The Checkride Mindset with Designated Pilot Examiner Chris Anderson

The Checkride Mindset with Designated Pilot Examiner Chris Anderson

From The Calm Cockpit Podcast by calmcockpit

June 10, 2026 · 1h 23m · Season 2 · Episode 12

About this episode

Chris Anderson discusses managing stress and anxiety during check rides in aviation.

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…

People in this episode

Guest: Chris Anderson

Topics covered

  • checkride mindset
  • pilot anxiety
  • performance under pressure
  • stress management
  • aviation psychology

Keywords

  • checkride
  • pilot examiner
  • stress management
  • performance
  • aviation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NAFI

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