I bit the bullet today

A guy I soloed busted his Sport Checkride. The reason: his approaches were not stabilized. The DPE wanted a 60 mph approach, but felt constrained by the FAA policy of not suggesting anything while on the actual checkride. So he had no way of knowing what was being asked. He was told during the debrief.

I am carefully avoiding instructional activity that involves a recommendation for a checkride. I had a perfect record - no flunks - for 40 years. Now I cannot get anyone passed on the first attempt unless I send them to Sacramento. Sacramento is an all day Cub flight from here.

Besides, there are approximately 1400 discrete items on the ACS. I do not know 1400 discrete facts about anything, let alone aviation. Sport is still PTS, which I can handle (marginally).
 
Bob Turner said:
A guy I soloed busted his Sport Checkride. The reason: his approaches were not stabilized. The DPE wanted a 60 mph approach, but felt constrained by the FAA policy of not suggesting anything while on the actual checkride. So he had no way of knowing what was being asked. He was told during the debrief.

I am carefully avoiding instructional activity that involves a recommendation for a checkride. I had a perfect record - no flunks - for 40 years. Now I cannot get anyone passed on the first attempt unless I send them to Sacramento. Sacramento is an all day Cub flight from here.

Besides, there are approximately 1400 discrete items on the ACS. I do not know 1400 discrete facts about anything, let alone aviation. Sport is still PTS, which I can handle (marginally).
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I hear you. My goal is to do tail wheel endorsements, BFRs (sorry, "Flight Reviews which happen every two years"), maybe mountain checkouts, complex/high performance and insurance requirement support.
 
Bob, the way to deal with that is to figure out what the DPE wants in advance. Either ask them directly if there are any special emphasis areas, or better, find another CFI who has had students take checkrides from that DPE and find out their idiosyncrasies that way.
 
donv said:
Bob, the way to deal with that is to figure out what the DPE wants in advance. Either ask them directly if there are any special emphasis areas, or better, find another CFI who has had students take checkrides from that DPE and find out their idiosyncrasies that way.
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I am not an insructor but it seems like something has gone off the rails here. I get that you should be able to fly your airplane in multiple ways but the point of sport flying is not air transport.
 
Check rides are never black and white, but if a certain DE has a higher than average fail rate that should be investigated by the FAA. I only do tailwheel endorsements and BFR’s but I deal with the FAA regularly with work, most are ok guys dealing with the blowback from a few bad apples.
 
I too deal with FSDO folks - field approvals, sometimes advice, once in a while student excursions - and find them reasonable. Some really good older DPEs around here have been decommissioned, and replaced with exacting, and perhaps frightened, young folks.

On the other hand, I wouldn't be a DPE for all the tea in China. Not a fun job.
 
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