IR Checkride

A150K said:
Checkride no longer has a firm date....The DPE I had scheduled with (who I also used for my Private) has to renew his DPE ticket in order to give checkrides, he'll be doing some seminar on the 22nd and my CFII and I are hoping that he will be available shortly after that...The other option was to use a different DPE that my school uses, but he suddenly retired...The other two out of ABQ/SAF are notoriously crazy, one of which claims to have been abducted by aliens as a child (I'm not kidding...). He's also known to fail applicants for odd reasons outside of the PTS (Not coming down final at 30 kias in a 172 for a short field landing comes to mind. The recomending CFI almost punched the guy out--he had to be restrained). Plan A is to wait a couple of weeks for the preferred DPE to return and Plan B is to probably fly up to Alamosa, CO to take it with DPE Jim Fleming (not my preferred choice, I'm unfamilar with the area and nobody else has even heard of the DPE). I'm hoping Plan A works out though....
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I thought the whole point of the practical test standards was to standardize the practical tests, thereby eliminating such shenanigans from DPEs...sorry, rant for a different thread. :mad:

That sucks. There's nothing more frustrating (to me, anyway, and within the context of this thread) than getting ready for the ride, being ready for the ride, and then having things rescheduled/rearranged. Or having the instructor quit without endorsing you, and jumping through the hoops again.

Theoretically, as a pilot with a fresh instrument rating, you should be able to shoot any approach (within PTS standards) in the system...although I wish I'd had a better opportunity to rehearse for my instrument ride for sure. I wound up shooting three approaches I hadn't shot before on my instrument ride (we have lots of airports with instrument procedures to pick from all within a stone's throw of that particular examiner's airport). It was simultaneously an evaluation of flying ability and a massive learning experience.
 
Chances are that I will take the checkride in my local area next week with the preferred DPE <crosses fingers>
 
A150K said:
The other two out of ABQ/SAF are notoriously crazy, one of which claims to have been abducted by aliens as a child (I'm not kidding...). He's also known to fail applicants for odd reasons outside of the PTS (Not coming down final at 30 kias in a 172 for a short field landing comes to mind.
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Lets not be silly... I know personally and have used all DPEs in the ABQ district and none of them are that erratic. DPEs have many thousands more flight hours than your average instructor and they usually challenge you to think outside of your training cocoon, but nobody in the ABQ/SAF area is going to pop you for something outside the PTS.

The first thing that happens, in many cases, when someone busts a checkride for normal and acceptable reasons is they talk smack about the examiner. If someone can't operate the airplane at the level of the certificate they hold when applying for a higher rating, that can and should be a bust. Your above referenced examiner will shred you if you don't use your feet or disregard the centerline. Thats OK! And commendable!

I suggest that you give an examiner fair judgment after flying with them. That is, after all, what you expect them to do right?

Oh, and know your climb gradients. We live in the mountains.
 
redsandpalms said:
Lets not be silly... I know personally and have used all DPEs in the ABQ district and none of them are that erratic. DPEs have many thousands more flight hours than your average instructor and they usually challenge you to think outside of your training cocoon, but nobody in the ABQ/SAF area is going to pop you for something outside the PTS.

The first thing that happens, in many cases, when someone busts a checkride for normal and acceptable reasons is they talk smack about the examiner. If someone can't operate the airplane at the level of the certificate they hold when applying for a higher rating, that can and should be a bust. Your above referenced examiner will shred you if you don't use your feet or disregard the centerline. Thats OK! And commendable!

I suggest that you give an examiner fair judgment after flying with them. That is, after all, what you expect them to do right?

Oh, and know your climb gradients. We live in the mountains.
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I don't know about all this being true. It would be nice if this is the way it worked. In reality it depends on what schools have better relationships with a DPE and you know that is true. If the school up in SAF had a falling out with a DPE then that would not be in the interests of the student to go on a checkride with that examiner. Common sense. :insane:
 
I will concede that anyone who takes a practical test is dealing with a human and not PTS-bot 5000, but here again, until you have a personal experience with an examiner you have no business making judgments. It pays to remember that the PTS is much more that 100' up or down, 3/4 scale of the LOC, 200' from the touchdown spot, etc...

I was ready to punch out my Instrument examiner before my oral because of all the crap everyone had talked about him. Turns out it was one of the most fair and lenient rides i've ever had(Not in NM).

The good thing about a place like ABQ is that you have options. There are more than a few DPEs here. The bad thing is however, is that we are a small aviaiton community. If you piss in the pool, its easy for everyone to see who did it.

I know that if you show command of the airplane, meet the pts, show good judgment and not be a numbnuts, you'll have a new certificate.
 
redsandpalms said:
I will concede that anyone who takes a practical test is dealing with a human and not PTS-bot 5000, but here again, until you have a personal experience with an examiner you have no business making judgments. It pays to remember that the PTS is much more that 100' up or down, 3/4 scale of the LOC, 200' from the touchdown spot, etc...

I was ready to punch out my Instrument examiner before my oral because of all the crap everyone had talked about him. Turns out it was one of the most fair and lenient rides i've ever had(Not in NM).

The good thing about a place like ABQ is that you have options. There are more than a few DPEs here. The bad thing is however, is that we are a small aviaiton community. If you piss in the pool, its easy for everyone to see who did it.

I know that if you show command of the airplane, meet the pts, show good judgment and not be a numbnuts, you'll have a new certificate.
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I agree with you on those two key points. Coming on a forum talking of examiners is not a wise thing to do. For example, I know of both DPEs the OP is talking about. I agree with your second point, because I do not live in ABQ anymore but still have an idea on what is happening in NM.

A150K I wish you the best of luck on your checkride, I'm sure you'll do fine! Hope you have great outcomes, and happens soon! :rawk:
 
I guess I should have worded it as "rumored to be crazy" since I have not taken a checkride with one of them, but even then rumors are just that, rumors. I actually have not heard smack being talked by applicants who busted, but rather the reccomending CFIs (not mine). Btw, my ride on Tues the 29th and since we're talking ABQ DPEs, I'll be going with G.V. (same guy who did my private). C.T. is the guy who recently retired (I've heard nothing but good things about him) , I wonder if they have any replacements in mind?
 
A150K said:
Btw, my ride on Tues the 29th and since we're talking ABQ DPEs, I'll be going with G.V. (same guy who did my private)
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Good Luck. We're all counting on you

leslie-nielsen-airplane.jpg
 
A150K said:
I actually have not heard smack being talked by applicants who busted, but rather the reccomending CFIs (not mine).
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I've also heard the same thing..

G.V. gives a good ride, as does C.T. you'll have good results with whoever you go with.

Come by my office sometime. I'm in the State Aviation office across from your school.
 
redsandpalms said:
I've also heard the same thing..

G.V. gives a good ride, as does C.T. you'll have good results with whoever you go with.

Come by my office sometime. I'm in the State Aviation office across from your school.
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G.V. give's a great ride, he's got a great sense of humor too. C.T. has unfortunately retired ( my CFII and I learned when we tried to schedule the ride with him after G.V. cancelled the first time around)...Let's just say that G.V. will be getting plenty of calls from the 3 area flight schools to give checkrides. Are you at the office next to the Air Center at KSAF? I train out of the only school at SAF on the North ramp
 
Woops... I assumed you were in ABQ. I'm up at that ASB office in SAF from time to time, but I'm at the ABQ office across from the old FSS.

Good luck getting GV pinned down. He's got his mitts in just about anything with a turbine engine in SAF. He's a busy fella..
 
redsandpalms said:
Woops... I assumed you were in ABQ. I'm up at that ASB office in SAF from time to time, but I'm at the ABQ office across from the old FSS.

Good luck getting GV pinned down. He's got his mitts in just about anything with a turbine engine in SAF. He's a busy fella..
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I actually drove by your building today on my way to the pilot shop at Cutter to pick up some of the Commercial study materials I'll be needing for the next chapter in my flight training. I did manage to get him pinned down for Tuesday. Busy is an understatement though, he holds more type ratings than anyone I've ever met . One of the reasons why CT's retirement is unfortunate.
 
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