How to become a DPE?

AOPA put out an article about it around a year ago. Here is the requirements summary:

"the DPE applicant must be at least 23 years of age, have at least 2,000 hours’ total pilot-in-command (PIC) time (100 during the previous 12 months), and 500 hours’ dual instruction given. A current flight instructor certificate and at least a third class medical certificate must be maintained."

Full Arcticle Link: https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media...ht-training-magazine/checkride-becoming-a-dpe
 
Jeremy S said:
AOPA put out an article about it around a year ago. Here is the requirements summary:

"the DPE applicant must be at least 23 years of age, have at least 2,000 hours’ total pilot-in-command (PIC) time (100 during the previous 12 months), and 500 hours’ dual instruction given. A current flight instructor certificate and at least a third class medical certificate must be maintained."

Full Arcticle Link: https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media...ht-training-magazine/checkride-becoming-a-dpe
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Thanks... that article answers many questions
 
I have a hunch that most of it still depends on knowing the right people. I also have a hunch that openings to become a DPE are rare.
 
I think that would be a fun gig. Forces you to stay sharp and there is all that cash.
 
WDD said:
I have a hunch that most of it still depends on knowing the right people. I also have a hunch that openings to become a DPE are rare.
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Considering how hard it is to find a DPE, I'd bet that isn't the case. Finding people who are both qualified and want to be a DPE is harder. Keep in mind you have to maintain currency in every airframe you want to evaluate in. Maintain office space etc, all those things cost money, it's like running any other business.
 
Jeremy S said:
Considering how hard it is to find a DPE, I'd bet that isn't the case. Finding people who are both qualified and want to be a DPE is harder. Keep in mind you have to maintain currency in every airframe you want to evaluate in. Maintain office space etc, all those things cost money, it's like running any other business.
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Agree that DPEs are hard to find. Seems to be a shortage. But I don’t believe it is for lack of qualified candidates. From another thread in DPEs I believe the limiter is the local FSDOs
 
WDD said:
I have a hunch that most of it still depends on knowing the right people. I also have a hunch that openings to become a DPE are rare.
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At one time that was true, but not anymore. One of the bigger issues is a lack of POIs to oversee the DPEs, making DPE vacancies harder to fill.

They also changed the process a few years ago to make it less "good ol boy" network-like.
 
Be a CFII.
Fly. A lot.
Cultivate friends at the FAA.
Eliminate DPEs in your area. The only way to get the position is if one dies or loses their license. There is still a lot of "Good ole boyism" in this area.
 
Jeremy S said:
Considering how hard it is to find a DPE, I'd bet that isn't the case. Finding people who are both qualified and want to be a DPE is harder. Keep in mind you have to maintain currency in every airframe you want to evaluate in. Maintain office space etc, all those things cost money, it's like running any other business.
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"Maintain office space"? What DPE needs an office? If a DPE has a cell phone, he's good to go. As far as currency in every airframe, that depends on if a type rating is involved. SEL is pretty much SEL. I'm not saying DPEs don't have to spend some of their own money to jump thru all the FAA hoops, they do. The sticking point in our district appears the FSDO doesn't have the necessary personnel to oversee an adequate number of DPEs. They (FSDO) don't seem to care if an applicant has to wait weeks and weeks before a DPE has an available time slot for a checkride.
 
Witmo said:
They (FSDO) don't seem to care if an applicant has to wait weeks and weeks before a DPE has an available time slot for a checkride.
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More than likely they care, but they know it’s unhealthy to stress over things that aren’t going to change.
 
Who benefits from pushing DPE reform? Not schools, they usually have one full time. Pt 61 instruction has no clout.

Find someone with $$$ and clout and in 10 years maybe it will change
 
pfarber said:
Who benefits from pushing DPE reform? Not schools, they usually have one full time. Pt 61 instruction has no clout.

Find someone with $$$ and clout and in 10 years maybe it will change
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Who’s got the clout and $$$ to get more funding for the FAA to staff the FSDOs to supervise more DPEs?
 
Witmo said:
"Maintain office space"? What DPE needs an office? If a DPE has a cell phone, he's good to go. As far as currency in every airframe, that depends on if a type rating is involved. SEL is pretty much SEL. I'm not saying DPEs don't have to spend some of their own money to jump thru all the FAA hoops, they do. The sticking point in our district appears the FSDO doesn't have the necessary personnel to oversee an adequate number of DPEs. They (FSDO) don't seem to care if an applicant has to wait weeks and weeks before a DPE has an available time slot for a checkride.
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Not germane to the discussion at hand, but if I just paid $1,000 in green cash money for a checkride, I would be unhappy to do the oral portion of said checkride in a McDonalds booth. :D An office space of any kind would be more professional appropriate to the fee.

Similarly, for the $100 or so, I would be unhappy doing an FAA Medical in the back of the good Doctor's Coupe De Ville.
 
Jeremy S said:
Considering how hard it is to find a DPE, I'd bet that isn't the case. Finding people who are both qualified and want to be a DPE is harder. Keep in mind you have to maintain currency in every airframe you want to evaluate in. Maintain office space etc, all those things cost money, it's like running any other business.
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In my experience, that "office space" is a room in their house.
 
ateamer said:
How much is involved in supervising DPEs? Any rough estimate on how much time per week or month an FAA inspector spends on DPEs?
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No idea…but I do know that between DPE supervision and all of their other responsibilities, their time is booked up.

throw in a few applicants who don’t make it through the observed checkrides, and rescheduling observations adds up pretty quickly as well.
 
schmookeeg said:
Not germane to the discussion at hand, but if I just paid $1,000 in green cash money for a checkride, I would be unhappy to do the oral portion of said checkride in a McDonalds booth. :D An office space of any kind would be more professional appropriate to the fee.
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Most of my 10 checkrides have been held in the conference room at the FBO or some other similar place. The DPEs operated at multiple airports and I do not know if they actually had an "office" at any of them. I did not find this to be in any way unprofessional.

For the three that weren't, two were, yes, done in the DPE's office (different DPEs and airports). The other was actually done at the DPE's dining room table (he had some land with a private runway and I flew up there. This was for the Commercial Helicopter checkride. My "confined area" takeoff and landing were done in his driveway, with trees on two sides and taking off over his house. It was fun.)
 
schmookeeg said:
Not germane to the discussion at hand, but if I just paid $1,000 in green cash money for a checkride, I would be unhappy to do the oral portion of said checkride in a McDonalds booth. :D An office space of any kind would be more professional appropriate to the fee.

Similarly, for the $100 or so, I would be unhappy doing an FAA Medical in the back of the good Doctor's Coupe De Ville.
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If the dpe doesn’t have a good enough relationship with the school or fbo to borrow a room for an oral, then I don’t want to work with them either.
 
schmookeeg said:
Similarly, for the $100 or so, I would be unhappy doing an FAA Medical in the back of the good Doctor's Coupe De Ville.
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Not germaine to the question, but after weeks of postponements due to weather, my DPE (for my PPASEL) invited me over to his house, to knock out the oral. During the exam, the DPE's cat wandered through the living room and jumped into my lap, soon fast asleep. The DPE commented, "Huh. He never does that with strangers." I took that as a good sign!

-Skip
 
Skip Miller said:
Not germaine to the question, but after weeks of postponements due to weather, my DPE (for my PPASEL) invited me over to his house, to knock out the oral.
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Was this recent? I've heard from some DPEs, and I want to say I read it in the DPE guide, that they're not supposed to do this anymore. Meaning that they are supposed to have a reasonable expectation of being able to do the whole checkride before they start the oral.

Personally I think it's silly to have a policy on that. Leave it up to the DPE and the applicant on how best to be efficient with their time. If it's bad weather, knock out a bunch of orals. Why not?
 
schmookeeg said:
Not germane to the discussion at hand, but if I just paid $1,000 in green cash money for a checkride, I would be unhappy to do the oral portion of said checkride in a McDonalds booth. :D An office space of any kind would be more professional appropriate to the fee.

Similarly, for the $100 or so, I would be unhappy doing an FAA Medical in the back of the good Doctor's Coupe De Ville.
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A DME (designated mechanic examiner) has to have a testing facility with enough equipment to conduct a practical exam. The A&P candidate has to be provided the necessary tools and materials to demonstrate the required skills for the rating. A DPE, on the other hand, usually conducts exams at multiple locations and usually shows up with a headset and a laptop and/or IPAD, and is good to go. The applicant provides the aircraft and in my experience, the oral is conducted at an FBO or the flight school in any quiet room where they can be undisturbed.
 
MauleSkinner said:
No idea…but I do know that between DPE supervision and all of their other responsibilities, their time is booked up.

throw in a few applicants who don’t make it through the observed checkrides, and rescheduling observations adds up pretty quickly as well.
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Is it? Is it really?

I mean what pressing FSDO matters are thier on a daily basis? And how rowdy are these DPE/DME/DARs etc?

When i was a corporate drone, if my 8 hour day had 2 hours of actual work it was a busy day. Not saying you wany to churn constantly for 7 hours (less lunch and breaks) but really, what is going on?

Also a FSDO would certainly be an exempt employee so I don't think overtime rules apply, so again, what do they do??

If its a funding issue then charge for the test/exams. You just spend $10k+ to get the CFI endorsement, another $100 is gonna kill you??
 
It's been a while but I went to DPE school in Oklahoma City back in 2006. Back then it was very FSDO centric. The DPE that I was supposed to "replace" was going to retire and they needed what I had to offer.

At the end of the day, the DPE decided not to retire and kept working until very recently. I don't blame him. He is a hell of a guy and you just can't beat the $$.
 
pfarber said:
Is it? Is it really?

I mean what pressing FSDO matters are thier on a daily basis? And how rowdy are these DPE/DME/DARs etc?

When i was a corporate drone, if my 8 hour day had 2 hours of actual work it was a busy day. Not saying you wany to churn constantly for 7 hours (less lunch and breaks) but really, what is going on?

Also a FSDO would certainly be an exempt employee so I don't think overtime rules apply, so again, what do they do??

If its a funding issue then charge for the test/exams. You just spend $10k+ to get the CFI endorsement, another $100 is gonna kill you??
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Pressing matters include things like oversight of and checkrides for 135 operators, accident/incident investigation & counseling of pilots involved in such things, and legal actions against wayward pilots. There are probably quite a few more activities that I haven’t been directly affected by.

$100 for a checkride doesn’t go very far in hiring more inspectors.
 
pfarber said:
Also a FSDO would certainly be an exempt employee so I don't think overtime rules apply, so again, what do they do??
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Most government civilian workers are in fact non-exempt, hourly employees. Usually, the hours have to total 40 per week or 80 per two-week pay period, but they're still hourly. I've been a government civilian for 14 years with several different organizations, and have always filled out some form of a daily time card.
 
this is something I've wondered about....how they became examiners.
No office known for either of my examiners many years ago....both were done at an airport in a conference room of some sort.....
 
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