PPL checkride preparation crash courses review.
To pass your checkride confidently and avoid facing the check pilot multiple times for the private pilot license, you need a comprehensive checkride prep.
Read this post to find out the most suitable PPL checkride prep.
I describe how each checkride prep differs from the other and, most importantly, how each prep course can prepare you to meet DPE’s expectations.
Additionally, I answered some common questions to avoid people’s skepticism about these kinds of courses:
- Do you need a checkride prep course to pass your private pilot checkride?;
- How to utilize a PPL checkride prep course and get the most out of your investment?;
- Are these online flight instructors credible enough to teach you essential materials?;
- What new facts and ideas can you grasp from a checkride course?;
- How a checkride prep course differs from a private pilot online ground school course?
- Can an online system alone guarantee that you will pass your checkride?
I sorted the Top Four online courses from the most pricey ones to the most inexpensive ones:
- King School’s Checkride prep; 199, 6.5hrs Money back guarantee if you cannot pass on the first attempt. Available on iPhone/iPad/Android.
- FLY8MA;
- The Angle of Attack Checkride prep; 99, Includes Checklist PDF and downloadable mp3s, Available for any device with an internet connection, Money-Back Guarantee.
- Part-Time Pilot Checkride prep; 79.99
The courses mentioned are the most up-to-date and informative and have better audio and video quality than all other online checkride prep courses.
However, let’s start by removing student pilots’ doubts about buying a checkride prep course.
Do you need a checkride prep course to pass your private pilot checkride?
The straightforward answer to this question is NO.
It’s unnecessary to complete an online checkride prep course to pass the private pilot checkride.
Student pilots are knowledgeable about passing a checkride.
However, many students fear checkride because they don’t know what DPE might ask. Not only the questions for an oral exam, but student pilots also fret over the maneuvers an examiner wants an examinee to demonstrate.
Most of the time, student pilots fail the exam because they are not confident enough.
However, they know the answers to questions but lack confidence.
Thus student pilots can use Airman Certification Standards (ACS) by FAA as an outline to understand beforehand what to expect from the DPE.
A student pilot can prepare for the private pilot practical test using the ACS and the PPL oral exam guide.
RELATED: Private pilot checkride pass rate.
Regardless there are student pilots that require a structured course. Many students don’t understand where to begin preparing without a structured approach.
That’s when a PPL checkride prep can significantly affect preparation.
Students not fond of studying books and requiring visual explanations must purchase a course. Most checkride prep courses aim to boost students’ knowledge and prepare them for the questions the check pilot prefers to ask.
The structure of a course is not only to answer the examiner’s questions but to explain to the examiner:
- Why does something happen;
- How can a pilot tackle the situation?
After completing a course, you will likely be better at risk management using appropriate resources.
How do you utilize a PPL checkride prep course and maximize your investment?
The best way to utilize a checkride prep course is by buying it early in flight training. After completing the course, you can ask your flight instructor to practice what you learned from the study.
The courses include the maneuvers and essential topics from the Airman Certification Standards (ACS).
- Thus to become a competent pilot, form a habit of learning maneuvers that the course mentioned.
- Ask yourself the questions you encountered in the online class, and see if you are doing the right thing during the actual flight.
Practicing the items from the course will form a habit of doing the right thing in flight, and you will become a safer pilot.
If you did not buy the course yet and checkride day is nearing, you can still purchase an online prep course and use it as a refresher for your PPL checkride.
Now that we have discussed the checkride prep courses and their benefits, I will give you a list of checkride prep courses.
I won’t tell you these courses are the best course to pass your private pilot practical test because the best method for you is the one that helps you to ace your checkride.
These courses are the best, and your opinion might differ from mine.
Every instructor has a unique way of teaching. Hence, you must purchase a course that is easily graspable for you. Check the videos on the course’s websites to see if the language is understandable and transparent.
I listed the courses from the priciest one to the least pricey one:
King School’s Checkride Prep.
King School is a pioneer in teaching and training pilots in the aviation industry. John King is an experienced flight instructor and has trained thousands of pilots.
John King himself created this course with a designated pilot examiner. In the system, John King is taking a practical test. So it’s a way for a student pilot to see what happens during the oral exam and practical test.
John King can technically teach complicated subjects for students to remember.
Thus purchasing this course, you will learn a great deal about what to expect on your checkride and how to prove that you are ready to get a private pilot license.
John King is so confident in this course that he guarantees a full refund if a student pilot can’t pass their PPL practical test on their first attempt.
The course is available for Apple and Android devices.
FLY8MA Checkride prep crash course.
FLY8MA is famous for its free youtube content. FLY8MA founder is a former airline pilot who quit his airline job to attend flight school.
Jonathan Kotwicki spends a lot of time in the aircraft to create amazing instruction videos.
It’s easy to understand Jon’s videos as he explains and demonstrates them inside an aircraft. He describes a subject on the ground, and if necessary, he proves the topic in the air while flying a plane.
His checkride prep is not different from his other courses and free videos. However, as his focus is to prepare students for the checkride in this course, you will particularly learn how to answer your DPE’s questions.
You will learn to answer the examiner’s question and simultaneously demonstrate the check pilot’s maneuver requests.
Jon is an experienced pilot and flight instructor for offline and online ground schools. His friendly and fun way of teaching interests many student pilots.
So if you know Jon from his youtube videos and like his teaching style, FLY8MA’s PPL Checkride prep course is the best option.
At a lesser price tag of 149 USD, this course might be a better option for many than King School’s checkride prep. The downside of King School’s checkride prep is that the video quality looks outdated, whereas FLY8MA’s videos are in 4k.
Checkride Ace by Angle of Attack.
The Angle of Attack, founder Chris Palmer, is famous for his podcasts. I learned about him for the first time from a podcast. It was a Q&A podcast session where Chris Palmer answered the student pilot’s questions.
He is a knowledgeable pilot with 13 years of experience teaching Alaska pilots.
Chris Palmer’s Checkride Ace online course is excellent because he has a talent for explaining aeronautical subjects in straightforward, transparent language.
Another benefit of purchasing the Checkride Ace course is getting two different PDF files included in the study.
- PAVE Study guide: A fill-in-the-gaps style study guide to refresh your knowledge from PPL ground classes. This study guide aligns very well with the oral exam part of the practical test.;
- Checkride Checklist: The checkride checklist allows student pilots to better cockpit resource management. One crucial part of checkride is to demonstrate your resource management. This checkride checklist aids student pilots in doing that flawlessly.
Checkride Ace can be an excellent resource for student pilots to prepare for the private pilot checkride. Lastly, if you fail to pass your private pilot checkride on your first attempt, there is a money-back guarantee from Angle of Attack.
The course is the least expensive at 99 USD, and you have a money-back guarantee.
Checkride Prep by Part-Time Pilot.
On your checkride, your DPE will mostly ask you scenario-based questions. During your oral exam of your checkride, your flight instructor will ask questions based on the cross-country flight plan. Likewise, the examiner may continue to ask questions based on the scenario during your practical test.
The Part-Time Pilot did a good job designing this checkride prep course for student pilots to plan a cross-country flight and show you scenario-based questions along the flight route.
- Another cool thing in this checkride prep is that the instructor added notes from student pilots after passing their checkride. He asked student pilots to write essential practical test tips for other students and what to expect from your check pilot.
- The part-time pilot included tests and quizzes for student pilots to test their knowledge in this prep course.
The founder of Part-Time Pilot Nick Smith is a relatively new FAA-certified ground instructor. Regardless he has almost a decade of experience in the aviation industry.
I trust his course because he has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in Aerospace engineering.
In his lecture, he emphasizes the safety of operating flight, probably because he is an Aerospace engineer. One crucial aspect of checkride is the DPE wants to see how safely a student pilot can operate flights.
So if you learn from Nick Smith about the safety of flying an airplane, you will likely impress your check pilot with your knowledge by demonstrating good risk management.
With all this essential information, Nick’s Part-Time Pilot Checkride prep course is yet the least expensive at only 79.99 USD. The best part is you have lifetime access to the study and 24/7 customer instructor access.
This checkride prep is an online course available by Part-Time Pilot. Taking these courses is optional. But if you want to go that extra mile to pass your checkride, you can take this course.
The course emphasizes the necessary materials for the checkride.
Most materials in this course are familiar to any pilot ready to take their checkride.
Nevertheless, as a pilot, it is always good to learn more. If you take the course, you will learn new ways to accomplish tasks that will wow your designated pilot examiner.
This course emphasizes subjects referring to the Airman certification standards.
Often in the course, you will see questions from the instructor. The course creator is a certified flight instructor and added possible questions and answers for student pilots to practice their checkride.
The checkride prep will train you with exact techniques to satisfy your DPE’s expectations. This Checkride Prep course combines ACS and the PPL Oral exam guide.
Failing your checkride means you must retake the check ride and spend more money.
If you have the chance and money, spend more purchasing this course to ace your checkride.
How a checkride prep course differs from a private pilot online ground school course?
A PPL online ground school prepares a student pilot for the written test. The checkride prep course aims to help students quickly pass their private pilot practical test.
There is no limit to what you can learn in Aviation.
You might think you already know everything to pass your PPL practical test, but you will be amazed to see how much more you missed.
Indeed, you have learned a lot during your private pilot online ground school, yet the checkride prep will teach you the execution of aeronautical knowledge in real life.
RESOURCES: