Desperately seeking DPE

Warmi said:
Yes, yes .. a few more yes/no questions that at pretty much early high school level ( as all FAA exams are frankly are ) is going to make that much difference - pencil whipping and dishonesty in general are not derivative of how many questions you get to answer correctly but personality and overall experience...
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Previous to the IA written test, an A&P had to prove to a FAA ASI he knew and understood his duties and responsibilities. That test was a pain to get through, but we had a better quality IA (IMO). The new multiple choice exam and anyone can apply and take it flooded the market with IA's, and the quality went down with many who only wanted the authorization to sell a signature.
 
flyingron said:
We don't have this problem with respect to IAs.
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Not quite. An IA has never been at the level of a FAA Designee. Having been an IA and spent several years in "the pool" awaiting for a DAR-T slot, it is not even close. Most people don't understand that as a FAA Designee you are legally a rep for the FAA, complete with your own Blue Tag of honor. The only thing you're missing is the FAA badge. An IA is simply an "authorization" whereas a Designee is a "privilege" within the regs and serves solely at the discretion of the Administrator.
 
Bell206 said:
Not quite. An IA has never been at the level of a FAA Designee. Having been an IA and spent several years in "the pool" awaiting for a DAR-T slot, it is not even close. Most people don't understand that as a FAA Designee you are legally a rep for the FAA, complete with your own Blue Tag of honor. The only thing you're missing is the FAA badge. An IA is simply an "authorization" whereas a Designee is a "privilege" within the regs and serves solely at the discretion of the Administrator.
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They are still public servants. If there are not enough of them and people have to wait for months then change the damn rules and make sure there are plenty available. After all this is not some kind of high-priesthood calling where only selected few need to apply - it is a glorified version of a DMV ( or rather CDL) worker and the only purpose here is to make sure that people are served in timely and efficient manner while still providing a decent and quality service.
 
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Warmi said:
They are still public servants. If there are not enough of them and people have to wait for months then change the damn rules and make sure there are plenty available. After all this is not some kind of high-priesthood calling where only selected few need to apply - it is a glorified version of a DMV ( or rather CDL) worker and the only purpose here is to make sure that people are served in timely and efficient manner while still providing a decent and quality service.
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...with no regard for safety.
 
Warmi said:
They are still public servants.
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No they're not. Designees are private individuals who can charge for their services unlike a public service ASI. Whether you like the system or not the only one to complain is your elected official as I have.
Warmi said:
it is a glorified version of a DMV ( or rather CDL).
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Not quite again. You reference State level oversight not federal. Perhaps review the following and tell us who you know would qualify as a Designee? -ts not that easy.
https://www.faa.gov/regulations_pol...fm/go/document.information/documentID/1033969
http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/FAA_Order_8100.8D.pdf
 
Those are all good stories and information folks.
But really all i want for Christmas is .... a date with a DPE
 
Peter Ha said:
Those are all good stories and information folks.
But really all i want for Christmas is .... a date with a DPE
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Have you called other DPEs to ask about availability?
 
They are all a month out here in central TX. My private took 3 months since first two tries bad wx. I just passed my IR, took 2 months to get done.
 
Got a new twist on your DPE search. For me, I've got a tentative date with a DPE middle of Dec, but my CFI leaves end of next week for his new airline job. So, if the weather drops and I miss my Dec check ride (50% / 50% in Dec around here), I have to find a new CFI to keep ready for a check ride with someone someplace sometime.
 
imwithtuxedo said:
I was waiting for almost two months when I decided to start calling DPE's from the neighboring state. Found one on the first call. Scheduled for following weekend. I own my plane so I was able to travel with a cross-country sign off by my CFI.
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Seems to be a regional problem. When I needed to take the checkride for instrument (in the Great Lakes area), I was mad the first DPE said it would be at least 14 days. I called another and was told 10 days, then another and was told 3 days. 3 days later I had an instrument rating.
 
FSDO where I’m at won’t let my buddy get IA until he buys a bunch of extra tools. No, they won’t let him rent a set of calibrated scales they want proof he purchased them. That and he needs to prove he bought a lifetime supply of AN nuts and bolts; it’s kabuki theatre. They are essentially limiting the amount of IA’s and I’m in a remote area.


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Brad Z said:
the DPE shortage traces back to a FAA inspector shortage. Every GA Ops inspector can only oversee so many designees. The FAA is desperate for inspectors, but qualified applicants are in short supply when there's a pilot shortage.
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This. It’s a big deal right now. The local FSDO was 12 short. They hired 8. They lost 3 to the airlines.

It takes about a year for a new inspector to have passed enough training modules to be mostly useful. They do a lot of travel for portions of it and a large number of sign offs on all tasks in a database driven system from other qualified inspectors.

Takes time.

That said, well qualified instructors are being surprised when they apply for DPE status. There was a time when that was a long and unlikely process. They’re getting approved quickly in most regions when there’s enough ASIs to manage them. A solid safety record and reputation is key.

One of our members here who I won’t name applied for DPE and got it for more categories and types them he applied for. Well deserved, too.

But for the moment, DPEs are slammed virtually everywhere.
 
denverpilot said:
But for the moment, DPEs are slammed virtually everywhere.
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Yes, we are all very busy. I conduct checkrides part-time, but I could be involved full-time in airman certification if I wanted to, quite easily. There are always more applicants than there are good weather days.

I have also been offered all-expenses-paid "trips" to do checkrides in other areas. Air fare, hotel, rental car, meals, all covered, in addition to the normal checkride fees. Flight schools are very backed up.

I'm sympathetic to the challenges faced by applicants attempting to earn their certificates/ratings, and I'm doing my best to help. I think we all are.

This is the crest of the wave -- some day, the trough will come again. I try to stay mindful of that as I've seen the highs and lows of the industry several times in my career.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
but....isn't your DPE authorization only good in your geographic area?....by definition designee authorizations are only good in the area of their sponsor. And to be a designee there has to be a "need" and the "ability".....
https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/FAA_Order_8900.2C.pdf
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No. That is no longer the case. Since October of 2018, pilot examiners are allowed to permit certification activities outside their home district. See Notice 8900.485.
 
At $500-700 per session I would consider this a career. Two per business day and you’re clearing $100k. One hell of a side job. Ladies of the night doing that as a side job don’t even make that much.
 
WDD said:
And all cash
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yup....

tenor.gif
 
YooperMooney said:
At $500-700 per session I would consider this a career. Two per business day and you’re clearing $100k. One hell of a side job. Ladies of the night doing that as a side job don’t even make that much.
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Two per business day isn’t a “side job”, it’s full time.

Subtract weather cancellations from that, and $100k shrinks pretty fast. Add in “or subtract out” the fact that benefits aren’t included, and it shrinks even more.

From an income standpoint, it kinda pales in comparison to lounging in a hotel room for $1500 a day, regardless of weather, as a contract pilot. ;)
 
Here in Atlanta for starters
 
WDD said:
And all cash
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I see you're in Atlanta. The DPE I did my commercial with out of PDK took my credit card. He said he wasn't trying to hide any money. And he's pretty open most of the time for checkrides. Charged $600.
 
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BrianNC said:
I see you're in Atlanta. The DPE I did my commercial with out of PDK took my credit card. He said he wasn't trying to hide any money. And he's pretty open most of the time for checkrides. Charged $600.
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In all seriousness, yes - I doubt if DPE's are cooking their books. Also thinking that DPE's are the personality types that are good about following procedures / rules, which leads them away from tax evasion. Especially since everything is carefully documented with the FAA.

I did have to pay cash, and which I was surprised at - and to be honest thought is a bit quaint. And in asking around, it seems almost universal. I guess if the check ride doesn't result in pass, a disgruntled candidate could always stop payment on check or challenge a debit or credit charge. IMHO, that seems very unlikely. And I'd think credit charges on a square reader would make book keeping much easier. And I really wouldn't want to have to handle cash / currency. But, I'm not a DPE, and it's their choice.

Glad your DPE was available. When might I ask did you do your commercial checkride? I'm thinking given the hard time I and a lot of people have lately finding a DPE with time, it might have been a while ago??
 
WDD said:
Glad your DPE was available. When might I ask did you do your commercial checkride? I'm thinking given the hard time I and a lot of people have lately finding a DPE with time, it might have been a while ago??
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It was Sept. '18, so it has been a little while. But as far as I know he's pretty available. I think he may have a 'reputation' for being hard, etc., but I thought he was very fair. He just wants you to be proficient as any DPE should. A flight school which shall remain nameless that gets a lot of foreign students started to use him as their DPE and it didn't last very long. They weren't as English proficient as they should have been and a few other things, and he just couldn't pass them. So they dropped him. Also I think he's just not as well known as some.
 
denverpilot said:
Uh oh. Someone posted possible cheating on the Internet.

A DPE better call the FSDO according to the old farts in that other thread.

The integrity of the entire DPE program rests on it! LOL.
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Eh, I’ve taken 90 checkrides or so since then, a third of which were with the FAA. If “I carry sectional charts in case the weather is too bad to go IFR” didn’t cause problems, i can’t see that this would.

of course, I said that to an FAA inspector...it wasn’t on the internet.
 
MauleSkinner said:
Eh, I’ve taken 90 checkrides or so since then, a third of which were with the FAA. If “I carry sectional charts in case the weather is too bad to go IFR” didn’t cause problems, i can’t see that this would.

of course, I said that to an FAA inspector...it wasn’t on the internet.
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Heh.

You know I’m just poking at the members here who think Bryan-y deserved to be reported to the FSDO for his joke about a written test question online, in another thread, right? :)

Just cross thread s***-posting.
 
denverpilot said:
Heh.

You know I’m just poking at the members here who think Bryan-y deserved to be reported to the FSDO for his joke about a written test question online, in another thread, right? :)

Just cross thread s***-posting.
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Just perpetuating my “bad boy” image...my wife thinks it’s hot.

THUG LIFE! :D
(I’d tag hash, but I don’t know how)
 
YooperMooney said:
At $500-700 per session I would consider this a career. Two per business day and you’re clearing $100k. One hell of a side job. Ladies of the night doing that as a side job don’t even make that much.
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I guess you’re assuming they only work weekends?
 
Cash doesn't bounce. How fat do you think flight student checking accounts are at the end of their training?

I also accept Venmo/PayPal and have a Square chip reader for those who can't make it to an ATM
 
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