach facilities and procedures; (5) Air traffic control procedures, including IFR procedures when applicable; (6) Meteorology in general, including the principles of frontal systems, icing, fog, thunderstorms, and windshear, and, if appropriate for the operation of the certificate holder, high altitude weather; (7) Procedures for-- (i) Recognizing and avoiding severe weather situations; (ii) Escaping from severe weather situations, in case of inadvertent encounters, including low-altitude windshear (except that rotorcraft pilots are not required to be tested on escaping from low-altitude windshear); and (iii) Operating in or near thunderstorms (including best penetrating altitudes), turbulent air (including clear air turbulence), icing, hail, and other potentially hazardous meteorological conditions; and (8) New equipment, procedures, or techniques, as appropriate. Sec. 135.297 Pilot in command: Instrument proficiency check requirements. (c) The instrument proficiency check required by paragraph (a) of this section consists of an oral or written equipment test and a flight check under simulated or actual IFR conditions. The equipment test includes questions on emergency procedures, engine operation, fuel and lubrication systems, power settings, stall speeds, best engine-out speed, propeller and supercharger operations, and hydraulic, mechanical, and electrical systems, as appropriate.

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GRACE PROVISIONS

FAR §135.301 The FARs do give us some latitude. FAR §135.301 provides two ways to make staying in compliance easier. First, it gives us a three-month window in which to accomplish checkrides.

(a) If a crewmember who is required to take a test or a flight check under this part, completes the test or flight check in the calendar month before or after the calendar month in which it is required, that crewmember is considered to have completed the test or check in the calendar month in which it is required.

To understand and use this regulation, it is helpful to call the months of the year by their numbers rather than their names. For example, January is “month 1” and December is “month 12.” Let’s say that you pass your initial “triple” checkride in month 8 (August). You will be due for a recurrent checkride in month 2 (February) of the following year, six months later. In that case, you can pass it in month 1 (January), in month 2 (February) or in month 3 (March) and as far as the FAA is concerned for recordkeeping purposes you still passed it in month 2 (February). In this example February is considered your “base month,” and your next checkride is still due six months or twelve months from February regardless of whether you actually passed your last checkride in January, February, or March. January is your “early base month” and March is your “late grace month.” As a practical matter, you have a three-month window in which to pass your checkrides. FAR §135.301 also gives a Check Airman the legal ability to “time out” a checkride if it is not going well. He can then provide some additional training and resume the checkride.

(b) If a pilot being checked under this subpart fails any of the required maneuvers, the person giving the check may give additional training to the pilot during the course of the check. In addition to repeating the maneuvers failed, the person giving the check may require the pilot being checked to repeat any other maneuvers that are necessary to determine the pilot's proficiency. If the pilot being checked is unable to demonstrate satisfactory performance to the person conducting the check, the certificate holder may not use the pilot, nor may the pilot serve, as a flight crewmember in operations under this part until the pilot has satisfactorily completed the check.

The operative word is “may.” This is entirely at the discretion of the Check Airman. He does not have to give you a second chance. But he can, if he feels that it is justified. Everyone has an occasional mental lapse. If you fail to execute one maneuver within standards and the rest of the checkride was fine, then your Check Airman is very likely to exercise his FAR §135.301(b) authority, suspend the checkride, give a little bit of guidance, and then let you try the maneuver again. This is left entirely up to his judgment, however, so do not take it for granted!

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Remember that if you take a checkride with an FAA inspector you will not have this “escape clause.” (FAA inspectors may not give flight instruction.) If you fail a maneuver, then the checkride is immediately failed. The inspector must advise you that you have failed the checkride and ask if you wish to continue. If you do elect to continue the checkride you might be able to satisfactorily accomplish some other tasks, but the checkride will still be a bust and will have to be repeated later after you have received remedial instruction. You may only have to repeat the maneuver or maneuvers you failed, but you may be asked to repeat the entire checkride. Regardless of what task or tasks tripped you up, as of the moment you fail a checkride Flight Express may no longer use you as a pilot under Part 135 until you successfully re-take the checkride. This is true even if you failed it on the first day of your early base month! In order to take a checkride or complete a written or oral test, it may be necessary for you to travel to a location where a Check Airman or FAA inspector is available. This is part of your job, and although it is vexing and burdensome, we all have to do it. Depending on the particular circumstances, Flight Express may compensate you for some of your expenses, but remember that if you do not meet the FAA’s requirements we cannot use you as a pilot. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure compliance with the recurrent training provisions of Part 135. KEEP THIS BOOKLET. If you ever have any additional questions, call Matthew Harper (the Chief Pilot) at extension 652, me (the Manager of Training) at extension 618 or Ernst Andersson (the Director of Operations) at extension 650. Incredible and bizarre as it may seem, active line pilots have occasionally busted recurrent checkrides. Some pilots flying the line by themselves with no supervision grow overconfident, lazy and complacent. They may even become cocky and arrogant since doing the same thing every day makes them very good at it. Being good at what you do is certainly a good thing, but allowing it to lull you into careless and reckless behavior is a bad thing. If a pilot shows up totally unprepared for a checkride, having completely forgotten all his company flows, checklists and procedures even though he has known for the last 6 months that it was coming, then he may fail it. It’s rare, but it does happen. Don’t let it happen to you; always use your flows, checklists and other procedures. Do not allow yourself to become complacent and overconfident. The flows, checklists and procedures exist for good reasons – USE THEM, not just on checkrides but on every leg! Fly like a professional pilot; fly like a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder are diligently recording your every word and move. Always ask yourself “is what I’m about to do the most cautious and conservative thing I could choose to do, or am I about to take an avoidable risk just to save a little extra effort?” If you maintain that attitude, you will constantly be ready for your next checkride . . . as well as your next job interview!

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COMMON EXCUSES FOR A BAD CHECKRIDE

“I didn’t have enough time to study and prepare.” Hey, you have known for the past 6 months that you were going to have to do a recurrent checkride. Also, everything that we ask you to demonstrate or be aware of is stuff that you are supposed to understand and be able to apply on a daily basis.

“I don’t get to practice these things when I’m flying the line.” True, but that’s life. We do it the same way the airlines do it. Every 6 months you have to demonstrate that you have the ability to shoot an approach, perform a steep turn, deal with a power failure etc. If you have any doubts about your ability to do one or more of these things, then it is your responsibility to find a good CFII and spend some money on a simulator or an airplane, practicing. It will be no different when you are flying a Boeing instead of a Cessna. Do you think airline captains get the chance to practice engine failures on takeoff while flying the line?

“I don’t like the company’s procedures; I prefer my own way.” Tough. I don’t necessarily like them either. It doesn’t matter. You don’t get to decide what procedures to use. You will use ours or you will not keep your job. It would be no different if you worked for Delta or United or American.

“These things aren’t important; I don’t need to [know them / be able to do them] to work here.” It doesn’t make any difference if you think they’re important or not. The FAA requires you to demonstrate them to provide a measurement of your overall knowledge and skill.

“Aw, come on, nobody really uses these flows and checklists in real life. I haven’t used them since the day I took my initial checkride!”

You’ve got to be kidding. You’re telling me this?

Believe it or not, that last one is an actual excuse I heard from a line pilot preparing to take a recurrent checkride! (Do you get the feeling he wasn’t planning on an airline career?) Yes, he failed his checkride, and yes, he was fired. Whether you are a new-hire pilot candidate getting ready to take your initial checkride or an experienced line pilot returning for a recurrent checkride, the three keys to remember are: PROFESSIONALISM - Act like the professional pilot you are. Be disciplined, focused and well-

prepared. PROFICIENCY – Show a solid performance with no excuses.

PROCEDURAL STANDARDIZATION – Do everything strictly by the book . . . “the book” being the

Flight Express Initial and Recurrent Flight Training Handbook.

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WE DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO Recurrent checkrides are as important as initial checkrides from both a regulatory and a safety standpoint. We realize that it is often inconvenient for you to get these done. It is difficult for us as well. Since there are only 2 of us and about 70 of you, we are constantly behind. We do everything we can to accommodate your schedules when possible, but unfortunately we are usually very limited in our ability to do so. We frequently have to travel great distances and there are weeks when one or both of us have to work almost every weekend. We are grateful for your patience, understanding and cooperation in this area. When a line pilot fails a recurrent checkride, it’s bad for everyone; it’s a lose-lose situation. In accordance with FAA rules, the pilot must complete remedial training before he is allowed to attempt another checkride. This is time-consuming for us and for him. At the discretion of the Chief Pilot and the Director of Operations, the pilot may be remediated or he may be terminated. If he is terminated, then he has lost his job and we are suddenly short a pilot. Someone has to cover his run. (That person often ends up being one of us in the training department, causing us to fall even further behind.) The result is chaos which affects everybody. Therefore, as you can clearly see, it is greatly to our mutual advantage when all recurrent checkrides are completed satisfactorily. Please come prepared. Recurrent checkrides are not rubber-stamp formalities! They are evaluations designed to 1) give pilots an opportunity and an incentive to hone and refine their flying techniques and 2) identify pilots who have become sloppy and/or cocky after flying for months without supervision and give them guidance and counseling. (These are the pilots who are most at risk for an accident.) While we will do everything we can to help you get through your recurrent checkrides, including, at our discretion, allowing you to repeat maneuvers, we cannot sign you off unless you demonstrate the level of proficiency specified by the applicable FAA regulations and practical test standards on all required tasks. Do not assume that just because you have been flying the line every day you do not have to study and practice for a recurrent checkride. Even highly experienced airline captains study and practice to get ready for their recurrent checkrides. It is something you need to take very seriously. You may as well get used to the idea of taking a recurrent checkride every six months. Whether you go to a 135 carrier or a 121 carrier from here, you will have to do it for the rest of your career. Since it will probably not be done at your domicile, you will almost certainly have to travel. And it will be tough and challenging. Recurrent checkrides are a simple, inevitable, universal fact of the industry. If a task is listed in the regulations, we have to ask you to do it. If a task is not listed in the regulations, however, we cannot ask you to do it. We are slaves to FAA Form 8410, the applicable Part 135 rules and the practical test standards, as well as to our own FAA-approved training program, operations specifications and general operations manual. In other words, it’s not personal and it’s not subjective. Know what to expect on your recurrent checkride and be ready for it. Then everybody will be happy. Ask competent pilots who have already taken recurrent checkrides and they will tell you that they are not unreasonable or difficult, although they are comprehensive.

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LEVELS OF ABILITY (“How Good Do I Have to Be?”)

LEVEL 4

EXPERT – CAPTAIN

Is highly knowledgeable, highly skilled, highly experienced and able to handle almost anything, including the most complex and difficult multiple emergency scenarios. Possesses prudence, wisdom and excellent judgment. Has most of the regulations virtually committed to memory and understands even their most subtle nuances and intricate details. Knows the airplane systems, components and procedures forwards, backwards and inside-out. Can quote from the pilot’s operating handbook almost verbatim. Is swift, fluent, precise and accurate on the radio. Follows company policies and completes company paperwork consistently, correctly and with ease. Grasps the most sophisticated weather theory. Can shoot even diabolically difficult approaches in the worst conditions and under the most stressful, distracting circumstances and still maintain total control.

LEVEL 3 PROFICIENT – EXCEEDS THE MINIMUM STANDARDS

Can do several things at once, such as talk on the radio while flying the airplane and reading an approach plate or a low enroute chart, without compromising his effectiveness. Can shoot challenging approaches in bad weather without losing control. Can make difficult and complicated decisions under pressure. Can cope with serious equipment problems such as vacuum pump or alternator failures and rough conditions such as airframe icing or thunderstorms without getting overloaded. Understands the regulations well enough to stay out of trouble even when the FAA examines a flight’s planning, preparation and execution closely. Has solid communication and navigation skills.

LEVEL 2 MEETS THE MINIMUM STANDARDS

Able to meet the FAA’s published practical test standards, but only on a good day and when nothing is going wrong. Understands enough about things like weather and regulations to pass a test but has no deep knowledge of these areas. In general, possesses the minimum knowledge and skill necessary to be an instrument/commercial pilot but not much more.

LEVEL 1 BELOW STANDARDS

Unable to demonstrate the ability to meet the FAA’s published practical test standards. This may be due to lack of recent experience, lack of quality training or personal and psychological factors. Why do you have to be at level 3 and not 2 or 4? Turn the page for some reasons . . .

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A pilot candidate needs to be proficient to pass a Flight Express Part 135 IFR-PIC checkride (level 3 on

the previous page). Although he does not have to be an expert (level 4), he does have to perform at a higher level than a regular instrument/commercial pilot (level 2). There are four reasons for this:

REASON #1

Federal Aviation Regulation §135.293(d) specifies the minimum satisfactory performance standard for

Part 135 pilots. During a checkride, “competent performance of a procedure or maneuver by a person to be used as a pilot requires that the pilot be the obvious master of the aircraft, with the successful outcome of the maneuver never in doubt.”

This means that if a pilot can demonstrate a task within the FAA’s published practical test standards but

only just barely, only after repeated attempts, only with coaching from the instructor and only when nothing is distracting him (such as bad weather or equipment failures), that is not good enough to satisfy §135.293(d).

REASON #2 Flight Express is a single-pilot operator. One pilot has to be able to handle everything and may often have to divide his attention between several equally important things. Flight Express airplanes have no cockpit automation and very little advanced avionics: no moving map, no IFR-approved GPS, no autopilot, no flight director, no fuel totalizer, no airborne radar etc. Most of our airplanes do not even have HSIs or DME. The pilot therefore has to be able to operate “the old-fashioned way,” hand flying on the steam gauges with a compass and a stopwatch while simultaneously reading a chart and communicating effectively with air traffic control.

REASON #3 As a Flight Express pilot, you fly almost every single day and you fly on a tight schedule. Unlike private pilots who can easily cancel flights when circumstances seem less than ideal, you are almost certain to have to deal with adverse weather conditions and equipment problems sooner or later.

REASON #4 Since, unlike the turboprop and turbojet operators, we cannot fly fast enough to go around large areas of bad weather or high enough to go over the top of bad weather, we are left with two options: pick our way through it or else don’t go. This requires knowledge, skill, judgment, maturity and experience.

The combination of a primitive, minimalist instrument panel and a single-pilot environment translates to a job that can be a lot of fun but also very challenging and very demanding . . . and very unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.

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RECURRENT GROUND TRAINING

FAR §135.351 requires that “each certificate holder [such as Flight Express, Inc.] must ensure that each crewmember receives recurrent training and is adequately trained and currently proficient for the type aircraft and crewmember position involved.” It goes on to say that “recurrent ground training for crewmembers must include at least . . . a quiz or other review to determine the crewmember’s knowledge of the aircraft and crewmember position involved.” You will come due for recurrent ground training 12 months after the month in which you passed your initial Part 135 IFR-PIC checkride. You will also come due for equipment-specific recurrent ground training 12 months after the month in which you passed your initial Baron checkride. Most major air carriers meet their annual recurrent ground training requirement by sending all of their line pilots to recurrent ground school once a year. (It usually consists of a full day of classroom work and then a written test at the end.) Due to the far-flung nature of our operation, however, that method is not practical for us. So we have developed a two-part recurrent ground training program. Part 1 is an open-book written test on either the Baron or the 210 (as applicable). Download and print a copy of this test from my Web site. Use the POH or AFM to find the answers. Then mail the completed test to me along with your signed and filled out ground training certificate. Part 2 is a program of self-directed, self-paced computer tutorials done through Computer Training Systems. (There is a link to their site on mine.) You must complete all tutorials, all lessons and all exams in all assigned subject areas. When you are finished, I will print a user report and add it to your training file.

www.austincollins.com/fex.shtml To find out when you are due for your recurrent ground training or your recurrent checkride

To download tests, handouts and other training materials

To see when and where your recurrent checkride has been scheduled

For complete and detailed instructions on recurrent ground training

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FREIGHT DOG SYNDROME

Can you be too good at your job? No . . . unless knowing how good you are makes you overconfident.

Let’s be blunt. Pilots who fly the line every day become very accustomed to their daily (or nightly)

runs. They often tend to slip into a lazy, complacent mode in which their procedural discipline declines rapidly and their brains default into a kind of mental autopilot. It can happen to the best of us.

Let’s face it: when you do the same thing every day, you quickly reach a point where you can do it

blindfolded with one hand tied behind your back.

There’s the problem. Overconfidence + fuzzy procedures = disaster.

Over a period of time, Flight Express has had a series of very expensive, very preventable incidents and accidents attributable almost entirely to pilot error. A lot of money was wasted and several careers were permanently affected. Sadly, three good pilots have died as a result of this kind of completely avoidable procedural breakdown. Others were injured or disfigured.

We noticed an interesting pattern in these unfortunate events. Many of the pilots involved had

demonstrated strong, above-average flying skills combined with weak and unenthusiastic procedural discipline. They tended to be cocky but not especially keen on using the company flows, checklists and standardized procedures. We half-jokingly refer to this as “Freight Dog Syndrome.”

It seems that a pilot whose ability to handle the plane is very good but resists or disdains the company

flows, checklists and procedures may actually be more at risk for an incident or accident than a pilot whose knowledge and skills are comparatively feeble but who has a very professional, methodical, one-step-at-a-time, careful, focused, disciplined attitude. We have found this to be true over and over again. As Check Airmen, we are constantly challenged to find ways to get through to line pilots who resist the structured, methodical approach because they think they can do just fine without it.

If you think maybe Freight Dog Syndrome describes you, perhaps you should think about taking another look at those flows, checklists and procedures. They exist for good reasons. The life and career you save may be your own. “We’ve had numerous incidents and accidents in which experienced Flight Express pilots damaged or even destroyed airplanes while taxiing. How many of those incidents and accidents do you suppose occurred while the pilot was maintaining the runway centerline at a safe taxi speed?” – Chief Pilot Matthew Harper

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OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO LEARNING

Earlier in this booklet I listed some common excuses made by pilots. Let’s explore this subject further. Commercial flight training can be an intense, emotionally charged ordeal or it can be a beneficial and even enjoyable process. It all depends upon the attitude of the pilot.

You cannot learn, grow and improve (as a pilot or otherwise in life) unless you can accurately self-evaluate and also accept valid and helpful criticism from others. Inaccurate self-evaluation – whether it is too optimistic or too pessimistic – is detrimental. Likewise, invalid and unhelpful criticism should be politely received and then quietly disregarded. But when you do something wrong, you should realize it, accept it, learn from it and then move on. You don’t have to waste energy defending yourself, explaining your actions or denying that you screwed up. Just say “oops” and proceed – it’s usually no big deal.

An individual’s life is an evolutionary, developmental process. It must include realistically acknowledging the current level of his abilities as well as his present limitations. Denial and defensiveness impede the process. Sometimes you just have to be brutally, painfully honest with yourself. EXCUSE: “I know what I’m trying to say; I just can’t seem to find the right way to say it.” TRUTH: If you can’t explain it clearly and in detail, then you don’t really understand it yet.

People often tend to believe that they understand something when in fact they only grasp the bare, minimal essentials of it. Until you are capable of explaining it clearly and in detail – and correctly – to someone else then you do not truly know it yet . . . you only know of it or about it. That’s not the same thing, although many people seem to think so.

EXCUSE: “I didn’t understand the question.” TRUTH: Maybe you didn’t understand the question simply because you didn’t know the answer.

People often tend to blame the question (or the person asking the question) when they don’t know the answer. It’s a defense mechanism; people hate to admit that they do not know things. Consider this: Would a person who does know the answer have trouble understanding that same question?

If other people who do know the answer do have trouble understanding the same question, then you can safely assume that, yes, it really was actually a poorly phrased, misleading or otherwise ambiguous question. The person asking the question (the Check Airman, for example) should change it to make it better. BUT . . . if people who do know the answer do not have any trouble understanding the same question, then you should assume that the problem was simply your own lack of knowledge. There is no shame in that; questions are asked for the purpose of determining what you do and do not know, and this information ultimately benefits you if you accept it with the right attitude.

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EXCUSE: “I usually do this very well; I’m just nervous because I’m being tested.” TRUTH: If you can’t do it in a critical, stressful situation then that means you aren’t very good at it.

People often tend to “lock up” when they know they are being judged. Being good at something means being able to do it when you are under pressure, like a musician or a dancer performing onstage during an audition in front of casting directors . . . or an athlete performing during a game in front of millions of spectators . . . or a doctor performing surgery when human life is at stake and the operating room is full of professional colleagues who are watching every move. Being able to do it when you are comfortable and relaxed and distraction-free is not much of an accomplishment. What the “judges” are typically looking for is someone who can do it well and do it right even in the most difficult and unpleasant possible situation, not someone who can do it when everything is perfect.

EXCUSE: “I normally am much better than this. I’m just having a bad day.” TRUTH: How good you are at something means how good you are even on your worst day.

People often tend to rate themselves based on the best performance they remember. In reality, you are not as good as your best performance. You are only as good as your consistent average performance. Scoring 10 points in one game does not make you a 10-point player! You are not a 10-point player until you can score 10 points more often than not . . . in at least every 3 out of 5 games, for instance. Also, how good you used to be has no relevance to how good you currently are.

According to the FAA’s Aviation Instructor’s Handbook, defense mechanisms are behavior patterns, often subconscious or involuntary, which are an attempt to deny or escape from an unpleasant reality. Because defense mechanisms involve self-deception and distortion of the truth, they are a hindrance to learning. People engage in these behavior patterns to ease feelings of failure, guilt and embarrassment and also to protect feelings of personal worth. Common defense mechanisms include: Rationalization – The pilot talks himself into believing that his performance was not that bad.

“I’ll never have to do that in real life; that wasn’t realistic or reasonable training.”

“The mistakes I made weren’t serious.” “I don’t really want this job that much anyway.”

Flight – In mental flight, the pilot loses focus, quits paying attention and begins daydreaming. In

physical flight, the pilot finds excuses to avoid flying, such as fatigue or imaginary illnesses or injuries.

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Aggression – When a pilot senses that he is not doing well he may turn on the trainer, becoming impatient, uncooperative or even openly hostile. Aggression typically begins with subtle things like sighing, groaning, rolling the eyes, yawning or using a tone of voice or body language that indicates the pilot is bored or unhappy. It often escalates into more confrontational forms such as arguing with the trainer or refusing to follow instructions. In extreme cases, it can manifest as rude comments or violent actions. This kind of conduct is immature, unprofessional and totally inexcusable.

Resignation – Pilots who feel great anxiety or who lack confidence may simply give up. They say

things like “oh, forget it. I’ll never get this right. I’m just not cut out for this kind of work.”

____________________________________________________

WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES. IT’S NO BIG DEAL. ACKNOWLEDGE THE ERROR AND PROCEED.

DON’T MAKE EXCUSES. DON’T DWELL ON IT.

DON’T LET IT THROW YOU OFF YOUR GAME. STAY FOCUSED; BE MINDFUL OF THE PRESENT SITUATION.

____________________________________________________ Sometimes the hardest thing in the world to say is “I was wrong” or “I made a mistake.” Believe me, I understand that! I freely confess that I’m sometimes guilty of it myself. It’s human nature. It’s difficult to admit that you did something badly when it’s something very important to you, something that you use to identify and define yourself. It takes courage and maturity to face an embarrassing fact and go forward. I do not claim to be a superior pilot. I do not even claim to be an above-average pilot. I often goof just like every other human being in the world. But I meet the FAA’s published standards and regulatory requirements and that is all I ever expect or can legally demand of any line pilot. As the Manager of Training, I have three objectives.

First and foremost, I don’t want anyone I sign off on to get hurt while flying for Flight Express. Second, and almost as importantly, I don’t want anyone I sign off on to get a career-ruining FAA

violation. And third, I don’t want anyone I sign off on to get terminated for consistently failing to do his

job properly.

I have not succeeded unless the company pilots I sign off on stay safe, stay legal and do their jobs well. THANK YOU for helping me reach this goal!

– Austin S. Collins

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