FAA Checkrides & Testing
Checks and Airman Certification Standards
Outside of the military, checkrides are conducted similarly but the requirements, timelines, and set up are quite different. A standard checkride still includes a prerequisite test of some kind, an oral exam and a flight evaluation that can be accomplished either in an aircraft or in a simulator. Depending on what kind of flying you will be doing and what kind of training you are accomplishing, will determine the kind of checkride you can expect.
Is It Legal To Fly On Your Current Military Checkride?
Yes it is, with some stipulations. In the civilian sector, a checkride is required every 12 months in order to Pilot-In-Command (PIC) any aircraft that requires more than one pilot or is a turbojet-powered aircraft. To be a PIC in a particular type rated aircraft (i.e. G550, LR-JET, etc.), a checkride is required in that aircraft every 24 months. The rules for Second-In-Command (SIC) or First Officer are much more lenient. To sit SIC, you may only need to go through familiarization training before you are blessed to fly. Technically, no checkride is required but if a company wants to do it right and safe, they will require a pilot to go through specific aircraft training and receive a checkride.
Often, companies will hire someone to fill an SIC role as a new company pilot but they will train them to the PIC standards. They will be limited in the company to just a First Officer position until the company upgrades them to the Captain role. This is pretty standard. SIC standards can be found under CFR 61.55. Be wary of any company that hires you and only offers in-house SIC training. They are not wrong to do so, but they are not showing a concern for safety.
You can fly under Part 91 with your current aircraft type rating and checkride but NOT under Part 135 or Part 121.
Under What Standards Will You Be Evaluated?
Evaluations are accomplished according to the Airman Certification Standards (ACS) for a given rating (ATP, Commercial Pilot, or Instrument rating). The ACS makes it very clear what the FAA expects the pilot to Know, Consider, and Do in order to qualify for an airman rating. With that said, the ACS is a very large document and there are many areas that a pilot could be evaluated on.
What Is The ACS And How Is It Administered?
The ACS is divided into three sections
- Aeronautical Knowledge (Knowledge)
- Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) and Special Emphasis (Risk Management)
- Practical Test Standards-based flight proficiency (Skills)
An examiner is required to include in their oral/practical evaluation at least one Knowledge element (i.e. demonstrating understanding of something), one Risk Management element (i.e. identify, assess and mitigate risks), all the skill elements of the required tasks, and any subjects areas that were missed on the knowledge test.
Knowledge should be evaluated via scenario based questions, such as, “you are doing your walk around and notice a mark on the tire… what is the limit of tread wear allowed before maintenance is required?” The examiner will touch on every aspect of a flight, from preflight to maneuvers to post flight. All pilots certifying on turbine powered aircraft are evaluated via the ATP ACS.
More information about the ACS can be found in this FAA document.
The Oral Evaluation
The extent of the oral evaluation is completely dependent on the examiner but it is supposed take no longer then 2.5 hours. In reality, it could take one hour or even six hours depending on how prepared you come to the evaluation.
How Often Is A Checkride Required?
To serve as Pilot-In-Command of an aircraft that is type certificated for more than one required pilot or is turbojet-powered:
A person must, within the preceding 24 calendar months, complete a PIC proficiency check in the particular type of aircraft (or simulator) that they will be a PIC for. This kind of checkride is often referred to as a 61.58 check. CFR 61.58 is the regulation that governs PIC proficiency checks such as this.
Part 142 (Flight Simulator) Checkrides
Part 142 training facilities (i.e. Flight Safety, CAE, etc) train pilots that are flying under Part 121, Part 135 or Part 91. It is pretty typical to attend training that includes classroom instruction followed with a test that must be passed. After that, you will fly simulator profiles and conclude with a check. That check will include an oral section and a flight section but will still cover all portions of the ACS.
If the checkride is an initial type ride, then the evaluation will be a stand-alone check on a single day, but if it is a recurrent check, then the facility may be able to complete what is called a progressive check. If your daily simulator instructor is also a Training Center Examiner (TCE), then they can progressively see and grade performance over multiple days, until all checkride items are completed to standards and the checkride is completed. The stand-alone check typically takes 2-2.5 hours to complete per client.
Commercial Part 121 Checkride
Part 121 operations tend to require checkrides more frequently. Captains generally require one every 6 months with First Officers checking less often. Additionally, they can train and test differently via an Advanced Qualification Program (AQP). The AQP allows for more flexibility of the training and checking rules, but often means more training and checking occurs at tighter intervals.