Best Check Ride?

Question

What's your take? Do you prefer Simulator Check Rides or Line Check Rides? Any interesting tales?

Answer 1

I was giving a Gulfstream III crew a simulator check. Knew these guys well as the G world is quite small. One of my friends here on this day had just been hired as captain. The copilot, also a longtime friend had been passed over once again for an upgrade and  instead he  was still in the right seat. He was a pretty good guy but frankly not Gulfstream captain material and I think deep down he new it. Still it rankled him as probably half a dozen captains had come an gone and this was just the latest.

The check had gone well and as we were nearing the end I did something I always do with a two pilot crew. I killed the captain. Yep. Killed him dead. Nah but I did say to Dave in the right seat, "OK Dave. Captain just croaked. You gotta get it down on your own. Whatcha gonna do?"

Dave turned back and looked at me with a slight grin and said, "First thing I'm gonna do is yank this SOB our of MY FVCKING SEAT.

Answer 2

Line check rides are ideal and far better than Simulator Checks. If you are upto the mark, you know that you can score better and effectively with a human rather than with a machine.

My dad tells me that with machines they used to consider it as a joke, but with a Check Captain they performed normally. They used to take liberties with the simulator (and crash it in the bargain) yet took things practically when a human was on their side  and their fate in his hands.