The Checkride Mindset with Designated Pilot Examiner Chris Anderson
6/10/20261 hr 23 min
Season 2 Episode 12
In this episode we sit down with Chris Anderson, a Designated Pilot Examiner, corporate pilot, and 12-time NAFI Master CFI with more than 23,000 flight hours and over 3,500 practical tests to his credit. Drawing on decades of experience from the examiner’s seat, Chris offers an inside look at one of aviation’s greatest challenges: managing the stress and pressure of the check ride.
Together, we explore why check ride anxiety is so universal, why it seems to be increasing among today’s pilots, and how fear, self-doubt, and the pressure to perform can interfere with skills that have already been mastered. Chris dispels common myths about DPEs, explaining that the goal of a practical test is not perfection, but verifying that a pilot can operate safely and exercise sound judgment.
The conversation also dives into the psychology of "choking" under pressure and the importance of resiliency when things do not go exactly as planned. You’ll learn why a brief pause can restore clear thinking, how the nervous system affects performance in the cockpit, and why many pilots discover their best flying only after the fear of failure has passed.
Finally, we share practical tools to help regulate stress before and during a check ride, including breathing techniques, grounding exercises, effective preparation strategies, and the value of guided relaxation. Whether you are preparing for your first practical test or simply want to perform more confidently under pressure, this episode offers reassuring perspectives and actionable skills to help your true abilities shine through.
Links:
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant--in the blink of an eye--that actually aren't as simple as they seem. Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are consistently inept? Why do some people follow their instincts and win, while others end up stumbling into error? How do our brains really work--in the office, in the classroom, in the kitchen, and in the bedroom? And why are the best decisions often those that are impossible to explain to others?
Crosscheck Mental Performance Training with Tammy Barlette: Elevate your flying, master your mind.
Guided Relaxation and Mental Reset Meditations: found on the Bonus Page of the Calm Cockpit Podcast
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsGita Brown· Host0:00
Welcome to the Calm Cockpit podcast, the show that helps pilots think clearly, stay calm, and perform at their best when it matters most. Each episode delivers practical strategies, real-world aviation wisdom, and mindset tools that help create confident pilots and safe flights.
Jon Niehaus· Host0:18
Every pilot remembers their first and second, and sometimes even third, check ride, and most pilots have dreamed of sitting across from a designated pilot examiner and asking, "What are you really looking for?"
Gita Brown· Host0:29
Today on the show, DPE Chris Anderson joins us to pull back the curtain on what examiners are actually looking for.
Jon Niehaus· Host0:37
We'll also dig into the trends the DPEs are seeing in today's pilot applicants, from rising anxiety and perfectionism to growing pressure younger pilots are carrying into the cockpit.
Gita Brown· Host0:46
Together, we'll pick apart checkride stress, nervous system regulation, the psychology of choking under pressure, and the mental tools pilots can use to stay calm when it feels like everything is on the line.
Jon Niehaus· Host0:59
The Calm Cockpit Podcast starts now.
Unknown speaker1:02
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