AOPA DPE Availability & Training Survey

Bartman

Bartman

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AOPA Survey of General Aviation Pilots

AOPA survey of general aviation pilots. Please contact [email protected] if you have questions or comments.
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Text from survey email;

AOPA is committed to supporting general aviation by improving flight training—and your feedback can help make that happen.

This month, we are collecting data on how Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) availability impacts the flight training pipeline. You don’t need to be an AOPA member to participate—we’re inviting all pilots to answer a few quick questions about checkride wait times. Current and former CFIs will also have the opportunity to answer additional questions about flight training.

We can't do this without your help! Click below to take the survey, and feel free to forward this invitation to other pilots, especially Ground Instructors, Flight Instructors, Examiners (DPEs) and FAA Inspectors.
 
I no longer deal with DPEs (except to keep my favorite guy tailwheel qualified). I note that orals take six hours (I don't know enough about any subject to suffer a six hour oral) and that the fee is a grand.

Capitalism is based on competition - and DPEs, like medical professionals, do not really compete on price. That is, these folks are in short supply, and can charge what they want.

We need to either change that so there really is competition, or socialize these endeavors.

Opinion.
 
Filled it out.

My last few recommends for rides, a few PPLs and CPL, the oral was a 1.5-2hr, flight about 1.5.

Minus my last CFI initial recommend, the oral was like 6hrs with the DPE, however when I did my CFI initial it was with the feds and the oral was almost 8hrs with a lunch break

DPE thing is a racket, I have some friends who are DPEs (just not in my current area) and I have been told getting in you basically need to be friends with someone at the FSDO, which matches with my experiences.
 
That's what I heard.

My private checkride was a surprise! I got Talmadge Barber to give me an hour of dual, and did not realize he was an examiner. At the end of the hour (we did crop dusting simulation, spins, and a loop) he gave me a shot of whiskey and a private license.

My Airbus type rating oral took fifteen minutes.

My MS defense was less than an hour.

I may have had a longer oral for my dispatcher's ticket (required by my airline). It was two days worth, but I don't think we covered all that much material. A trivial oral - kinda like hazing more than exploring knowledge.
 
Never did find a DPE with a tailwheel endorsement, spent mucho $$ learning to fly a 172 with a G1000 under the supervision of fresh cfi’s with visions of the big leagues who really didn’t want me to learn so I could be the Shuga Daddy. Then 3 different Dpe’s first one canceled repeatedly second $1500 I walked out, room wasn’t big enough for both our egos the third another 1500 and that was a whole process… we pass the written, so what’s with the oral? It is a no man’s land… waste of time.. then go flying.. makes for a really long day..
 
We have one here. He is a great guy - I have known him for a half century. When he gets a tailwheel checkride, I get him current (well, he gets himself current and I watch).

Yes, when Sport Pilot was first starting out I applied to be an examiner. They turned me down cold. I had pretty good credentials - four college degrees, a California teaching credential, 7000 tailwheel hours, five type ratings, a veteran, and a clean record. Not sure what they were looking for, but I bet I had it.

I would be happy to be a 709 checkride guy - they only have four for tailwheels - but they would rather send someone out from the midwest. All four appear to be good guys. I never applied, but if they asked . . . I doubt those guys make $1500/checkride.
 
Ptripn said:
Never did find a DPE with a tailwheel endorsement, spent mucho $$ learning to fly a 172 with a G1000 under the supervision of fresh cfi’s with visions of the big leagues who really didn’t want me to learn so I could be the Shuga Daddy. Then 3 different Dpe’s first one canceled repeatedly second $1500 I walked out, room wasn’t big enough for both our egos the third another 1500 and that was a whole process… we pass the written, so what’s with the oral? It is a no man’s land… waste of time.. then go flying.. makes for a really long day..
Click to expand...

They are sposed to only ask what’s in the ACS (or PTS for some rides), so they shouldn’t be getting too far off the reservation.


But the oral is a important one, the written many rote puppy mill guys can pass, but when asked more real world situations they’ll buckle.

I could get tossing the written but keeping the oral.

One thing a good amount of folks don’t know, if you are asked about a question you got wrong on the oral (and your CFI signed that he covered with you after) and you still get it wrong on the oral it’s sposed to be a automatic fail
 
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