Checkmate will teach you a set of foundational concepts designed to help you work through any emergency.

You’ll learn the best way to think about abnormal events, as well as how to gather and process the information that matters so you can make decisions that are both safe and sensible.

By understanding the real factors at play during any abnormal event you’ll be better able to visualise the structure of good emergency management.

See, it’s our contention that there’s an underlying process that occurs in every abnormal situation.

And when you know how this works, you’ll find that there is a step-by-step method to accomplish everything you need to do to pass your checkride easily, competently, and with less anxiety.

One of the most interesting things about emergency management is that you don’t need to know everything.

By simply understanding a few key concepts, you really can know exactly how to deal with an emergency in a way that proceeds logically, covers everything, and allows you to remain calm, collected and confident.

In essence, Checkmate shows you exactly what you need to think about.

By focusing your thought process, Checkmate prevents your brain from wasting mental energy on stuff that doesn’t matter.

When your brain knows exactly what things to look for, what things to consider and what things to do, it becomes efficient using the minimum exertion for the maximum effect.

The end result is focus, clarity, increased mental capacity and continual situational awareness.

Best of all, Checkmate’s framework is designed to attach new knowledge to old, putting everything together in a way that’s both easy to learn and easy to use.

Think of it like this.

If someone asked you to go find something in a closet, would you rather know what you’re looking for before you start looking, or after you’ve finished looking?

Exactly.

Most pilots go through an emergency not knowing what they’re looking for.

And that makes it pretty hard to find.

Get Checkmate and learn to see.

Checkmate consists of 50 short lessons designed to show you exactly how to think, see and work through your next emergency.

It’s a complete system and likely quite different from anything you’ve experienced before.

While there is a ton of information presented, this course is most definitely not about sheer data.

See, data points by themselves are relatively useless.

Checkmate shows you how to connect data points to create information and then goes a step further by teaching you just how to organise this information.

The end result is an emergency management model that maximises your situational awareness and mental capacity, which is exactly what you need when the shit hits the fan.

Quizzes support the material and ensure that you are learning it in the correct way.

The course proceeds according to a well-thought-out, logical structure and provides ample background information for those wishing to delve deeper.

Lots of people think it’s the best course on emergency management out there.

You will too.

Checkmate is for Airbus pilots of all levels.

It’s designed for any pilot who wants to level up and join the ranks of the very best.

Regardless of your experience level and flying background, if you’ve ever wanted:

• A better way to deal with your checkride.
• To perform at a higher level.
• To be able to think clearly during an emergency.
• To understand how the best pilots naturally structure their emergency management.
• To reduce checkride related stress and anxiety.
• A clear, straightforward, step-by-step way to work through your checkride.

Then Checkmate is for you.

With Checkmate, the management of any emergency becomes a known entity.

This means you can learn how to deal with it in a clear, straightforward and repeatable way.

Because Checkmate shows you everything you need to know to manage any abnormal event, it’s the ideal tool for all pilots.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re new to the Bus or have been driving one for years, Checkmate can bring new skills and insights to just about every pilot.

Remember, Checkmate is designed to show you a precise method designed to help you interpret, process and respond to abnormal events.

That means there’s something in it for every pilot who is striving for excellence and wants to be amongst the best.

And if you’re the kind of pilot that’s read this far down into the FAQ, then Checkmate is probably a perfect fit for you.

Break the chains that are holding you back.

Let Checkmate help you become the best aviator you can be.

Checkmate has been intentionally designed to be ridiculously easy to learn.

We know you’re pressed for time and a solution that requires a ton of work isn’t really a solution.

So in the initial stages, all you have to do to make Checkmate work is to memorise the process.

That means, if you’re seriously pressed for time, you can use the quick start guide to learn the basics well enough to get through a checkride in less than two hours.

However, to really get the most out of it, a few weeks of study at about an hour a day will give you time to understand the system, assimilate the material and apply it to your operation.

Perhaps best of all, once learned the system is so easy that it’s hard to forget.

If you can learn the alphabet, you can learn to use Checkmate.

Everything we do is centred upon this question.

Unfortunately, there’s a long history of top-down, take it or leave it instruction in aviation.

With Checkmate, our goal is to create an open, supportive environment where everything is driven by the pursuit of knowledge, clarity and understanding.

Even though most of the work you’ll be doing is on your own, if you’ve got a question or a problem, you can always email me directly or post it on the board.

This can be an invaluable way to get peer feedback and see how others have handled the same problem.

Facilitating your growth to bring out your best is our ultimate goal.

It’s also our promise.

Let’s be honest.

If you even think you might need it, then you probably need it.

As for the price, yes, it’s expensive.

But it’s important to understand that price is different from cost.

See, what you really should be asking yourself is what’s the cost of a failed checkride?

An economist would point out that there are several economic values that a buyer considers when evaluating a purchase.

Let’s take a look at these to determine if Checkmate is worth it.

1. Efficacy. Does it work?
   • Checkmate works like a charm. Not only has it been tested, iterated, and refined on hundreds of pilots around the world, but these same pilots use it to shine during checkrides and cut through the bullshit when things go pear-shaped in real life. Checkmate works because it was developed from the bottom up with one singular purpose; to identify, organise, assemble and systematise the emergency management and thought processes of the very best pilots on earth. So, yes, it works.
2. Speed. How soon does it work?
   • Like any good medicine, Checkmate works fast. To use it effectively, you simply have to memorise the process. That’s it. Let’s put it this way. The English alphabet has 26 letters and you probably didn’t have too much difficulty memorising them. Checkmate has 22 items to memorise and most of them you already know. As soon as you’ve drilled the system into your head, it’s ready to go to work for you.
3. Reliability. Can I depend on it to do what it’s supposed to do?
   • Unlike a valve, gasket, hammer or horse, Checkmate is a mental process and not a physical thing. That means the more you use it, the better it gets. Each use allows you to see more, understand more, and ask better questions.  As already mentioned, it’s been developed from the insights, processes and workflows of some of the best aviators on earth. It’s undergone extensive testing in all types of abnormal situations and follows the foundational principles of sound airmanship as well as Airbus SOP. Forget reliable. Checkmate is fucking bulletproof.
4. Ease of use. How easy is it to use?
   • You’ll quickly find that using Checkmate is a whole lot easier than bumbling your way through a checkride. This is due in large part to Checkmate’s ability to help you see the entire emergency process. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. Checkmate shows you what to do now, what to do next and what to do after that. You’ll no longer be consumed with worrying about what you’ve forgotten because Checkmate will prove to you that there is a specific place and time for every thought and every action required during an emergency. This frees up valuable mental capacity which allows you to see, anticipate and cope with even more. Your emergency unfolds according to the schedule you set, so instead of being reactive and playing catch-up with the aircraft, you’re in charge, driving the situation and never in doubt of a successful outcome.
5. Flexibility. How many things does it do?
   • Checkmate doesn’t slice and it doesn’t dice. It does one thing. It shows you how to manage any emergency whether that be in the aeroplane or in the simulator.
6. Status. How does this affect how people see me?
   • A crappy pilot poses a significant danger to the crew, the passengers and the operation as a whole. Whilst incompetence can be tolerated in a variety of disciplines, flying jets is not one of them. Professional pilots want to work with other professionals, not amateurs dressed up in a costume. See when you’ve got world-class decision-making skills, aviators take notice. When you’re the kind of pilot that can handle the shit hitting the fan in a calm, collected and confident manner, you’ll find that you’re respected, feared and loved for your skillset. Checkmate can get you that skillset, quickly and easily.
7. Emotion. How does it make me feel?
   • When you surmount any obstacle you become more confident in your own skills and abilities. This bump in confidence allows you to push the envelope of your own skillset even further, and in the process, you grow, develop and become even better. Because Checkmate gives you the tools to manage any emergency, you’ll find a new level of confidence in your own abilities. You’ll no longer show up to a checking event with your tail between your legs. Instead of being terrified of screwing things up, you’ll be ready to show the checker just how good you are. It’s a mind shift of monumental proportions and you can only get it when you know what you’re doing. Checkmate is your first step on a long journey of success.

Let’s say you’ve got a 20-year career ahead of you.

If we average the cost out over 20 years, Checkmate will cost you about $50 per year.

That’s less than 14 cents a day (in USD)

Compared to the cost of failing a checkride, I’d say it’s a steal.

Look, that failed ride is going to be a huge blow to your self-confidence and will change the way other pilots see you.

It may delay or prevent you from getting your command and may even cause you to lose your job.

Let’s not even bring up the impact it could have on your personal relationships.

So think back to your last checkride.

Remember how you felt the night before? The anxiety slowly building up.

Remember when you sat down in the sim and nothing felt right.

Remember when things started to fall apart and how that first mistake so perfectly set up the next, and all the others that followed?

Remember the debrief and the training report?

What if something could make all of that go away?

Would you pay 14 cents a day for a thing like that?

If so, that thing is Checkmate.

Remember, to measure the true value of a thing, make sure you weigh the price against the cost.

It’s easier to be good than to be lucky.

All you need is the right tool.

That tool is Checkmate.

Because when you’re on the rocks, swimming becomes religion.