>>1406759I was petrified too, but I got through it. Was so nervous the first time that I forgot cash for the fee and ended up having to cancel. Very emberassing. Got my shit together the second time with a different DPE a week later. My instructor claimed (after the fact) that he was a lot harder, but still the exam was nowhere near as bad as I thought. Remember: flying is pretty much always open book. Don't panic too much if you have to take a second to check something. You will mostly be tested on decision-making. The ground is pretty grueling and was definitely the toughest part, but it's very doable.
The flight was piss easy. The shit my instructor made me do was much harder. The second I finally relaxed was when I was asked to divert mid-course, which is been practicing like crazy for. My instructor always made me hand-fly while finding my position, plotting the course, and running the numbers. When my DPE offered to take the controls I legit asked if he was serious. Made things very easy. I even forgot my mix a few times on decent, which I blame on nerves. He never even mentioned it. Try not to freak yourself out; you'll be okay.
>>1407453This. I got my SEL back in 2014, but I haven't been able to fly consistently since now that it's all on my dime, aside from getting tailwheel in 2016. I was starting to get comfortable toward the end of that, but I was still a ways from total comfort. Now I'm even further back, though I just did my second BFR and took back to it pretty easily. Doesn't help that I've moved and am not familiar with the area anymore.
>>1407528Glad I'm not the only one who got the aeroshits. I always did during my private; they cleared up after my checkride though.
>>1408320I reccomend it, but not for any super special reason. I just got to really liking them once it finally clicked for me. They're actually really fast and easy. A lot less awkward to use in a cockpit. I don't use them for planning usually, though. I'm a foreflight fag
