FSDO inspector VS DPE

jarod

jarod

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Hello all, hope all is well as we approach the end of the year. I am writing today for just some simple insight and opinions from you all as the best way for me to proceed.

I am almost finished with my training for my PPL and am getting ready for a checkride. My LOA for my medical flight test for a class 1 medical was also approved and will be assigned to a Scottsdale FSDO inspector to ride with me.

The question comes in as I have the option to make my medical flight test with the inspector a checkride at the same time for my PPL, the benefits are that would save me a pretty good sum of money (I estimate around $1,000) and it would be faster as I could knock out both tests in the same flight not have to wait to schedule both people. On the other hand I am more nervous from what I have heard some places that an FAA inspectors tends to be less happy performing check rides and as such are a lot more stringent on and likely to fail your exam.

My question for you all is, does anyone have any experience performing a check ride with a FSDO inspector, and if anyone thinks it’s a better idea to schedule a separate check ride with a DPE or to keep my inspector and do both at the same time.

Thanks
Jarod
 
jarod said:
Hello all, hope all is well as we approach the end of the year. I am writing today for just some simple insight and opinions from you all as the best way for me to proceed.

I am almost finished with my training for my PPL and am getting ready for a checkride. My LOA for my medical flight test for a class 1 medical was also approved and will be assigned to a Scottsdale FSDO inspector to ride with me.

The question comes in as I have the option to make my medical flight test with the inspector a checkride at the same time for my PPL, the benefits are that would save me a pretty good sum of money (I estimate around $1,000) and it would be faster as I could knock out both tests in the same flight not have to wait to schedule both people. On the other hand I am more nervous from what I have heard some places that an FAA inspectors tends to be less happy performing check rides and as such are a lot more stringent on and likely to fail your exam.

My question for you all is, does anyone have any experience performing a check ride with a FSDO inspector, and if anyone thinks it’s a better idea to schedule a separate check ride with a DPE or to keep my inspector and do both at the same time.

Thanks
Jarod
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Sounds like you’re taking a flight with the fed regardless, so why not combine it, just make sure you have read the ACS and fully understand the standards.
 
After a couple dozen checkrides with FSDO inspectors, I wouldn’t have a problem with doing one.

As far as the pass/fail thing, I’ve never seen evidence of it. As @BladeSlap said, be prepared (regardless of who you take the checkride with).
 
If they're willing to do it in one ride, I say go for it.
 
The FAA inspector is perhaps likely to be a little more rigid, but if you're prepared, it shouldn't matter.
 
Choice, take one test or two. Knock it with the FSDO and be done.
 
I took my ATP ride with the FSDO back in the day. He nailed me dead to rights on one approach but passed me anyways.
 
jarod said:
Hello all, hope all is well as we approach the end of the year. I am writing today for just some simple insight and opinions from you all as the best way for me to proceed.

I am almost finished with my training for my PPL and am getting ready for a checkride. My LOA for my medical flight test for a class 1 medical was also approved and will be assigned to a Scottsdale FSDO inspector to ride with me.

The question comes in as I have the option to make my medical flight test with the inspector a checkride at the same time for my PPL, the benefits are that would save me a pretty good sum of money (I estimate around $1,000) and it would be faster as I could knock out both tests in the same flight not have to wait to schedule both people. On the other hand I am more nervous from what I have heard some places that an FAA inspectors tends to be less happy performing check rides and as such are a lot more stringent on and likely to fail your exam.

My question for you all is, does anyone have any experience performing a check ride with a FSDO inspector, and if anyone thinks it’s a better idea to schedule a separate check ride with a DPE or to keep my inspector and do both at the same time.

Thanks
Jarod
Click to expand...
It was a long time ago, but I've done both. Private with a Fed at GADO (now FSDO), commercial and Instrument with a DPE, and multi with a Fed. The two with Feds was when I was at Part 141 Schools and they were checking out the School as much as they were checking out me. Another story is my Daughter. She did her CFI ride with the Feds. The Fed was getting her Examiner check ride with another Fed. Failed. She found a DPE a couple hundred miles away a week later and passed. My daughter is not a BS'er. The ride with the Fed going for her Examiner certification was a the Examiner was overdoing every little thang to impress her Examiner. I'd agree what's been said above that if your ready it shouldn't make a difference except for the Examiner also getting his/her examiner check at the same time, be it DPE or Fed.
 
I'm surprised the FSDO agreed to do it. Must be a new guy.
 
martym said:
I'm surprised the FSDO agreed to do it. Must be a new guy.
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If he’s doing the medical flight test, it probably eliminates the possibility of doing a 135 check or some other activity that day, so does he spend a couple more hours at the airport or go back to the Fed Shed and do paperwork? Most of the feds I’ve known would prefer the checkride.
 
I did my private with an FAA inspector. No problem. Saved me some cash. He was fair and gave me a chance to correct something that I screwed up. The oral was long, but it was certainly fair. I agree that it more matters the individual than whether they are a DPE or an inspector.
 
luvflyin said:
It was a long time ago, but I've done both. Private with a Fed at GADO (now FSDO), commercial and Instrument with a DPE, and multi with a Fed. The two with Feds was when I was at Part 141 Schools and they were checking out the School as much as they were checking out me. Another story is my Daughter. She did her CFI ride with the Feds. The Fed was getting her Examiner check ride with another Fed. Failed. She found a DPE a couple hundred miles away a week later and passed. My daughter is not a BS'er. The ride with the Fed going for her Examiner certification was a the Examiner was overdoing every little thang to impress her Examiner. I'd agree what's been said above that if your ready it shouldn't make a difference except for the Examiner also getting his/her examiner check at the same time, be it DPE or Fed.
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I have done checks with both and had good and bad DPE's/Fed's, never failed one. At one company I worked for the Chief Pilot could give 61.58 rides in Falcon 20's. Every year the Feds wanted to see him give a check ride and I was always the one given the check with a Fed watching, 10 years. One year after my ride was over we stopped at an airport with cheap fuel, topped it off, and had lunch. After lunch our CP was going go fly the short hop back to our home base. On takeoff with a full load of fuel and shortly before V1 the Fed pulled an engine. CP aborted and deployed the TR's, I had the speed brakes out and the Fed started yelling GO,GO,GO, WTF! CP yelled we are aborting! Fed thought we were above V1 but we were a few knots short and I had never called it. The Fed was very quiet for our return flight and we never had him again.

My last Fed ride was 14 years ago to renew my flight instructors that I had let expire, it was a good and fair ride. I chose the CFII ride and he said what he wanted to see. This was when LPV's were new and he had never done one and we had just upgraded our C340 to do them. He changed the ride and I taught him how to do them.
 
The standards are the standards. If you go into the test well prepared and confident but willing to learn, you'll be fine. Your worst case is if you don't pass with the FSDO guy, you'll have fail with very specific area(s) for a retest with a DPE later on. Your best case is you save a ton of money. This is an easy call.
 
MauleSkinner said:
I was usually that guy, too…even got a few checkrides I didn’t need because nobody else would do it. ;)
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I have done that a few times as well. Good thing each ride was pretty much the same.

Thinking back, the maintenance check was more nerve wracking. If the plane failed then someone was going home on the train... and I was always the low man in the plane....:lol::lol:
 
Zeldman said:
I have done that a few times as well. Good thing each ride was pretty much the same.

Thinking back, the maintenance check was more nerve wracking. If the plane failed then someone was going home on the train... and I was always the low man in the plane....:lol::lol:
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That reminds me of a ferry flight after a C check where we needed to do a stall or near stall, I forget. It was for a broker and there was no interior in it so we had ballast strapped down up front. My friend, PIC, got it slow and the ballast broke the straps and slid to the back. I started yelling recover but he was already doing it. After I got the ballast sort of restrapped he said that will be the end of this ****!

Another time with him we did a short ferry flight, in another Falcon 20, same broker. It was when EFIS was new and this airplane was the first Falcon 20 to have a 5 tube EFIS, I was told. He had some EFIS time and I had none. On rotation everything on the SIC side died, including the #2 COM, gear would not come up, air would not come into the cabin, ram air scoop would not open, it was summer and hot! He ended up opening up the DV window so we would not die from heat exhaustion.

I did not fly that much with Bud but learned a lot from him.
 
Thank you everyone for the advice I really appreciate it! I think I agree with everyone it makes sense to take the test while I’m already there and flying with an inspector. Hopefully it’ll be a nice inspector, I’m not worried about the flight medical test, I am hoping that should be pretty simple. I’m just nervous about the test but I’ll study up for it.

well thanks everyone again for your help, I will admit everyone was right as I flew more I got much more comfortable and less afraid worrying about drops.

have a Merry Christmas!
Jarod
 
PPC1052 said:
I did my private with an FAA inspector. No problem. Saved me some cash. He was fair and gave me a chance to correct something that I screwed up. The oral was long, but it was certainly fair. I agree that it more matters the individual than whether they are a DPE or an inspector.
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Yes. The oral conducted in the FSDO was long. Began after the document check, about 0730. We sat on opposite sides of the table, and he opened the Flight Manual to page one. Then page two. So on until lunch break. We killed the rest of the day in the air, post flight and making out the temporary certificate.
 
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