Examiner "Distractions" During Checkride

At 04:16 30 April 2009, Michael wrote:

Seriously?! I've only had two lessons, but I know those things stay
closed and locked until the PIC deems them appropriate in a landing
pattern!

Doing something odd like that might be more appropriate during a
commercial rating ride, but still you should be able to handle the landing
either way, spoilers completely open, or held closed all the way. The
examiner at my field seems to enjoy the no-spoilers landing pattern.

During my PPSEL ride, the examiner started asking aerodynamic questions
while I was doing turns around a point: What makes the airplane turn? I
was slow in answering, but I think it was obvious that answering his
question was the lowest task on my priority list at the time. I suppose
if I had said that it was the rudder, he'd have failed me, but I'm not
that dumb. Close, maybe, but not that bad.

Jim Beckman