Definition
An informal term for a practical test administered by an FAA inspector or designated pilot examiner to evaluate an applicant's knowledge and skill against the standards required for the issuance of a pilot certificate or rating.
Plain English
The official flight test a student takes with an examiner to earn a pilot certificate or rating. It includes both an oral questioning portion on the ground and a flight portion in the aircraft.
Context Anchor
Pilots encounter this term near the end of training, when preparing to earn a certificate, add a rating, or complete instructor training.
Derivation
A compound of 'check' (to verify or test) and 'ride' (a trip in the aircraft). The word reflects exactly what happens: an examiner rides along to check that the applicant flies to standard.
Why Pilots Care
Passing is required to receive the certificate or rating; failure means additional training before another attempt.
Intuition Check
A checkride is not just a casual ride to see how things go. It is an official FAA evaluation with required standards and a pass-or-fail result.
Example Sentence 1
After months of training, she passed her private pilot checkride on the first attempt.
Example Sentence 2
The examiner ended the checkride after the applicant demonstrated all required maneuvers to standard.