Can you answer these in a way anyone can understand you?
Something is broken on preflight
Most people say "A-TOMATO-FLAMES" to me
What/where are the rules?
If it happens in the air...do you need to land in a farm or do you have some time?
Weather
High vs Low pressure systems on a prog chart
Thunderstorm stages
Cross Country Planning
True North vs Magnetic North
True Course, True Heading, Magnetic Course, Magnetic Heading
Ground Based Navigation
Explain NDBs
Explain VORs
How about you use a GPS point like a VOR?
Tell me about an ILS?
What is the VOR MON?
Space Based Navigation
How does RAIM work?
How does the WAAS system work?
Holding Patterns
What entry will you use?
Have you memorized enough to pass?
They are not read and memorize tests
An examiner doesn’t care if you can recite a paragraph from the Federal Aviation Administration or quote a prep book word-for-word. That’s not the job.
“Can I trust this person to make good decisions when nobody is watching?”
Memorization alone fails that test every time.
Can you connect pieces under pressure?
Flying isn’t isolated facts—it’s a chain:
Weather → aircraft performance → airspace → workload → decision
Can you make decisions without a script?
“This feels off”
“The weather is trending worse than forecast”
“I’m behind the airplane”
That’s where judgment lives.
The mental shift (this is the key)
Stop asking:
“What’s the right answer?”
Start asking:
“What’s the safest, most logical move—and why?”
If you can explain your reasoning, even if it’s not perfect, most examiners will lean in your favor.
If you give a perfect memorized answer with no depth, they’ll dig—and that’s where people unravel.
I will help you fill in the holes in your knowledge
Start With the “Why”
Most FAA rules exist for one reason: keeping people safe.
Translate Technical Terms Into Everyday Concepts
I will tell you to explain it in a way a non pilot or even a child will understand it
Use Analogies
I will teach you to "paint the picture"
What the Rule Means in Day-to-Day Flying
Not just “what the regulation says,” but how a pilot actually uses it.
Rates
Ground School & Mock Orals
Video chat or in person
$40/hr (they usually take 3-5 hours)
$20/hr when you use my apprentice
If we see holes in your knowledge base we can point you to free study materials
Either you answer everything correctly & quickly
...thereby saving money
...or you will learn how to answer with a better understanding
If you come prepared it will go quickly
You will only need TWO Mock Orals
Private and Instrument
Commercial = Private + When you can legally charge $
Instructor (CFI/CFII) is the same material