During your training, you will be introduced to the rectangular course and other ground reference maneuvers. Ground reference maneuvers integrate the fundamentals of flight and demonstrate that you have competence in manipulating the flight controls and applying control pressures to maintain a pre-determined aircraft course relative to objects on the ground. Applying this skill to the rectangular course is the basis for airport traffic patterns.

To begin the rectangular course maneuver, we’ll first select a prominent rectangular field bounded by four section lines whose sides are approximately equal to a typical traffic pattern. The field selected should be close to a suitable place to land in case of an emergency. We’ll complete the Pre-Maneuver Checklist and ensure the areas is clear of any traffic.

The airplane will be flown at 1,000’ AGL parallel to and at an equal distance from the field boundaries – about ½ – ¾ miles from the boundary as you would fly a traffic pattern. To maintain this equal distance on all legs of the maneuver, we will have to adjust bank angles during the turns and apply wind correction angles to prevent drifting toward or away from the field boundaries. The airspeed flown should be what’s recommended by the manufacturer, but at an airspeed not to exceed maneuvering speed.

The entry into the maneuver should be accomplished downwind as you would enter the traffic pattern where groundspeed will be the greatest. On the downwind leg, there should be no wind correction angle if the wind is directly behind us, but with any type of quartering tailwind, some drift correction will be necessary. The turn from the downwind leg onto the base leg is entered with a relatively steep bank angle since the groundspeed is greatest. The steeper bank angle is necessary in order to maintain the equal distance from the boundaries.

Enter the rectangular course maneuvers on a 45 degree angle to the downwind leg.

As the airplane turns onto the following base leg, the tailwind will decrease and becomes a crosswind. The bank angle should be reduced gradually with coordinated aileron and rudder input. The pilot should be prepared for the necessary crosswind correction and compensate by turning more than 90° angling toward the inside of the rectangular course.

The turn from downwind leg to base leg will be more than 90 degrees to compensate for the increasing crosswind.

The next leg is where the airplane turns from a base leg position to the upwind leg. Ideally, on the upwind, the wind is directly on the nose of the airplane resulting in a direct headwind and decreased groundspeed; however, some drift correction will be necessary for any type of quartering headwind. The pilot should roll the airplane into a medium-banked turn with coordinated aileron and rudder input.

As the airplane turns onto the upwind leg, the crosswind lessens and becomes a headwind, and the bank angle is gradually reduced with coordinated aileron and rudder pressures. Because the pilot was angled into the wind on the base leg, the turn to the upwind leg is less than 90°.

The next leg is where the airplane turns from an upwind leg position to the crosswind leg. The pilot should slowly roll the airplane into a shallow-banked turn (the shallowest bank of the maneuvers since groundspeed is the slowest into the headwind). As the airplane turns onto the crosswind leg, the headwind lessens and becomes a crosswind. To compensate for the crosswind, the pilot maintains an angle into the wind, toward the outside of the rectangular course, which requires the turn to be less than 90°.

The final turn is back to the downwind leg, which requires a medium-banked angle and a turn greater than 90° since we were angled into the wind and away from the field boundary on the previous leg. The groundspeed will be increasing as the turn progresses and the bank should be held and then rolled out using coordinated aileron and rudder input.

Throughout the maneuver it’s important to maintain positive, coordinated control at a constant airspeed, altitude and distance from the field boundary. It’s also important to continue to be aware of your surroundings by scanning for other traffic or obstacles.

To summarize:

Standards:

1. Altitude: ±100 feet
2. Airspeed: ±10 knots
3. Bank: Avoids banking in excess of 45°

Procedures:

1. Select an altitude of 1000’ AGL/or an appropriate traffic pattern altitude.
2. Select a prominent rectangular field bounded by four section lines whose sides are approximately equal to a typical traffic pattern. The major axis of the rectangle should be approximately parallel to wind direction at flight altitude. The field should also be close to a suitable place to land in case of an emergency.
3. Perform Pre-Maneuver Checklist and clear the area.
4. Establish the appropriate cruise airspeed (not to exceed maneuvering speed) and enter the maneuver at a 45° to the downwind. The first circuit should be to the left.
5. Establish the proper Wind Correction Angle to maintain a uniform distance from the field boundaries.
6. Commence and complete turns abeam the field boundaries.
7. Vary the bank angle (not to exceed 45°) to maintain a constant radius during the turns.

Common Errors:

1. Failure to adequately clear the area.
2. Poor reference selection.
3. Failure to establish proper altitude, prior to entry. (Typically entering the maneuver while descending).
4. Failure to establish appropriate wind correction angle resulting in drift.
5. Gaining or losing altitude.
6. Poor coordination. (Typically skidding in turns from a downwind heading and slipping in turns from an upwind heading).
7. Abrupt control usage.
8. Inability to adequately divide attention between airplane control and maintaining ground track.
9. Improper timing in beginning and recovering from turns.
10. Inadequate visual lookout for other aircraft.

No one enjoys being evaluated, but the checkride is a necessary step.

Checkride day is finally here – the end of one chapter in your aviation journey filled with many triumphs and challenges unique to flight training.  Only the satisfaction of putting your knowledge, skills and decision-making ability you’ve accumulated into the checkride remain.

While it’s important to understand, by virtue of your instructor’s endorsement, that you’ve met all of the requisite knowledge, experience, and skill elements to become a pilot, it doesn’t completely alleviate the inevitable checkride jitters. A good examiner will approach the checkride of the mindset that you’re a licensed pilot unless given reason to believe otherwise. This is an important distinction from the belief that it’s up to you to prove your worth.

I’m convinced no one actually enjoys the checkride environment. The thought of an examiner, who may be someone unfamiliar, carefully analyzing your every response, decision and input can rattle you to the core unless properly managed. There are those who possess more confidence, either through preparedness or ignorance, and those who naturally excel in the high-stakes checkride setting. But given the option between evaluation and not, suffice it to say we’d all retreat to safety and comfort.

But no matter the side of the coin you find yourself on, the checkride is the necessary and required step for certification so let’s look at what to expect, how to prepare, and how to settle the nerves.

Don’t wait until checkride day to meet your examiner.

1) Don’t wait until checkride day to meet your examiner. While the onus should be on your CFI or flight school to ensure you’re property introduced and briefed as to what to expect from the examiner, do your part and insist on learning as much as you can about the individual and the exam profile. No, this isn’t cheating. Quite the contrary. This is a wise, prudent step in preparing for the big day. Nearly all examiners have their “thing” they may wish to emphasize or teach and if it’s important enough to test, it’s important enough to teach and learn.

Does the examiner have a typical cross-country and diversion scenario? Does the examiner prefer to combine maneuvers? Is there an airport the examiner enjoys visiting? Does the examiner have a preferred emergency scenario? Will the examiner insist on examining aircraft logs? Does the examiner fully embrace your electronic charts? For an IFR checkride, what are the most likely instrument approaches?These are some questions you may consider answering in advance of the checkride.

2) Set the stage for success by ensuring the details are complete. This begins with a review of experience requirements for the certification itself. It’s wise to be versed in these requirements and know where the elements are documented in the logbook. Written test results should be in hand with an understanding of deficient knowledge areas. Be sure to have payment in an acceptable form at the ready. Sporty’s offers interactive checkride checklists within its online courses to ensure you’ve complete the details.

• Private Pilot Checkride Checklist
• Instrument Rating Checkride Checklist

Complete your performance planning before the checkride.

3) Know the certification standards which are the examiner’s guidebook. Have a thorough understanding and even a copy of the standards with you so it may be referenced if necessary. Don’t panic if you haven’t spent much time in the certification standards. Your instructor will have been teaching to these standards along the way, but it would still be a worthy investment of your checkride preparation time, to familiarize yourself with the guidance.

4) Have aircraft logbooks and/or records available. Many examiners will expect the pilot to demonstrate aircraft airworthiness with a review of the aircraft logbooks. While you may be able to recite, chapter and verse, the required aircraft inspections, you may be asked to take it a step further by locating those required checks in the aircraft and engine logs. Don’t make checkride day the first time for opening an aircraft log.

5) Complete weight and balance, performance, and cross-country planning. A basic expectation of any checkride is flight planning. You may be asked to prepare a cross-country flight plan. Suffice it to day, weight and balance and performance data should be a part of this preparation. Check and double check your work and be prepared to explain how the information was derived especially when using flight planning apps. Most examiners will use the flight plan as a means to exploring other areas of the certification standard typically contained in the oral phase. Even if you’ve transitioned to the flight phase of the checkride, oral questioning can and likely will continue.

6) Take charge and be in command. Transitioning to the flight phase, consider that part of the examiner’s evaluation includes your ability to make safe, sound decisions and be the pilot-in-command. Take control (command) of the situation and make your own definitive go/no-go decision and carry this mantra all of the way though your flight. If you don’t like how a situation is unfolding, take action. Perfection is not a passing requirement, but good decisions are.

Review the required ACS maneuvers so the procedures are fresh.

For your checkride, DO:

• Learn the examiner ahead of your checkride and study the expected profile.
• Complete the details – 8710 application, logbook, written exam results, flight plan, payment all in order.
• Review all of the airspace and chart symbology along the cross-country route ahead of the checkride to ensure that it is understood.
• For an IFR checkride, review all likely instrument approach procedures
• Study your aircraft’s limitations and memory items. Examiners are fond of using these elements as starters for many of your oral questioning.
• Relax in between maneuvers and don’t rush.
• Be the PIC and fly as you’ve trained.
• Review the appropriate ACS to ensure that you are comfortable and familiar with what is to be expected.
• Review popular oral exam questions. Sporty’s offers oral exam flashcards as part of its checkride preparation module with questions and answers of likely oral exam questions. Review a sample from the Instrument Rating Course below:

For your checkride, DON’T:

• Study obscure regulatory or AIM entries searching for the needle in the haystack.
• Memorize answers. Learn the material, not someone else’s summary of the material.
• Cram up to checkride time. Once you’re within a few hours of the exam, put the books down and relax.
• You can always be better and no one expects perfection. When your CFI says you’re ready, go for it.
• If you make a mistake, own it and move on.
• Depart from your routine. Begin and end your days as you ordinarily would.
• Second guess. Your first instinct is usually correct.

Examiners have a job to do, but they are people and pilots just like you. If there is some question of what is being asked, ask for clarification. Communication is key to the examiner understanding your thought process and decision making. Checkrides have plenty of emotion and pressure that will hopefully allow you to excel. Don’t bring unnecessary pressure or emotion to the flight by overreaching or trying to do too much. Fly like you’ve trained and be the PIC.