Checkride with DE or FSDO

Frank_Rizzo

Frank_Rizzo

New Member
I so far have done PPL and instrument at part 61 in Texas so maybe I'm missing something. I was have the understanding here that you have a choice of wether taking your rides with a private examiner OR the FAA but it seems a lot of posts talk about having to choose this or that (BOS or DC) FSDO. Do certain areas require an FAA examiner? Does this go by district or state?
 
The only thing that has to be done by an FAA inspector is the initial CFI. Even then there are some ways around it, and everything else can be done by a designated examiner. The advantage to the inpector is its free, but the pass rates are typically not very high.
 
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The only thing that has to be done by an FAA inspector is the initial CFI. Even then there are some ways around it, and everything else can be done by a designated examiner. The advantage to the inpector is its free, but the pass rates are typically not very high.

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Bring it on! I like the challenge.

Another thing, I noticed at least one employment ad for instructors that required that at least one checkride was given by a FSDO for consideration.
 
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I noticed at least one employment ad for instructors that required that at least one checkride was given by a FSDO for consideration.

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Are you for real? Where was this?

I guess your not a real pilot unless you've had a fed sit next to you during a checkride. 'cos we know all FAA inspectors are God's gift to aviation and examining themselves, hand picked for the job by the nations finest and could never let a bad applicant slip by them.

Don't ever feel like you have to take the "rough" option as far as a checkride is concerned to prove yourself. There are • DPEs and FAA inspectors.....unfortunately with the FAA it's a toss up as to which inspector you get and you have no say if it turns out to be Mr. Highly Unreasonable. At the very least you have a choice when it comes to a DPE. If you have an "easier" checkride option, by all means take it. Last thing you need is a bust, which will require retraining and additional cost regardless of whether the test itself was free, and a pink slip on your record. Whats worse is that while passing with Mr Ball Breaker might give you a warm fuzzy feeling inside for a day or two, busting will not only bruise your ego, but possibly destroy your confidence in yourself....I've seen it happen to some very talented students.

Remember...you only need 2 or more pink slips before interviewers at airline jobs start raising an eyebrow and make you give them some carefully crafted explanation. I'm sure you could do without that hassle if a career in aviaition is what you are after.

Good luck.
 
Depends on the area and how swamped the FSDO is. Florida, for the most part, allows CFI initials to be done with a DE. I've got my CFII initial on Tues with the Ft Worth FSDO, so if anyone has some spare luck hanging around, toss it this way. Book knowledge, check. Flying skills, check. Inspector with a reputation for being an extreme hardass, double check.
 
Wow, I'm somewhat surprised by that. I checked out Ari Ben once and was quite impressed with the place.......now, well, hmm. Not only do I consider this to be a very silly requirement (couldn't they have at least said "preferred"?), but I find it ironic in a way that they misspell FSDO, "FISDO". Twice.

And good luck Kellwolf!
 
I've never heard of someone having to go up with an inspector for their CFI Initial--DE's have always worked just fine.

I highly doubt that it comes down to district or state, since the regs put out by the FAA are generally nation-wide.

The only benefit to going up with an FAA Inspector is you do not have to pay them whereas a DE will want 350-450 for a ride.

I've seen some DEs charge 550 for a CFI-Initial ride.
 
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I've never heard of someone having to go up with an inspector for their CFI Initial--DE's have always worked just fine.

I highly doubt that it comes down to district or state, since the regs put out by the FAA are generally nation-wide.

The only benefit to going up with an FAA Inspector is you do not have to pay them whereas a DE will want 350-450 for a ride.

I've seen some DEs charge 550 for a CFI-Initial ride.

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I read in another thread that the initial CFI had to be done with the FSDO, but there are ways around it.

So which is it? Is there a requirement that the initial CFI be done with the FSDO?
 
Depends on the area FSDO. Ft Worth and the surrounding area, it HAS to be done with the FSDO. Don't know if there's a FAR (I don't know of one), so it's probably some administrative rule. If I COULD go with a DE, I would. At least it's a free checkride since it's with the FSDO.
 
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I've never heard of someone having to go up with an inspector for their CFI Initial--DE's have always worked just fine.

I highly doubt that it comes down to district or state, since the regs put out by the FAA are generally nation-wide.

The only benefit to going up with an FAA Inspector is you do not have to pay them whereas a DE will want 350-450 for a ride.

I've seen some DEs charge 550 for a CFI-Initial ride.

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Thats the funny thing about the FAA. The Federal government decrees that airspace and aviation in general is their turf and not to be messed with locally to promote uniformity nationwide. So logically, you'd think that the FAA itself would follow along with this whole idea of standardization, but alas, it is not the case. Call up the local FSDO and ask a question on an obscure reg. Then call up the FSDO down the road and ask the same question. 9 times out of 10, you'll probably get a different interpretation. Likewise, ask a FSDO whether or not you can do a CFI initial with a DPE....some say yes, others say no. Some like Ft. Lauderdale say they'll allow you to go to a DPE, so long as they choose the DPE. Although they must all enforce one set of regulations, how they go about doing it can vary quite a bit.

Now in all fariness towards the FAA, these policies aren't all meaningless and archaic. In general, ALL FSDOs would like to do ALL CFI initial rides. In reality some just can't cope with the sheer numbers of applicants; they only have so many Inpsectors with so much time. This is one reason why this "Must have taken a checkride with the FSDO" requirement annoys the hell out of me. Some will just tell you to find a DPE....or wait several months before they get to you (hey, it's got to be given free to anyone, but who said it had to be done in a timely manner?!).
 
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I've never heard of someone having to go up with an inspector for their CFI Initial--DE's have always worked just fine.

I highly doubt that it comes down to district or state, since the regs put out by the FAA are generally nation-wide.

The only benefit to going up with an FAA Inspector is you do not have to pay them whereas a DE will want 350-450 for a ride.

I've seen some DEs charge 550 for a CFI-Initial ride.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats the funny thing about the FAA. The Federal government decrees that airspace and aviation in general is their turf and not to be messed with locally to promote uniformity nationwide. So logically, you'd think that the FAA itself would follow along with this whole idea of standardization, but alas, it is not the case. Call up the local FSDO and ask a question on an obscure reg. Then call up the FSDO down the road and ask the same question. 9 times out of 10, you'll probably get a different interpretation. Likewise, ask a FSDO whether or not you can do a CFI initial with a DPE....some say yes, others say no. Some like Ft. Lauderdale say they'll allow you to go to a DPE, so long as they choose the DPE. Although they must all enforce one set of regulations, how they go about doing it can vary quite a bit.

Now in all fariness towards the FAA, these policies aren't all meaningless and archaic. In general, ALL FSDOs would like to do ALL CFI initial rides. In reality some just can't cope with the sheer numbers of applicants; they only have so many Inpsectors with so much time. This is one reason why this "Must have taken a checkride with the FSDO" requirement annoys the hell out of me. Some will just tell you to find a DPE....or wait several months before they get to you (hey, it's got to be given free to anyone, but who said it had to be done in a timely manner?!).

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Well, you do know that any government operation, by law of nature, is inherently streamlined by default, don't you?
wink.gif
 
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Well, you do know that any government operation, by law of nature, is inherently streamlined by default, don't you?
wink.gif


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When I read the word "streamlined" the first thing that came to mind was the TSA.

Not only are they streamlined but also efficient, highly effective and good bang for your tax payer buck!

Thankyou TSA.
 
I was talking to someone yesterday about their CFI course (run by a DE) at Concord, NC (JQF) and when I asked what DE they used he told me the intitial CFI had to be done with the FSDO. So I guess at least here in the Charlotte area, that is the way you have to do it.
 
It all depends on where you go, and when. When I did my initial CFI, the FSDO said they couldn't do it for a couple of months, and gave me a letter stating that I could do it with a DE.

In SLC, they won't do ANY checkrides at the FSDO (last I heard).

In other places, you can NEVER do an initial CFI with a DE . . .
 
In reference to the CFI initial ride with a FSDO, I believe the rule is the FSDO has to be able to administer your checkride within 2 (?) weeks of your request. If they can't provide the ride in that timeframe (and it may be more than 2 weeks, but that sounds familiar), they're required to let you take the ride with a DE. There are only certain DE's authorized to do initial CFI checkrides however. That is my understanding of the "loophole" on initial CFI rides.
 
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In reference to the CFI initial ride with a FSDO, I believe the rule is the FSDO has to be able to administer your checkride within 2 (?) weeks of your request. If they can't provide the ride in that timeframe (and it may be more than 2 weeks, but that sounds familiar), they're required to let you take the ride with a DE. There are only certain DE's authorized to do initial CFI checkrides however. That is my understanding of the "loophole" on initial CFI rides.

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Yeah that's how it works from what I have been told. My local FSDO is backed up 9 weeks for checkrides. They are now letting me take the ride with a DE. Thank god, my FSDO just loves failing people, 6 hour orals .. unbelievable.
 
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