Recomendation on DPE for CSEL Within 2 Hours of Nashville

kurtsnyder

kurtsnyder

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Aug 23, 2013
Messages
143
Location
Nashville
Display Name
Display name:
Mooney_Pilot
OK, so apparently it's like pulling teeth to get a checkride scheduled anymore. It took me a month to find someone to do my IFR ride and he was a DPE from a FSDO in Indiana who just happened to be doing some rides on a temp basis in the Nashville area. Since then, I've tried for a month and a half to have my commercial single engine ride and I can't find an examiner that is either not recommended or isn't booked for the next 6 weeks. I finally found a DPE in Kentucky and was scheduled to have my ride this past Sunday. Well, we had to cancel that morning due to a very ugly forecast. That forecast ended up being very wrong and the whole day was beautiful, so that sucked big time. I called the examiner today to see when it would work to try again and he said he's booked for the next 3 weeks! :mad2: Normally it wouldn't be a big deal, but I have a job prospect lined up and I may get this job with my wet commercial.

So, can anyone recommend a DPE in TN, KY, AL, GA or any other state that is within a 2 hour flight from Nashville? I'm about at my whit's end here! The aviation gods have not been blessing my efforts to get my comm cert. :mad:
 
Not sure on schedule, but Jerry Rasmussen out of TYS did my last one.
 
Larry T Swor out of Carroll County Airport (HZD). Good guy and very fair. Let me know if you need his contact info or just call the airport, he is the manager there.
 
Max Gurgew in Huntsville, Alabama KHSV
Clyde Shelton in Meridianville, Alabama KMDQ
Someone already mentioned Reece Howell.
 
Don Jones at KRHP. Great guy. I've sent a lot of students to him and did my own SE ATP add-on with him. Very fair.
 
OK, thanks everyone for the recommendations. There is a small chance that this Sunday might come available and the DPE in Paducah said I could have the spot if it does. The only problem is that the forecast is looking bad for Sunday. We'll see...
 
Ben Carr at KFGU is a great guy IMO
 
kurtsnyder said:
Thanks for the recommendation. I just got off the phone with him and I think I may be able to take the ride next week.
Click to expand...


Good luck! Ben is a great examiner. You'll probably learn something new from him too
 
kurtsnyder said:
Thanks for the recommendation. I just got off the phone with him and I think I may be able to take the ride next week.
Click to expand...

Good luck! I need to schedule mine here soon and I am thinking of using Ben for my CSEL as well. Can you let me know how it goes? Any gouge is appreciated.
 
aeroman said:
Good luck! I need to schedule mine here soon and I am thinking of using Ben for my CSEL as well. Can you let me know how it goes? Any gouge is appreciated.
Click to expand...

I'll let you know. I have my ride set up with him this Thursday. I'm praying that the weather cooperates. I've already had to cancel 2 times due to weather.
 
kurtsnyder said:
I'll let you know. I have my ride set up with him this Thursday. I'm praying that the weather cooperates. I've already had to cancel 2 times due to weather.
Click to expand...

So how did it end up going? Did you have to cancel? The weather in N.GA sure wasn't in favor for a ride.
 
OK, so I got to do my ride on Thursday and I passed!! The weather in the Chattanooga area was perfect for the ride. I did have trouble getting back to Nashville and had to land early due to picking up ice.

Anyway, Ben Carr is a great guy. VERY nice and down to earth. I felt right at ease the minute I met him. The oral took about 1.5 and the flight 1.8. It could not have been more straight forward. He went down a list of questions on his "Plan of Action" and it was stuff straight out of the PTS. The flight was nothing spectacular. Just what I had planned on. We flew up to the brand new Cleveland, TN Jetport airport and did all the T/O and landings. What a nice airport! The biggest worry was the 180 power off spot landings. He told me I only had 1 shot at it and that if I missed, I could continue the pratical portion, but that I would have to come back to retest on that 1 item. Talk about pressure. Well, I ended up touching down square in the middle of the 1,000' markers! I know the rest would be a piece of cake after that.

When we got back and landed, he said that I wasn't a very memorable candidate and that he would forget me. I chuckled and he said that's a good thing. I didn't do anything crazy or stupid for him to remember me by. I didn't do anything to give him a good story to tell and he said that's a good thing. I agree! :lol:
 
Vote of NO confidence, in the Knoxville FAA pilot examiner!
 
Last edited:
Ben Carr, west of Chattanooga now, is very fair and doesn't pull any tricks. Highly recommended.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top