Many years ago a mentor advised me, “The day you sign them off for their check ride is the day their skills are at their sharpest. After they pass their check ride, those skills will start to degrade.”
I shared this knowledge with one of the CFIs I trained, who was dismayed by the performance of a private pilot seeking renter privileges at the school. The would-be renter pilot had earned their certificate some four months earlier, but according to the CFI who administered the renter checkout, the would-be renter pilot did not fly to the level of their certificate.
