Why you don't need to be worried about your flight tests...

Why you don't need to be worried about your flight tests

We have all been there the morning before an exam or test, running on two hours of disturbed sleep, unable to face even a small bowl of cereal adding to your already turbulent stomach. Ok, maybe not that bad but it is very unlikely you are a ‘Gary Lineker’ - who claims to have never been nervous in his life. If exams and test nerves are a weakness for you, being a pilot might not be the career for you. The route to the flight deck requires passes in approximately 35 exams total, theoretical and practical - not mentioning the unofficial milestone moments like your first solo etc. Plus yearly (sometimes twice yearly) simulator checks and rating renewal flights once you are qualified. Oh, and the medical examination every year. However, you actually have nothing to worry about.

We are not saying flight training is a breeze and you need not study, in-fact quite the opposite. Gaining a commercial pilots licence is often referred to as being as academically challenging as a university degree and the flying itself is a unique special skill - Liam Neeson style. It requires determination, dedication and drive from start to finish.

While the training is new to you, your instructors and flight school have been guiding people through the programmes for years and quite simply if they couldn’t get at least one student to pass, they wouldn’t be certified to be operating as a flight school. This brings us to our point. Flight schools are very proud of their pass percentages and so you will not be put forward for an exam or recommended for a flight test unless they believe there is a reasonable chance of you passing. This doesn’t mean you won’t fail, but based on the barometers your school uses to assess your exam readiness, you shouldn’t fail.

So on the morning of your all-important CPL or MEIR test (the big ones in most people’s eyes) be prepared, be aware of the importance but don’t lose your cool to nerves. You will likely have flown the exact same aircraft, route, profiles and approaches in the days leading up to your test - only the weather and person sat next to you will have changed. If you could do it then you can do it now, you wouldn’t have been recommended otherwise. On the morning of my MEIR test the first thing the examiner said to me was “You’ve passed, it’s far too much paperwork if you partial so just do what you normally do and you will be fine”. I did ask how much paperwork was involved if I failed “more than the amount of ink I have left in my pen” were his words - examiners really do not want to fail you. Again, this doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, but that is where it comes down to you to ensure you’ve gone above and beyond in your training to ensure you are test standard, and then some.

The pass bar for the theoretical exams might be 75%, but you’d never aim for that incase you fall short. After all, I don’t think your future passengers will appreciate you only putting 75% effort into getting them to their destination. Luton, Stansted, ah basically the same thing right!

If you reach the end of the normal course training and you aren’t quite feeling ready for your exam/tests you need to know more about your ATO and how they handle additional training. Is there a certain amount of free additional training or is it at a fixed rate?

You can find out this information from our ATOs with enhanced profiles - or by asking them directly. ‘Overruns’ as they are often referred to can be one of the largest hidden costs when completing flight training. These are additional charges for any extra training you may require.

You may risk it, send it and see if you can pass - but we don’t recommend that.

The negative impact a failure can have on your pilot CV, alongside the financial cost of retaking an exam or flight test (The MEIR Test cost around £1000 all in once you include aircraft hire and examiner fees) often make extra training and a first time pass a far better decision.

Looking after your physical health covers your annual medical, sometimes conditions come up or events happen which may revoke your medical fitness hence the importance of loss of licence, loss of medical and loss of training insurance. We always recommend you get your Class 1 Medical as one of the first things you do in your flight training journey.

Good Luck