San Diego DPE experiences

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Blueangel

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Jan 5, 2015
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San Diego
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Display name:
Scott
So I am looking for experiences with local San Diego DPE for those who have taken recent instrument check rides so that I can make sure that my CFII teaches me what I really need to learn to be sharp for the check ride in the next few months. Feel free to message me for this.

Scott
 
Right I understand that but each DPE has their quirks and pros and cons. Some give dreaded 5 hour oral exams and others are more fair and really just want to test your core skills to be a safe pilot.
 
So you are looking to do only the minimum possible? Great.
 
No I never said that dude. I want to become a good safe instrument pilot.
 
I'm drawing a blank on the last name, but first name is Russ. I have heard good things about him.

I did my IR ride in San Diego with Dave Leonard. It was okay, although Dave is tough on the oral. He said I did well, but his demeanor/questioning style during the oral made left me feeling rather unsure of myself.
 
Yeah my instructor used to use a guy a while back but this person is no longer a DPE so now he is sending students to Dave Leonard. I will consider going with Russ as a 4 hour oral is pure insanity. John Hardy is the other DPE I've heard about.
 
Walboy said:
Most flight instructors I know have relationships with DPEs and should therefore be pretty familiar with the quirks of a DPE they recommend. Instructors also have an incentive for you to pass too.

Doesn't your instructor have a DPE in mind for your checkride?
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That.


And yeah, some DPEs are great, some are asshats, just like another industry.
 
I will ask folks at Plus One who they recommend for a DPE for the IR checkride and who to avoid. Dave Eby should know.
 
Blueangel said:
Yeah my instructor used to use a guy a while back but this person is no longer a DPE so now he is sending students to Dave Leonard. I will consider going with Russ as a 4 hour oral is pure insanity. John Hardy is the other DPE I've heard about.
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I send San Diego area students to John Hardy. Good guy, very fair and although you have to earn it, he wants to pass you. For the inst ride, know all you can about lost comms procedures and do a parallel entry to the HILPT at OCN if approaching from the south. (That's all you get.) ;)


 
Blueangel said:
Yeah my instructor used to use a guy a while back but this person is no longer a DPE so now he is sending students to Dave Leonard. I will consider going with Russ as a 4 hour oral is pure insanity. John Hardy is the other DPE I've heard about.
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My IR oral with Dave Leonard was not 4 hrs...more like 2, but like I said, it was pretty brutal mostly due to the way Dave conducts orals. I went into it feeling confident, walked out feeling like a retard, but he told my CFII that I did really well. I actually like Dave and the flight test was quite pleasant, but I am not sure I'd want to do another oral with him.
 
Blueangel said:
I will ask folks at Plus One who they recommend for a DPE for the IR checkride and who to avoid. Dave Eby should know.
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FWIW I am a Plus One member (albeit absentee for the last 3 years). Dave Eby is pretty well plugged in and a straight shooter. He'd be a good resource. Not sure who your CFII is, but you could also ask Dave Simpson (also a Plus One CFII). He does accelerated courses and knows the local examiners well.
 
Thanks I will check with Dave Eby for his thoughts and also with Dave Simpson. Since my work schedule changed, I may finish up with another CFII who can train me on weekends. My current CFII is good but he cannot teach weekends. So now I am looking for recommendations for a new CFII in San Diego at KMYF.
 
I've seen a number of posts lately on here and on other aviation forums from students (PPL, instrument, etc.) looking for DPE suggestions. Where in the f*%k are your CFIs? It's not, and shouldn't be, the student's job to locate or even worry about DPE selection. Your CFI should have one or two that he/she uses, knows well, and knows what the DPE wants. As a CFI, I'd be very reluctant to send a student to a DPE he/she selected that I don't know. In other words, if your CFI doesn't already have a DPE lined up, he/she is doing you a huge disservice. If for whatever reason you just don't trust your CFI to line up a DPE, find a new CFI.
 
Problem is my CFII sends all his students to Dave Leonard who is the most difficult DPE to take a ride with in San Diego!
 
Blueangel said:
Problem is my CFII sends all his students to Dave Leonard who is the most difficult DPE to take a ride with in San Diego!
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Still looking for the minimum/easiest I see. Sad.
 
I think you missed the point I was making not the easiest heck my private pilot DPE was not a push over and flight test long but he did want me to pass as long as I was safe and can do the flying.
 
"The oral might be too long", i.e., too hard. That is exactly what he is saying.
 
KA550 said:
"The oral might be too long", i.e., too hard. That is exactly what he is saying.
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No, that is NOT what he's saying. That is what you are trying to read into it.

I like Dave Leonard personally. I'm not going to get into the details, but I can completely understand why someone would not want to take a checkride with him.
 
Blueangel said:
Problem is my CFII sends all his students to Dave Leonard who is the most difficult DPE to take a ride with in San Diego!
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Again, if you don't trust your CFII to send you to an appropriate DPE, you need to find a new CFII that you do trust.
 
I think my CFII has no instrument students except for me right now. Anyways with a new work schedule I need to find someone who can train me on weekends. Most of the Plus One instructors are using John Hardy or Robert Hembury at least thats what I heard from them today. Russ is good but he has not done check rides in a long time from what the CFII folks told me today. My CFII sent a guy for his multi engine checkered to Robert Hembury.
 
Blueangel said:
Russ is good but he has not done check rides in a long time from what the CFII folks told me today.
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That doesn't sound right. I just saw Russ a few months ago at the burrito place across from Gibbs and he was getting ready to do a ride. Did they mean he hasn't done any IR rides lately?
 
Probably he has not done any IR lately and the few CFII I saw today at Plus One had not heard from him in a long time. So why are San Diego CFII send everyone for the IR to Dave Leonard or the Hambury guy? I know one who uses Julie Keane at Ramona.
 
Blueangel said:
Probably he has not done any IR lately and the few CFII I saw today at Plus One had not heard from him in a long time. So why are San Diego CFII send everyone for the IR to Dave Leonard or the Hambury guy? I know one who uses Julie Keane at Ramona.
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I've heard good things about Julie, but haven't heard of anyone doing an IR ride with her.

I'm not familiar with Hambury.

I think people send students to Dave because he is fair. Demanding. FSDO likes him (he is one of the only San Diego DPEs authorized to do CFI initial rides) and for all that they put up with his demeanor.

Personally, I just think that an examiner can be demanding without being demeaning. At first I thought it was just me, but talking to other CFIs around Gibbs, my experience was not uncommon.
 
Agree the DPE I used for my private checkride was demanding but fair and not a jerk.
 
Blueangel said:
Thanks I will check with Dave Eby for his thoughts and also with Dave Simpson. Since my work schedule changed, I may finish up with another CFII who can train me on weekends. My current CFII is good but he cannot teach weekends. So now I am looking for recommendations for a new CFII in San Diego at KMYF.
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Samantha O'Brien's great.
 
I've done all 3 of my checkrides with Jay Brentzel at CRQ. He's no pushover though, and he is NOT a guy I would ever wanna play poker with. He's intimidating, but I would say that he is very fair and though it may not seem like it he doesn't want to fail people unless there is a good reason. I've found that if you're on your game and show that you're ready things go smoothly, he doesn't skip anything or give it away but if you know your **** he'll know it. If you don't he'll know that too, and then you're gonna sweat. I've had it both ways at various points during those rides :lol:


You do have to book a fair bit in advance as well. My commercial date was set the day after my instrument ride LOL.
 
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thomas kassab said:
Hembury sucks. Hes probably the worst DPE in San Diego. Hes money hungry and out for your every dollar
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Allow me to translate.

“I was unprepared for my checkride, and I failed. Mr. Hembury had the audacity to not refund my money for wasting his time, and even more audacity to charge me for his time on the retest. DO NOT use him as your examiner if you’re not prepared for the test!”
 
Blueangel said:
Problem is my CFII sends all his students to Dave Leonard who is the most difficult DPE to take a ride with in San Diego!
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How do you know he is the most difficult? Have you done a check ride with every single examiner in the San Diego area?

I did my instrument ride with him, he is thorough but in my opinion fair. And rather than just rattle off some flashcards that you have memorized and you either know or not he actually makes you think.. that’s not a bad thing. One day when you’re alone IMC and the **** hits the fan you want to be prepared for that

.. you should trust your instructor to send you to an appropriate examiner. If you don’t have the kind of rapporteur it might be time to find another instructor
 
Tantalum said:
How do you know he is the most difficult? Have you done a check ride with every single examiner in the San Diego area?

I did my instrument ride with him, he is thorough but in my opinion fair. And rather than just rattle off some flashcards that you have memorized and you either know or not he actually makes you think.. that’s not a bad thing. One day when you’re alone IMC and the **** hits the fan you want to be prepared for that

.. you should trust your instructor to send you to an appropriate examiner. If you don’t have the kind of rapporteur it might be time to find another instructor
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upload_2021-4-17_14-50-21.jpeg
:D
 
^argh?! damn necro thread..

So let me get this straight, somebody re-opened this thread, and made their very first post on PoA to this thread trashing a DPE? And even checked off the little box that it’s valid and appropriate to reopen an old thread?

Yikes
 
Students can choose a DPE y'know. Or even fly with the FAA.
 
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