Matthew
Touchdown! Greaser!
As far as DPE schedules: is there a high season? Off season?
DPE PPL price
- Thread starter brien23
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cailloux
Pre-Flight
A parallel issue I've discussed with DPEs is that they can't use "bad weather" days to do the oral portion of a checkride. There's no starting the checkride unless the weather forecast is good enough to allow it to be completed. We've squinted real hard at weather forecasts to support a go decision, but several days of IFR/LIFR, and even some MVFR, forces a reschedule to later in an already-packed calendar.
I'd really like to use the existing Discontinuance process to allow the ground portion of checkrides when the weather is poor, and use the good days for the flying portion. We would get an increase in test capacity from a simple tweak to the policy. I understand the concerns to changing the current approach, but the DPEs that I have a good working relationship with aren't the type to abuse this level of flexibility. (I feel the same can be said about many of the other DPEs that I've met in the past, too.)
I'd really like to use the existing Discontinuance process to allow the ground portion of checkrides when the weather is poor, and use the good days for the flying portion. We would get an increase in test capacity from a simple tweak to the policy. I understand the concerns to changing the current approach, but the DPEs that I have a good working relationship with aren't the type to abuse this level of flexibility. (I feel the same can be said about many of the other DPEs that I've met in the past, too.)
Brad W
Pattern Altitude
so about $500 to $900 for a PPL initial ride
sidebar question - what's the going rate for PPL add ons or other rides
sidebar question - what's the going rate for PPL add ons or other rides
seaplane add on?
add on for something like a gyroplane rotorcraft?
Instrument rating?
multi add on?
or upgrade to commercial?
etc...
Half Fast
Touchdown! Greaser!
Similar to when there weren't enough pilot examiners. We just need Designated ASIs. Wanna become a DASI?
cailloux
Pre-Flight
The DPEs I work with charge the same rate for every "half-day" checkride: Private, Instrument, Commercial, CFII, Multi, MEI
They charge about 1.5x that rate for the CFI-Initial because of how much longer the test is, and they tend to only do that checkride on a given day.
If a checkride is discontinued for weather, there's not usually an additional fee. If a checkride requires a retest, they can run about 50% of the original checkride cost.
The ASES add-on is usually only offered at a "captive" location with a short list of DPEs able to offer it at the facility, but my informal survey in the past show that they're about inline with what is regularly charged for checkrides elsewhere.
I know of a couple places that do gyrocopter, but I never looked at the costs for the checkride itself. If I add on the gyrocopter rating, it's "fun money."
EdFred
Taxi to Parking
When did that change? I did my private oral when we absolutely knew we wouldn't be going that day.
Some time ago. Our DPE is under the same protocol. Back when I did my Private, they could complete the oral if the flight portion wasn’t doable, now if it’s not reasonably assured that both can be completed, the check ride can’t be started. Kind of dumb I agree.
Similar here...We presumed that the practical portion was a no go prior to starting the oral exam. By the end of the exam an unexpected weather window opened up and off we went.
cailloux
Pre-Flight
It's been the rule as long as I've known; Order 8900.2C, Chapter 7, Section 2, Subsection 15, Paragraph (a):
Half Fast
Touchdown! Greaser!
Yep, that was true when I did my Private. We were both pretty sure we'd have to scrub, but technically we had an airworthy plane and VFR conditions so we could legally start the oral even though the winds were bad. After several hours of oral exam, the winds were high (I was flying a Tecnam LSA) and the windsocks at each end of the runway were pointing at each other when they weren't spinning around, so we agreed to reschedule the flight.
Practically speaking, we knew it was going to turn out that way, but it worked schedule-wise to split up the two portions and we could justify starting if anyone questioned it.
dmspilot
Final Approach
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Keywords seem to be "intent...schedule...planned." If I'm a DPE and intend to complete the entire practical test on Monday, and the weather is bad, that isn't my fault. Is there something else? I was under the impression there was something new.
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Jim_R
Pattern Altitude
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Jim
Huh.
I met my DPE for my IR checkride on a day that was not favorable for flying (t-storms in the area). We knocked out the oral portion, then he looked at me and said, "So are you ready to fly?" I told him that while it was legal to fly, and that I really wanted to fly, I did not think it was a good idea to fly with the atmosphere so unstable in the area.
I forget his exact words (this was almost 15 years ago now), but he said something along the lines that his question was essentially also a test, and I gave the right answer. He said he would not have gone up with the weather as it was that day. We ended up rescheduling the flight for a couple of days later.
RussR
En-Route
For my CFII ride (2013) we only did the oral because of IFR weather. But I'm pretty sure we knew that before we started. I'm sure it's all in the definition of the word "intend". Sure, we intend to complete it today, if the weather improves...
From what I can see now, though, there's more emphasis and perhaps oversight of this. I don't know why, personally I don't see a problem with "well, the forecast for today is low IFR all day, so let's just do the oral." Seems reasonable to me and seems not be gaming the system, it's just making better use of time.
But the idea now seems to be that you must have a reasonable expectation of completing the checkride before even starting. So if the forecast is VFR but then changes, that's okay. But if it's OVC002 and forecast to stay that way for days, then you can't even start. Again, seems silly to me, I think it should be a decision between the applicant and DPE.
I've had a couple of checkrides where we had to split them between two days. I actually kind of liked it. You know you passed the oral, so now you just have to "worry" about the flight. Plus, you'll be starting the flight "fresh".
From what I can see now, though, there's more emphasis and perhaps oversight of this. I don't know why, personally I don't see a problem with "well, the forecast for today is low IFR all day, so let's just do the oral." Seems reasonable to me and seems not be gaming the system, it's just making better use of time.
But the idea now seems to be that you must have a reasonable expectation of completing the checkride before even starting. So if the forecast is VFR but then changes, that's okay. But if it's OVC002 and forecast to stay that way for days, then you can't even start. Again, seems silly to me, I think it should be a decision between the applicant and DPE.
I've had a couple of checkrides where we had to split them between two days. I actually kind of liked it. You know you passed the oral, so now you just have to "worry" about the flight. Plus, you'll be starting the flight "fresh".