Episode
The Checkride Mindset with Designated Pilot Examiner Chris Anderson
- Podcast
- The Calm Cockpit Podcast
- Published
- Jun 10, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 4951
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://calmcockpit.podbean.com/e/chris-anderson/
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Summary
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…