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Check ride questions

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Student Pilot

I recently was denied a checkride for the following reasons: 1) I have a replacement Student Pilot medical as my original was destroyed (they should make those things out of something other than paper)... my examiner took a major issue with the fact that the replacement certificate only says "medical" not "student pilot cert"), even though my IACRA registration clearly showed that my student pilot cert # was current and valid.  I've spoken with OK CITY three times and they have assured me that I have exactly what I need, but the examiner isn't budging. 2) My CFI didn't sign every single line of dual instruction logged, just the bottom of each page of my logbook... I can't seem to find a definitive answer on exactly how a CFI needs to sign off on training hours 3) Even though I had 6 hours of dual instruction in the past 60 days, they were not logged specifically as "checkride prep", 4 hours were listed as the maneuvers and skills practiced, and 2 were logged as checkride review. Do those hours specifically need to be logged as "checkride prep?" I spoke to a different examiner who didn't see a problem with ANY of that... what is the real deal???

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3 Answers



  1. Kris Kortokrax on Apr 02, 2015

    1) If you have only a medical certificate (i.e. it does not specifically say “Student Pilot Certificate” and does not have the space for solo and solo X-C endorsements on the back), then you do not have a Student Pilot Certificate. Your original certificate is the one showing up on records in OKC and on IACRA. The examiner is correct on this issue. You need to have in your possession a piece of paper that says “Student Pilot Certificate” on it and that has your solo endorsement and solo X-C endorsement on the back.

    2) Your CFI does not know how to make logbook entries. Each lesson must be endorsed as provided in 61.51(h) and 61.189. If he is saying that it is OK to just sign at the bottom of each page, why not just say that he could sign just the last page on which he gave you instruction. Where do we draw the line. You are paying him for his time. He can surely make the effort to sign off each lesson.

    3) There is no requirement to label the instruction given in the previous 2 calendar months (not 60 days) as “checkride prep”.

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  2. Kris Kortokrax on Apr 02, 2015

    Oops, forgot to mention that the Student Pilot issue is easily resolved. The DPE can issue a Student Pilot certificate. If he won’t, go to your FSDO, explain the circumstances and an inspector will issue you a Student Pilot certificate.

    Once you have it, take it to your instructor and have him enter the appropriate endorsements on the back.

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  3. Heidi Rittenhouse on Apr 02, 2015

    Thank you Kris… think I’ve got it all straightened out. My CFI was a military trainer and hasn’t had a primary student in 30 years… I knew paperwork was going to bite us in the butt at some point… thanks for your help

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