So I scheduled my private pilot exam for Tuesday. I'm a little anxious for it. I shouldn't have scheduled it, should have just studied until I felt ready and then walked in and took it. But my future work schedule has me going out of town a lot and it wouldn't have been possible to take the test until spring if I don't get it done in the next two weeks.

So, as I am sure some of us have, I am wondering if I am prepared enough. Here's what I've done to study:

Rod Machado's Private Pilot 40 hr online ground school. Took all the quizzes/tests and really tried to make sure it sunk in.
Since then I have just been using a couple apps to study and do practice tests. Private Pilot Test Prep is one and ASA Prepware Private Pilot is the other. I've been consistently scoring in the mid 80's on the practice exams on both apps with a couple in the 90's. When I got my A&P license, mid 90's was the rule of thumb, so that's what I am pushing for over this weekend. It'll no doubt be a weekend filled with studying.

Finally getting to the point...
A) Do you think where I am at now is prepared enough?
B) If not, what do I need to do?
C) What is the situation going to be like when I go take my exam? I assume computer based and I will find out my results immediately?
D) I don't have an E6b electronic flight computer, just the trusty manual one. I feel good with using that, but am seeing a lot of talk of having the electronic one. Your thoughts?

Also, assuming this all goes well I have my physical on Wednesday and then I will be calling this flight instructor ( www.blueridgesportflight.com ) down in North Carolina to schedule flight lessons with him. He does a two week full-time course. Fly a couple times a day and do your checkride at the end of the two weeks with your tailwheel endorsement as well. Will be going down there in spring. Thanks for any words of advice/encouragement you may have!
Casey

You're ready. It's pass fail. 70 is all you need.

Computer based. You'll get a test supplement book with charts, diagrams, etc.

Electronic E6B is excellent, but analog will get you through. If you plan to move forward with instrument, commercial etc, just pick up the electronic version now.

Results will be instant. If you don't know an answer, mark the question and keep moving forward. When you get to the end, go back and revisit the unknown questions.

Very good answers from TradeCraft. Don't worry about score. Hopefully, computerization has greatly increased the bank of questions. In my day, pre computer, they retained most missed questions. Questions that made the least sense were most retained. There is a principle in education: test them on what they know. FAA is administrative not educational.

Honestly, shoot for 100%. Sounds like overkill, but your check ride examiner will cover every section you missed. If you get a 70%, that’s a lot of ammo you’re giving them for the oral.

AP2Pilot wrote:….Also, assuming this all goes well I have my physical on Wednesday and then I will be calling this flight instructor ( http://www.blueridgesportflight.com ) down in North Carolina to schedule flight lessons with him. He does a two week full-time course. Fly a couple times a day and do your checkride at the end of the two weeks with your tailwheel endorsement as well.....

This is for a private pilot license-- two weeks from solo to checkride?
Wow!

Personally, I would take more time and focus on learning this information very thoroughly rather than just racing across the "finish line" as soon as possible. It's easy to say "I'll circle back and strengthen my weaknesses", but in reality, that usually doesn't happen. Computer testing centers exist in nearly all regions, and you can usually schedule or cancel a knowledge test on very short notice. These are the fundamentals that the entirety of your knowledge body as an airman will be built upon.

With regards to the two weeks to check-ride approach, adequate aeronautical decision making and risk management practices can't effectively be developed in two weeks. Insights take time.

Getting a pilot's license is a fantastic accomplishment, but don't discount the process. Developing an attitude of diligence, discipline, thoroughness and accountability is perhaps the most rewarding part of the process. These attitudes will extend in to the rest of your life.

Upon completion of your practical exam, your examiner will most likely say something that seems trite, like "this is a license to learn..." but he or she will be right, and your ability to learn will only be as strong as the foundation that is built during this phase of training.

My .02

Thank you for the comments so far!

I definitely didn't mean to give the impression that I am discounting this process or racing through it. I just happen to be leaving the country for about 4 months and since I have spent a crap-ton of time studying, I want to take the test while it is freshest, rather than have the test looming over my head for the next four months. This will hopefully be a good milestone for me to achieve, and I can focus on the flying aspect next.

There's some debate on the accelerated programs, but for my schedule I think it will be good. I know for me personally, I learn things best and they stick best when I do them every day. I do agree that the ADM and CRM aspects take much longer to grasp and sink in far enough to become part of your natural train of thought, but having been in aviation for 14 years I am familiar with a lot of these concepts. Still, I definitely learn new things every day.

Thanks,
Casey

Get it done. The written is by and large BS, just pass it and move on. There is nothing wrong with an accelerated course. Way better than the start, stop, start, fly with this instructor until he quits then wait a month until there’s another one, start over, etc. If that guy can get you done, go for it. They used to solo guys in J3’s (oh my not in a taildragger[emoji849]) in 5 hours or less back in the day. Lots of them went on to be professional pilots and flew those modern ADF approaches.

Grab on to the opportunity with both hands and don’t let go if you really want to fly!

I think a full on approach is great. My son soloed in six hours and had his license in under three weeks. It took me 18 months. I think he was the better pilot at 100 hours. Might have helped that he was 18 and I was 52:)

I think you should just do your best studying this weekend and not worry about the results. It's true your oral exam may be harder with a lower exam score but in the end you will get your private pilot certificate. The accelerated program is a great way to maximize the results and actually save money on your ticket. There is a ton of information to learn but training is a really enjoyable experience overall.


Josh

At Ag Flight, all my primaries soloed in six hours in tailwheel. Two came every other Sunday and soloed by Wednesday. Acceleration works. Ask the military.

Passed!! 93%. Thanks all!

Well, I'm disappointed. "Only" 93%. Gosh, how awful!

I'm a little less confident about the 2 weeks start to finish school, though. I frankly don't see how it can be done. Even a Part 141 school requires a minimum of 35 hours of flight training, and very few finish that quickly. That's nearly 3 one hour flights a day for every day of the 2 weeks and doesn't take into account weather, illness, airplane unavailability, etc. That's an incredible load. When I was first learning, I had some days with 2 flights several hours apart, and by the end of the second flight, I was drained. And I was only 29.

But you should plan to train frequently. When I was instructing, my students who trained frequently, twice or 3 times a week, did much better than the weekend-only ones, and the ones who skipped weeks regressed a whole bunch. Some ancient FAA study showed that a student who only flies once a week loses about 50% of what he/she learned the previous week.

Best wishes--and congrats on that horrible written score!

Cary

I was really surprised with my FAA written. I have taken it twice. Once many years ago and I stopped training..so, had to retake this time around. In the version I took there was no need for an E6B at all!! No navigation questions at all..seem like I recall a few on my first exam, but none on this one. I could not believe it. Mostly regulation type stuff. Yano, the boring stuff. Lol.

I was surprised too. I studied pretty hard getting to know the E6B. Never touched it during my test.

Congrats! On to flight lessons