Checkrides far from home - do DPEs give more slack?

RussR

RussR

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Not sure how to word the title. With the shortage of DPEs and delayed checkrides, we're seeing lots of pilots willing to travel long distances to find an examiner. I know of two in the last month that went out of state.

What I'm wondering is, how does this affect the DPE's approach to the checkride? The DPE knows that the person flew a long distance to get there, may even have stayed in a hotel, and if the person fails the checkride, will incur significant expense to get back there at another time.

Of course, DPEs should apply the same criteria to each applicant, and the standards are the standards, etc. But we all know that nothing is quite that written in stone.

What I am wondering is this: you're the DPE. You have an applicant who flew several hours to get to you, say for the instrument checkride. How does that affect your state of mind regarding failing the applicant? Do you maybe subconsciously give them a little more slack on the +/- 100 ft (for example) as long as everything still looks "pretty good"? No, you probably shouldn't, but you're human.

I don't even know if there's an "answer" to this, but was discussing it with another CFI, and thought I'd post it here.

Discuss.
 
RussR said:
Not sure how to word the title. With the shortage of DPEs and delayed checkrides, we're seeing lots of pilots willing to travel long distances to find an examiner. I know of two in the last month that went out of state.

What I'm wondering is, how does this affect the DPE's approach to the checkride? The DPE knows that the person flew a long distance to get there, may even have stayed in a hotel, and if the person fails the checkride, will incur significant expense to get back there at another time.

Of course, DPEs should apply the same criteria to each applicant, and the standards are the standards, etc. But we all know that nothing is quite that written in stone.

What I am wondering is this: you're the DPE. You have an applicant who flew several hours to get to you, say for the instrument checkride. How does that affect your state of mind regarding failing the applicant? Do you maybe subconsciously give them a little more slack on the +/- 100 ft (for example) as long as everything still looks "pretty good"? No, you probably shouldn't, but you're human.

I don't even know if there's an "answer" to this, but was discussing it with another CFI, and thought I'd post it here.

Discuss.
Click to expand...

Nope.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Following this. I'd be curious to hear what your AvCast compadres would have to say.
 
RussR said:
Not sure how to word the title. With the shortage of DPEs and delayed checkrides, we're seeing lots of pilots willing to travel long distances to find an examiner. I know of two in the last month that went out of state.

What I'm wondering is, how does this affect the DPE's approach to the checkride? The DPE knows that the person flew a long distance to get there, may even have stayed in a hotel, and if the person fails the checkride, will incur significant expense to get back there at another time.

Of course, DPEs should apply the same criteria to each applicant, and the standards are the standards, etc. But we all know that nothing is quite that written in stone.

What I am wondering is this: you're the DPE. You have an applicant who flew several hours to get to you, say for the instrument checkride. How does that affect your state of mind regarding failing the applicant? Do you maybe subconsciously give them a little more slack on the +/- 100 ft (for example) as long as everything still looks "pretty good"? No, you probably shouldn't, but you're human.

I don't even know if there's an "answer" to this, but was discussing it with another CFI, and thought I'd post it here.

Discuss.
Click to expand...
Why would they? Are you only going to fly around home after you get your rating?
 
Negative.

I almost had a pink slip for a misunderstanding on my Private ride over Morse Code which I narrowly averted by proving I know Morse. Pink slips don’t exist anymore but I very vividly remember the examiner putting that pink piece of paper in the typewriter.

Examiner didn’t think I tuned and identified a VOR or an NDB. And it was a hot button topic for the FAA back then.

I had a solo endorsement to get TO the checkride. I did NOT have one to get home.

I’ve given my original CFI a lot of grief about that over many years. Haha.

He just says, “You we’re ready.”
 
denverpilot said:
Negative.

I almost had a pink slip for a misunderstanding on my Private ride over Morse Code which I narrowly averted by proving I know Morse. Pink slips don’t exist anymore but I very vividly remember the examiner putting that pink piece of paper in the typewriter.

Examiner didn’t think I tuned and identified a VOR or an NDB. And it was a hot button topic for the FAA back then.

I had a solo endorsement to get TO the checkride. I did NOT have one to get home.

I’ve given my original CFI a lot of grief about that over many years. Haha.

He just says, “You we’re ready.”
Click to expand...

What happened and how did you get out of the pink slip if he already had it in the typewriter??
 
My opinion is: I hope not.

I would hope that the DPE gives you the most thorough exam that they can regardless of how far you traveled to get there. But then again, I'm not a DPE.
 
The standards are published. One might believe an applicant traveling a long distance would have prepared to exceed the standards to insure they didn’t have to go back rather than expecting a DPE to cut them slack.

There was once a DPE in my area reputed to give cup cake tests. There were many students shocked when they flunked the “cup cake ride” after traveling a long distance.
 
LoLPilot said:
What happened and how did you get out of the pink slip if he already had it in the typewriter??
Click to expand...

I didn’t let him start typing without telling me why! :)

When I found out it was just “you didn’t tune and identify” a station, I was like... wait a minute... I know why he thinks that...

This was so long ago I don’t even know if the current rules about announcing the fail and the discontinuance and all that stuff was even in effect yet (1992) and if it was, this gruff old codger certainly didn’t care! :)

He didn’t say much the entire ride. Very different than today.

Stories of 60s-80s checkrides are even wilder than mine... you should ask some of these old guys here... funny stuff back then!

One guy here recounted trying hard not to barf while his examiner sat silently puffing a cigar and completely filling the cockpit with smoke... :)
 
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