Grounded!” by Trent Dyrsmid (≈13 min):
Paperwork & Pre‑Flight Prep
Mistake: Showing up with incomplete logbooks, missing endorsements, an unrun weight‑&‑balance or no current charts.
Fix: Triple‑check your IACRA, medical, endorsements, aircraft docs and have a printed checklist for every step—so you never get “parked” before you even fly.
Rushing the Oral Exam
Mistake: Blurting out half‑baked answers to FAR, weather or systems questions, then backtracking under pressure.
Fix: Take a breath, think in “FAR + Practical” structure, speak clearly (e.g. “According to FAR 91.103…”), and use real‑world examples rather than memorized bullet points.
Failing to Stay Ahead of the Airplane
Mistake: Reacting to tasks instead of planning them—letting your scan break down, getting behind on checklists, and flying unstabilized approaches.
Fix: Maintain a cyclic scan, use flow patterns (engine → instruments → controls), brief every segment (“Before landing…,” “After landing…”), and keep your head out of the cockpit more than in it.
Unstable, “Floaty” Landings
Mistake: Floating long on touchdown, poor glide‑path discipline or botched crosswind technique, triggering an automatic “go‑around” fail.
Fix: Fly a stabilized 3° approach, call out “100 ft”—“50 ft” for a consistent flare, practice crosswind crabbing/wing‑low methods, and don’t hesitate to go around if you’re off‑profile.
Bottom line: nail your paperwork, master your oral prep with calm, keep ahead of the airplane in every phase, and deliver one smooth, stabilized landing. That four‑step focus will keep you out of the DPE’s failure column and firmly on your way to a clean checkride.
