What must I carry?

[Henning]

To be specific any time they feel you may no longer meet the requirements of your certificate (which is pretty vague, they can do it on whatever whim). Certain incidents, whether pilot-induced or not, are guaranteed 709 rides: gear up landings, fuel exhaustion resulting in a crash...

I've never heard anybody who got a 709 ride ever complain too much about it. They're usually pretty brief and to the point reviews of the specific issue at hand.

The number comes from the us code section that permits the FAA to do this: 49 USC 44709. It used to be a 609 ride years ago before the sections got renumbered.

True, it is non specific about when they may retest you, "at any time", however, in reality, to get a 44709 ride, you have to **** up. The FAA isn't looking for busywork. Note, it is also not specific that the retest must be in a plane and is often satisfied with an oral interview depending on the event.

 

[asicer]

True, it is non specific about when they may retest you, "at any time", however, in reality, to get a 44709 ride, you have to **** up. The FAA isn't looking for busywork. Note, it is also not specific that the retest must be in a plane and is often satisfied with an oral interview depending on the event.

I have a feeling that the purpose of the 709 ride isn't really figure out whether or not you'll gear-up or run out of gas a second time but rather to figure out whether or not you're a nutcase. After all, what are the chances you won't top the tanks or GUMPS-check on the very next flight after you've bent metal, one that will probably only put less than 1.0 on the Hobbs. And with an FAA rep on board watching your every move.

 

[flyingron]

True, it is non specific about when they may retest you, "at any time", however, in reality, to get a 44709 ride, you have to **** up. The FAA isn't looking for busywork. Note, it is also not specific that the retest must be in a plane and is often satisfied with an oral interview depending on the event.

Actually many ****-ups don't result in 709's and in some cases you don't have to ****-up to get one. 709 is used as authority to retest people when they suspect the DPE wasn't operating properly and as I pointed out, if you gear up or run out of fuel even through mechanical issues, you're still going to get the ride.