Alaskan DPE pulled, 140 check rides up for a re-test

[rframe]

Did you do an instrument or CFI-I ride with Don Lee?

FAA tosses flight tests by well-known bush pilot, throwing some Alaska aviators into limbo

Pilots who took certain “check rides” from Talkeetna’s Don Lee will need to get re-certified — generally within 15 days of getting a Federal Aviation Administration notice.

www.adn.com

 

[ppragman]

Did you do an instrument or CFI-I ride with Don Lee?

FAA tosses flight tests by well-known bush pilot, throwing some Alaska aviators into limbo

Pilots who took certain “check rides” from Talkeetna’s Don Lee will need to get re-certified — generally within 15 days of getting a Federal Aviation Administration notice.

www.adn.com

I did my float rating with Don like 13 years ago or so? My check ride was done with someone else (he didn’t have his DPE yet) but he was a fantastic guy and gold instructor.

I also know Mrzena too - and he’s areally good guy… so unsure about this one.

 

[Roger Roger]

Our local DPE lost his designation about 10 years ago for flagrantly falsifying instrument rides. I suspect, good pilot though this guy may be, the FAA wouldn’t have dropped the hammer unless he was egregiously violating the rules.

 

[NovemberEcho]

I feel like this has been happening a lot recently. Has the FAA started cracking down or I am just paying more attention?

 

[fholbert]

I suspect, good pilot though this guy may be, the FAA wouldn’t have dropped the hammer unless he was egregiously violating the rules.

I agree, something must be really wrong.

Assume if you got a float plane check ride the rest of our license is still good? Fifteen days to get a recheck is impossible, especially if everything is frozen over

The federal notice was dated Dec. 12 but individual pilots have yet to get notifications. Once that comes, pilots have 10 days to contact the FAA for re-examination within 15 days of getting the letter, with some exceptions.

 

[rframe]

Our local DPE lost his designation about 10 years ago for flagrantly falsifying instrument rides. I suspect, good pilot though this guy may be, the FAA wouldn’t have dropped the hammer unless he was egregiously violating the rules.

His issues with the FAA aside, it sure would suck to be an airmen who certified under him. It seems like DPE's are booked out for many months everywhere now days, and getting to pay for two check rides would really suck. Will be interesting to hear how the FAA accommodates working pilots who need to retest and what sort of timeline they'll get (for the checkride, I know it says they need to make contact within 10 days).

 

[Roger Roger]

I feel like this has been happening a lot recently. Has the FAA started cracking down or I am just paying more attention?

I think it just is easier to hear about it in the internet age. Although with flight tracking sites etc it also might be easier to prove malpractice, eg doing an IFR checkride and not going to an airport with an ILS.

 

[killbilly]

One of the DPEs who was part of the big "housecleaning" up in Maine is an APD at my company, and I got to hear his side of that whole thing. It was enlightening.

 

[alaskadrifter]

I was reading about this on an AK aviation Facebook group. Sounds like there was an issue regarding not including precision approaches during checkrides. I get all the boxes need to be checked for a checkride to be legit, but the FAA in its usual way is making compliance much more onerous than it needs to or should be. #weretohelp

 

[Roger Roger]

I was reading about this on an AK aviation Facebook group. Sounds like there was an issue regarding not including precision approaches during checkrides. I get all the boxes need to be checked for a checkride to be legit, but the FAA in its usual way is making compliance much more onerous than it needs to or should be. #weretohelp

Nah, that’s pretty clear and if true he’s not the first to get busted for it. 100% on him.

 

[fholbert]

I was reading about this on an AK aviation Facebook group. Sounds like there was an issue regarding not including precision approaches during checkrides. I get all the boxes need to be checked for a checkride to be legit, but the FAA in its usual way is making compliance much more onerous than it needs to or should be. #weretohelp

I see the problem. Looks like Anchorage is the nearest airport with an ILS.

 

[Roger Roger]

I see the problem. Looks like Anchorage is the nearest airport with an ILS.

Boo hoo, because nobody else in the history of instrument training has had to fly 70 miles to do ILSs. Or back in the day when you had to demo VOR, GPS, and NDB approaches too.

 

[fholbert]

Boo hoo, because nobody else in the history of instrument training has had to fly 70 miles to do ILSs. Or back in the day when you had to demo VOR, GPS, and NDB approaches too.

FWIW, my instrument check ride was an airport just over 50 miles. VOR, ILS, NDB approaches at a non-radar approach control.

I was really thinking PANC may not allow ILS training. How about the AFB?

 

[alaskadrifter]

Nah, that’s pretty clear and if true he’s not the first to get busted for it. 100% on him.

I’m not arguing any of that, but 10 days to contact the FAA and 15 days to schedule a checkride is really short notice. Plus I’m sure the Feds are already spread thin with their other checking duties.

I believe and LPV counts as a precision approach, but I’m too lazy to see which airports in the MatSu area have RNAV approaches with LPV mins.

 

[Roger Roger]

I’m not arguing any of that, but 10 days to contact the FAA and 15 days to schedule a checkride is really short notice. Plus I’m sure the Feds are already spread thin with their other checking duties.

I believe and LPV counts as a precision approach, but in too lazy to see which airports in the MatSu area have RNAV approaches with LPV mins.

I don’t think any do, which IS worth giving the feds some blame for. Then again I don’t know that terrain well, it may legit not allow it. Somewhere in the valley has LP but I think that’s it.

 

[SteveC]

Doesn't "15 days to schedule a check ride" mean that it needs to be scheduled (I.e. put on a DPE's calendar sometime in the future), not completed, within 15 days?

 

[alaskadrifter]

Looks like Wasilla does.

 

[alaskadrifter]

Doesn't "15 days to schedule a check ride" mean that it needs to be scheduled (I.e. put on a DPE's calendar sometime in the future), not completed, within 15 days?

Fair question. I had read it as 15 days to get-er-dun, but I may be wrong.

 

[killbilly]

I’m not arguing any of that, but 10 days to contact the FAA and 15 days to schedule a checkride is really short notice. Plus I’m sure the Feds are already spread thin with their other checking duties.

I believe and LPV counts as a precision approach, but I’m too lazy to see which airports in the MatSu area have RNAV approaches with LPV mins.

What @SteveC said is correct - they just have to SCHEDULE the 709 ride with an ASI. Given how backed up FSDOs are these days, that's gonna take a while. However, if they're only going to make the applicants shoot precision approaches, they can probably knock this out in relatively short order.

Regarding the approach.....I believe - and I think we have more than one DPE here who can verify - you can use the LPV in lieu of an ILS for a precision approach if it meets specific criteria, but it doesn't relieve you of the obligation to shoot approaches from two different NAV sources. In other words, you can't have a GPS-only equipped airplane (common with EAB aircraft) for a check ride shooting an RNAV to LPV mins for a precision and then an RNAV approaches for NP to LNAV mins, for example. Gotta have some VHF in there somewhere.

 

[CFI A&P]

I think it just is easier to hear about it in the internet age. Although with flight tracking sites etc it also might be easier to prove malpractice, eg doing an IFR checkride and not going to an airport with an ILS.

One DPE that was in hot water for not being thorough enough on the check ride. They were caught when the FSDO audited the school's records and found the renter didn't have the airplane long enough to complete all necessary tasks on the ACS/PTS.

Another DPE in our area was famous for finding creative ways to fail students. One egregious example was failing an instrument student for poor crosswind landings - except that maneuver wasn't on the PTS.