I'm prepping for my Commercial SEL check ride... I've got a couple weeks to study the practical standards, but I feel more than confident with them and I'm comfortable with my DPE (we're friendly).That being said, anyone got any advice for this ride that's had it? Please share anything that happened to you! I'll be taking it in a 182RG, for what it's worth. I realize this is a simulation forum but there's some fellas here with plenty of experience...I'm so ready to get it over with, I can almost taste that CFI/CFII rating! :) First things first though.

I passed mine relatively smoothly. You are here so you've had quite a few (at least a couple of) checkrides. This is just another one of those. My oral portion was or felt like 2 minutes long. It's largely about stick and rudder skills. Go to it with confidence and a clear and well rested mind and you'll pass.I was comfortable with my examiner as well. She is a retired United 747 captain, and before that 767, 727 and L-1011. :( I can't say if it really helps but it certainly doesn't hurt.Now my advice. Make damn sure you have all the required time logged. Your long xcountry has to be VFR solo and the 100nm duals must be under VFR as well. By that I mean simulated IFR does NOT count.Best of luck and congratulations on your passion and achievement.

Thank you Jason! I've been thumbing through my logbook making sure it's 'perfect'. (The thumbs are red and irritated) I could just about hand it over to a Fed' without cringing... Almost :( --just kidding Feds'--Congrats on your achievements as well, and thank you for the encouragement!

It has been a while but I will try to help. As previously said, make sure all your logs are complete and up-to-date, also make sure your complex and HP (if needed) are done and legible. Biggest thing with documents is your 8710. Make sure the 8710 is done and done right. The night before your ride sit down with your instructor and go through the documents. Make sure the aircraft is airworthy (inspections) as well. Now for the oral, study the oral study guide. By the time my ride came up I memorized the whole book. Your DE will give you a flight to plan, go through your charts and be able to explain the charts and why you picked certain routing. Be cautions of airspace when you plan. My cross country would have gone straight through class B and MOA's if planned direct. So I had routing up and around both. You instructor will probably do multiple mock orals with you. Know airspace and aircraft/airport enviroment lights. Regs (inspections, documents, O2, seatbelts etc), medical requirements and what types of commercial ops you can and cannot do. I was asked scenarios based on these. Know the aircraft systems, especially the gear system. Be able to explain how the powerpack works in connection with extension and retraction. Where the squat switch is, when does the gear warning horn sound, how to test the gear position lights, etc, etc. Also know the emergency extension system. The DE will be able to tell if you know your stuff within the first few questions. Oral's normally don't last long until you hit your CFI. Every DE I have had makes the oral's seem like a conversation between two pilots not a criminal testimony. If you don't know an answer know where to find it. Biggest thing is don't BS or lie to the DE. I don't think you would but just a warning.Flight is pretty easy. Departed DWH and proceeded on my planned routing. Hit 2 waypoints and was told to divert to CXO because of WX. At CXO did 3 landings (short, soft, no flap) and departed back to DWH. Remember your GUMPS! Failure to extend the gear will almost certainly get you an early ride termination. On the way home we did manuvers (stall, steep turn, slow flight) and commercial manuevers. TALK YOU WAY THROUGH THE MANUEVERS. After manuevers got an sim engine fire and engine out. Recovered after fire out and field made. Went back to DWHNearing DWH he pulled the CB on the pack and made me run through a gear extension. If your 182RG has autopilot and you know how to use it do. Turned away from the airport, cleared for traffic an set the autopilot for ALT & HDG. Every few pumps I would scan for traffic, check gauges and continue. Once gear was down, green light and 1 in the mirror we went back to land. Whole ride lasted 1.0 on hobbs. Biggest thing to remember is the DE's job isn't to fail you or give you a hard time. They are not FAA inspectors, unless you were unlucky enough to need a inspector from the FSDO for your ride. Most are commercial pilots or long time instructors and just want to make sure you know what you are doing. Plus every ride with a DE I have done always had an aspect of instruction to it. You know what you are doing otherwise your CFI shouldn't have said you were ready. Just HAVE FUN! Commercial, ME, ATP and Inst are the easy/fun rides. Private and CFI are the tough ones. Go fly and do your best. Good luck!John