FAA "sitting in on checkride"

H

highalt41

Well-Known Member
hey guys/gals quick question because I never had this happen to me..

I have scheduled my MEI checkride with a DPE that I have done my PPL and CFII with, any way long story short he called back the next day and asked if I cared if a guy from the FAA sat in on the checkride. Of coarse I said I didnt mind at all and asked my boss why that would happen, and he said it may have been a while since he has done a multi checkride. I have done a FSDO ride before for my initial CFI so the FAA does not scare me anymore I am just curious to how many of you have had this happen. Hope everyone is enjoying their winter! Dont spend all your money on V-day..:)
 
highalt41 said:
hey guys/gals quick question because I never had this happen to me..

I have scheduled my MEI checkride with a DPE that I have done my PPL and CFII with, any way long story short he called back the next day and asked if I cared if a guy from the FAA sat in on the checkride. Of coarse I said I didnt mind at all and asked my boss why that would happen, and he said it may have been a while since he has done a multi checkride. I have done a FSDO ride before for my initial CFI so the FAA does not scare me anymore I am just curious to how many of you have had this happen. Hope everyone is enjoying their winter! Dont spend all your money on V-day..:)
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My DPE wanted to do that for my ME checkride, and I asked him to pick someone else for it. Somehow, I just had the feeling that the DPE might be a little more strict on his examination with a fed breathing down his back. I think it would have affected my performance, so I declined it. And I passed my checkride, so I'm glad I didn't agree to it.
 
For my CFI initial I had a guy sit in on the ground and he was going to ride along but ended up getting sick or something. He was a new employee at the FSDO and just wanted to sit in on a few check rides before they let him loose on his own. That could be why, and if so then it's nothing to worry about.
 
This happened on my instrument oral, and on my initial dispatcher comp check. They were both good experiences for me. The inspector who sat in on my instrument oral was the DPE that issued me a private certificate about 7 years earlier.
 
It is very common. A DPE has to be observed at least once a year. Notifying you ahead of time is not a requirement but rather just a courtesy.

I applaud your lack of trepidation in taking the check with an inspector watching. I like pilots who know their stuff and aren’t looking for an easy check ride.

One positive aspect of the experience is that you will now have two contacts at the FSDO who know you as a person and not just a certificate number and see you in a positive light. You never know when you might encounter a situation in the future when you would like to call upon an inspector for assistance. It never hurts to be more than just a voice on the phone.
 
The upshot for the people that I know who have agreed to this was a free checkride. Reasoning being, since it was required for the DPE to have the FAA observer, it was not required for the student to agree to it. Otherwise it would be like the DPE charging the student for their own currency.
 
I've had that for my Commercial Multi and my 135 PIC checkride. Not an issue at all... In fact, both FAA guys were pretty cool.
 
A student of mine got his commercial multi with an FAA guy on the back seat. He forgot to remove the chocks before taxiing, and the FAA guy insisted on failing (preflight actions). The DPE didn't want to fail him for that, but he really didn't have a choice! That was a dumb mistake from the student but understand that DPEs will be stricter with the FAA riding on the back seat.
 
Nanopilot said:
A student of mine got his commercial multi with an FAA guy on the back seat. He forgot to remove the chocks before taxiing, and the FAA guy insisted on failing (preflight actions). The DPE didn't want to fail him for that, but he really didn't have a choice! That was a dumb mistake from the student but understand that DPEs will be stricter with the FAA riding on the back seat.
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How did that conversation go?
Examiner "hmm, did you forget the chocks, that could be a bust; but I will let that one slide"
FSDO backseater "no, I insist you fail him"
???
 
granlistillo said:
How did that conversation go?
Examiner "hmm, did you forget the chocks, that could be a bust; but I will let that one slide"
FSDO backseater "no, I insist you fail him"
???
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It's been a few years so I don't remember the details of the conversation but it was something like that. What a way to bust a checkride! How do you explain that one during an interview?
 
Every Fed I've ever run across was a pretty decent dude(ette?) That said, I intend to keep my milliseconds flying around with a person who has the authority to emergency-revoke my certificate to an absolute minimum. As I said, I've never met a bad one, but Bob Hoover did, and I sure as heck am not Bob Hoover, and I'd give dollars to donuts you aren't either.
 
granlistillo said:
How did that conversation go?
Examiner "hmm, did you forget the chocks, that could be a bust; but I will let that one slide"
FSDO backseater "no, I insist you fail him"
???
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(continuing)

FSDO backseater "Fail him, or I fail you!"

:)
 
MikeD said:
(continuing)

FSDO backseater "Fail him, or I fail you!"

:)
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A captain at my company recently failed a fed ride because his 10-9 airport diagram was open on the Jepp binder sitting on the flight case right next to him instead of clipped on the chart clip by the window. Nevermind the fact that the pilot had a system that he was used to or that the engineers that designed the plane aimed several air vents right at the chart holder for no reason and the chart blows around, the FAA inspector deemed it unacceptable.
 
Nick said:
A captain at my company recently failed a fed ride because his 10-9 airport diagram was open on the Jepp binder sitting on the flight case right next to him instead of clipped on the chart clip by the window. Nevermind the fact that the pilot had a system that he was used to or that the engineers that designed the plane aimed several air vents right at the chart holder for no reason and the chart blows around, the FAA inspector deemed it unacceptable.
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That's really ridiculous. What if you guys had ship sets where there's only *gasp* ONE 10-9 chart to go around, and the FO has it? The horror! The horror!
 
Nick said:
A captain at my company recently failed a fed ride because his 10-9 airport diagram was open on the Jepp binder sitting on the flight case right next to him instead of clipped on the chart clip by the window. Nevermind the fact that the pilot had a system that he was used to or that the engineers that designed the plane aimed several air vents right at the chart holder for no reason and the chart blows around, the FAA inspector deemed it unacceptable.
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I'm from the FAA, and I'm here to help.
 
Nick said:
A captain at my company recently failed a fed ride because his 10-9 airport diagram was open on the Jepp binder sitting on the flight case right next to him instead of clipped on the chart clip by the window. Nevermind the fact that the pilot had a system that he was used to or that the engineers that designed the plane aimed several air vents right at the chart holder for no reason and the chart blows around, the FAA inspector deemed it unacceptable.
Click to expand...

You saw this first-hand?
 
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