Help!

[Hondo Calrissian]

Okay friends ~

I need some help with something and see if anyone else encounter this as well.

I ended up graduation from Sheffield back on Sept. 21 but the bad news is I ended up failing my practical and now in the process of retaking it. From what Eric Morris said at Sheffield, he said this should be a simple process of going to an FAA office in the city I live in and they can give me the test but it is not the case. The thing I am running into is how the pink slip was written and what the FAA is interrupting stating that I have to retake the whole exam, including the flight plan.

I know the information and am not making any excuses as to why I failed but it was a bad night for me the night before with getting some bad news about family. There are a few guys who are on this site who know me and roomed with me can tell you I know the stuff.

I guess I am upset with some things I heard that went on in other practicals, like people completely missing WX charts or only knowing half of the stuff. I know what I failed and it really seems stupid but from talking to a few dispatcher friends of mine, they state it was not a reason to be failed.

Had anyone encountered this before?

 

[Keola]

I went to a school in colorado (may 2012). We had two students fail the O&P. the examiner litterally asked them ONE question.. They coudnt answer it so he decided to stop the O&P and failed them over a single question... They didnt even get a chance to do the flight planning.. Now they need to fly back to colorado to retest.. Keep on mine one student was from hawaii and one was from nigeria...

The guy from hawaii was told he could test in hawaii, but i believe hawaii dosent have a ADX examiner.. And the interntional guy needs to come back to the states if he wants a FAA ticket.

 

[Hondo Calrissian]

Thanks Keola!

Like I said, I am not trying to makes excuses but I failed on two simple things but it was because I used the same term, more less a different wording.

 

[womanpilot73]

I went to school with Keola and can back up what he is saying. I know complaints were filed with the FAA against the examiner who failed our classmates but don't actually know what came of it.

In the end if you feel unfairly treated, and don't feel supported by your school, you could always try contacting the FAA and explaining your situation to see what can be done to expedite you retaking the O&P.

Best of luck to you...

 

[ljg]

I am sorry for your predicament, but you don't really have a leg to stand on.

Paragraph Reference from pg. 17 of the FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Practical Test Standards. The last sentence is what will get you:

The examiner or applicant may discontinue the test at any time when the failure of an AREA OF OPERATION makes the applicant ineligible for the certificate sought. The test may be continued only with the consent of the applicant. If the test is discontinued, the applicant is entitled to credit for only those AREAs OF OPERATION and their associated TASKs satisfactorily performed. However, during the re-test and at the discretion of the examiner, any TASK may be re-evaluated, including those previously passed.
...

The next practical can cover any and all material from the previous practical. How the Notice of Disapproval was written shouldn't matter, you're still on the hook. All FAA PTS's have this verbage in them under the paragraph heading "UNSATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE".

I guess I am upset with some things I heard that went on in other practicals, like people completely missing WX charts or only knowing half of the stuff. I know what I failed and it really seems stupid but from talking to a few dispatcher friends of mine, they state it was not a reason to be failed.

Do your "few dispatcher friends" sit in routinely on FAA practical exams? Are they DADEs? TCEs? ASIs? AT Sups? Anything? My real question is, what basis do they have of speculating a pass/fail on an FAA exam? There is only one standard, the FAA PTS. If you failed a Task in a single Area of Operation, then the practical exam is failed. I wouldn't imply that your exam was evaluated under harder criteria than anyone elses, because it simply isn't true. Any assertion otherwise attacks the character of the examiner involved.

Failing is a part of living. It sucks I know, but it happened. The best thing you can do is own up to it, take personal responsibility for it, treat it as a learning experience and move on. I wish you the best of luck and hope you persevere.

 

[Keola]

Nobody likes to fail at anything in life... Well maybe if some crazy chick was claiming you're the father.. the paternity test might be the one test you hope you fail.... Lol