Examiner in D.C. area?

Bonchie

Bonchie

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Bonchie
Who have you used and what are you experiences?

Scheduling the PPL check ride now. I called Cutcher out of Lee (who came recommended) but he's booked until Aug. 17th so that isn't going to work.

I'm flying out of VKX so proximity is a factor. A field on the opposite side of the SFRA probably wouldn't work. South, north, east are doable.

Really wanting someone who's friendly with a good disposition.
 
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Fly a lil bit to Easton (KESN) and see Frank Phillips. He is an awesome and very fair DPE.
 
Frank out in Eqston is a good examiner. If he's not free, Glenn Klakring seems like a good guy and is a little easier to book. I'd also recommend Jerry Knouff down in Stafford.
 
Just yesterday I took (and passed) an instrument check ride with Jerry Knouff.

It was a really tough test, but Jerry is fair and I picked up some good info. I would recommend him as well.
 
My school has used knouf so that's possible.

Haven't been able to get him on the phone as of yet though.
 
I've used John Cutcher and Mike Deruggiero. Both were good fair rides. As far as I know, John is out of Lee ANP, and Mike is somewhere up in the Baltimore area, but both came to Bay Bridge W29 for the checkride.
 
jpower said:
I've used John Cutcher and Mike Deruggiero. Both were good fair rides. As far as I know, John is out of Lee ANP, and Mike is somewhere up in the Baltimore area, but both came to Bay Bridge W29 for the checkride.
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Cutcher is booked until mid-August.

Not going to even think about waiting that long. Would be counter-productive IMO with regards to proficiency and knowledge that may come up on the oral that is fresh in my mind from studying for the written.

Going to try to call Knouff again tonight.
 
Bonchie said:
Cutcher is booked until mid-August.

Not going to even think about waiting that long. Would be counter-productive IMO with regards to proficiency and knowledge that may come up on the oral that is fresh in my mind from studying for the written.

Going to try to call Knouff again tonight.
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If Jerry's booked up, don't be afraid to check with some of the Richmond FSDO assigned DPEs. I had an examiner cancel on me at the last minute and was able to reschedule with an examiner with a day's notice. You'll just have to call around. I'd rather have an extra cross country under my belt than wait another month to ride.
 
Does your flight school use a particular DPE? I've always gone to the one that my school and/or instructor uses
 
jordane93 said:
Does your flight school use a particular DPE? I've always gone to the one that my school and/or instructor uses
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They use different ones. It's up the student to decide who to book.

Cutcher, Knouff, and Ozols are the ones he's mentioned students have used lately.
 
Flymeariver said:
Fly a lil bit to Easton (KESN) and see Frank Phillips. He is an awesome and very fair DPE.
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Frank is typically booked about three weeks in advance. Glenn Klakring is another option at Easton on shorter notice, but can be hard to schedule on weekdays because he still has a "real" job. You can also try Tony Capozzi down at Maryland Airport. All three are listed on the FAA DPE Locator under the BAL FSDO (Phillips/Klakring) and WAS FSDO (Capozzi).
 
jpower said:
I've used John Cutcher and Mike Deruggiero. Both were good fair rides. As far as I know, John is out of Lee ANP, and Mike is somewhere up in the Baltimore area, but both came to Bay Bridge W29 for the checkride.
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Scheduling Mike can be a bit tricky due to his day job as a Maryland State Police trooper/helo pilot and chief of training for the MSP aviation detachment. He's absolutely by-the-book, but be prepared to spend all-day with him. He's primarily at Martin State, but will go to Bay Bridge. John Cutcher works out of Annapolis (Lee) and Freeway.
 
Got ahold of Knouff. Looks like he had a cancellation on Monday and may be able to get me in.

Anyone who has used him, any intelligence would be great :)

Seems like a nice guy.

In other news, my instructor has been telling me wrong about simulator time counting toward the 3 hours of instrument training. So I only have 2.4 actually in the plane toward the reg. Glad I caught it while comparing my times to what the regs demand to ensure I meet everything.

I'll just stay under the foggles longer on my final phase check and pick it up, but almost a big screw up. Would of sucked to fly down to Stafford and be short.
 
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Bonchie said:
Got ahold of Knouff. Looks like he had a cancellation on Monday and may be able to get me in.

Anyone who has used him, any intelligence would be great :)

Seems like a nice guy.

In other news, my instructor has been telling me wrong about simulator time counting toward the 3 hours of instrument training. So I only have 2.4 actually in the plane toward the reg. Glad I caught it while comparing my times to what the regs demand to ensure I meet everything.

I'll just stay under the foggles longer on my final phase check and pick it up, but almost a big screw up. Would of sucked to fly down to Stafford and be short.
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You can read about him in AOPA pilot. He was featured in the January or February issue this year, I beleive.
 
Ron Levy said:
Scheduling Mike can be a bit tricky due to his day job as a Maryland State Police trooper/helo pilot and chief of training for the MSP aviation detachment. He's absolutely by-the-book, but be prepared to spend all-day with him. He's primarily at Martin State, but will go to Bay Bridge. John Cutcher works out of Annapolis (Lee) and Freeway.
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I actually had really good luck scheduling Mike (was able to get him a week or so out), but your mileage may vary. I just googled him and there are a couple of google groups posts (clearly both by the same person) describing him in...not the best light. As I said before, I think my ride with him was totally fair, but he definitely made me work for it during both the oral and the flight portions. Very by the books, very businesslike.

If for some reason you don't get it in with Knouff and want to try for Mike, shoot me a PM and I'd be happy to give you a little more intel.
 
jpower said:
I actually had really good luck scheduling Mike (was able to get him a week or so out), but your mileage may vary. I just googled him and there are a couple of google groups posts (clearly both by the same person) describing him in...not the best light. As I said before, I think my ride with him was totally fair, but he definitely made me work for it during both the oral and the flight portions. Very by the books, very businesslike.

If for some reason you don't get it in with Knouff and want to try for Mike, shoot me a PM and I'd be happy to give you a little more intel.
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Ha, ha, when I was scheduling an examiner, I saw those posts and ignored them naturally. Ironically (or not), he couldn't fit me in because his schedule was filled up with retests and discontinuances. A decent, confident pilot shouldn't have an issue testing with anyone; the FSDOs up here do a decent job of keeping their DPEs right on the airway centerline.
 
I used Mike Price at SHD for my instrument rating. Seemed like a straight-forward guy.
 
Bob Gawler is out of Gaithersburg MD. I gave him a lesson or two 30 years ago when he was getting his ratings and I just finished a BPPP flight review as a student and he is quite knowledgeable and I will be sending my students to him now that Annabelle has retired (Party at FDK on 10 August). I got all my ratings from her after the IFR and my son was one of her last exams.
 
I heard Annabelle was the way to go. Very good all around.
 
gitmo234 said:
I heard Annabelle was the way to go. Very good all around.
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Gosh is Annabelle Fera still doing rides?

My wife did her Private ride with Velta Benn. Now that was a ride.

When she learned of America’s desperate need for military pilots, and the Army Air Forces’ recently enacted training program to teach women pilots to fly military aircraft ‘the Army way,’ she applied for the program. She was one of ninety eight women pilots from all over America who was accepted as a member of class 44-7 and reported for training to Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas.

After 7 months of the Army Air Forces’ flight training, she graduated with fifty eight of her classmates on 8 September 1944.

Velta was then stationed at Merced Army Air Field in California. There she flew At-6s as an administrative pilot, flying personnel from one base to another, as well as flying BT-13s on observation flights and as an instrument instructor, teaching AAF male pilots how to fly by instruments alone. She remained there until the WASP were disbanded on 20 December, 1944.

After hanging up her WASP parachute, Velta worked in different aviation related jobs, helping to produce aviation training films, researching safety and landing procedures off carriers for the Navy, and was an FAA accident prevention counselor. In addition, she was an FAA pilot examiner for private, commercial, multi-engine and instrument ratings, with over 27,000 flight hours to her credit.

In 1983, Velta Benn was inducted into the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame, and on March 10, 2010, she, together with 1,101 WASP peers, was awarded the CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL, the highest honor Congress can give a civilian.
​

Alas, Velta passed away almost four years ago.
 
Just had an IR trainee do his ride with Dale Clemens at York PA (KTHV -- not far north of DC) yesterday. They had to discontinue due to winds, turbulence, and lack of an ILS (after getting airborne, CXY couldn't do the ILS 8 opposite traffic with winds from the west and MDT's was down), but the oral was very well done, and he seems very relaxed.
 
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