How to Avoid the Biggest Checkride Delay Pitfalls (And Keep Your Multi-Engine Skills Sharp)

Jeff Gerencser
Jun 20
4 min read

Checkride delays are frustrating, but they do not have to derail your progress. After decades in aviation and hundreds of checkrides observed from the examiner’s side of the table, one thing is clear: many delays are preventable, and the ones you cannot prevent do not have to cost you your edge.

I’ve seen applicants arrive fully prepared to fly, only to lose the day before the engine start because of a missing endorsement, a logbook discrepancy, or a maintenance issue that should have been caught earlier. I’ve also seen applicants come back weeks later after a reschedule and struggle because their proficiency had faded. In a multi-engine airplane, that kind of rust matters.

If you are training for the airlines, delays are more than an inconvenience. They can slow momentum, add cost, and chip away at confidence. The good news is that you can stay ahead of them by treating your paperwork, your aircraft readiness, and your personal proficiency with the same discipline you bring to flying the airplane.

Pitfall #1: The Paperwork "Pre-Flight"

The first place a checkride goes off the rails isn't in the cockpit; it's at the desk. As a retired DPE, I can tell you that nothing frustrates an examiner more than getting halfway through IACRA only to find a missing hour of night flight or a misspelled name.

The IACRA Audit Don't wait until the morning of the ride. Sit down with your instructor three days prior. Go through every line of your IACRA application. Ensure your cross-country time meets the specific FAA requirements for the rating you’re seeking. If you’re jumping into a Commercial Multi-Engine Add-On, double-check that your total time and PIC time are documented correctly.

Logbook Endorsements Your logbook is your legal resume. If it’s a mess, the DPE is going to assume your flying is a mess too. Organize your logbook. Use tabs to mark your long cross-country, your night landings, and: crucially: your 61.39(a)(6)(i) and (ii) endorsements. If those aren’t there, I literally cannot start the test. It’s a wasted day and a wasted fee.

A detailed view of a pilot's hand meticulously reviewing a clean flight logbook and an iPad displaying aviation checklists, representing the level of administrative precision required to avoid checkride delays.

Pitfall #2: Maintenance and Aircraft Readiness

You’re training in the PA-30 Twin Comanche. It’s a legendary, efficient machine, but like any multi-engine aircraft, it requires a strict adherence to maintenance schedules.

The "Squawk" Check If you know the airplane has a sticky landing gear light or a finicky heater, address it now. Don't hope the DPE won't notice. During the pre-flight, if the examiner sees an inoperative instrument that isn't properly placarded or noted in the logs according to 91.213, the ride is over.

Verify the Inspections You need to be able to show the DPE the Annual, the 100-hour (if used for hire), the Pitot-Static, and the Transponder inspections. If any of those are going to expire between now and your checkride date, get it scheduled immediately. Nothing kills momentum like a two-week delay for a 100-hour inspection that could have been done last week.

Staying "Twin Sharp"

Now, let's talk about the delay you can't always control: DPE backlogs and weather. If your ride gets pushed back 14 days, your proficiency in a multi-engine airplane will drop. You can't afford to be mediocre on a checkride.

Mastering the V-Speeds In the Twin Comanche, you need to know your V-speeds like the back of your hand. Vyse (Blue Line) is your lifeline. If you haven't flown in a week, sit in a chair, close your eyes, and visualize the airspeed indicator.

High-quality generic multi-engine aircraft stock photo with a professional pro pilot aesthetic and technically accurate twin-engine configuration.

The "Flow" State Multi-engine flying is all about flows. If you lose an engine on takeoff, you don’t have time to look at a checklist. You need the muscle memory: Directional Control, Pitch (Vyse), Power (Mix, Prop, Throttle), Clean Up (Flaps, Gear), Identify, Verify, Feather.

When you're stuck on the ground, practice these flows in the cockpit or at home every single day. If you can’t do the flow perfectly in 5 seconds while someone is shouting at you, you aren't ready for the checkride.

Vmc Awareness Understand the factors that affect $V_{mc}$. Remember the acronym COMBATS (Critical engine windmilling, Operating engine at max power, Max gross weight, Bank up to 5 degrees, Aft CG, Takeoff configuration, Standard day). If the DPE asks you how an aft CG affects your $V_{mc}$, and you have to think about it for more than three seconds, you’ve lost points. Use our online training courses to keep these concepts fresh in your mind.

The "Wait" Strategy: Low-Cost Proficiency

Flying a twin is expensive. If you’re waiting two weeks, you might not want to burn $400/hour just to "stay fresh." Here is how you do it on a budget:

The Simulator Advantage: If you have access to a simulator (even a basic Redbird or a high-end PC setup with a multi-throttle quadrant), use it. Focus specifically on engine-out procedures during the climb-out phase. This is where most applicants fail.
Chair Flying: It sounds old school, but it works. Sit in a quiet room and talk through every maneuver in the ACS. "I’m entering the steep turn, I’m adding a touch of power as I pass 30 degrees, I’m checking my altitude..."
The "Why" Factor: Re-read the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (AFH) Chapter 13. Don't just know what to do; know why the airplane reacts the way it does when that critical engine stops producing thrust.

A focused student pilot in a modern flight training simulator, hands on the multi-engine throttle quadrant, practicing engine-out procedures with a realistic cockpit view of a runway.

Your Fast Track to the Airlines

The road to the airlines is full of hurdles, and checkride delays are one of them. The key is not letting those delays define your outcome. When you audit your paperwork early, verify the aircraft is truly ready, and keep your skills current in the PA-30, you show up as a professional instead of hoping everything works out on test day.

That mindset matters. Examiners notice it. Employers notice it. Most importantly, you feel the difference when it is time to perform.

At Ace Pilot Academy, we focus on efficient, technically accurate multi-engine training that helps you stay ready for the ride and ready for the next step in your career. If you want structured support, explore our accelerated courses and our Vmc masterclass.

Stay prepared, stay proficient, and keep moving toward the certificate and career you are working for.