What is the job life of a DPE like?

It is a pretty sweet job. The DPEs here that we use are averaging about 5-8 checkrides a week. At 400 bucks a pop, they are making some very nice money. I am sure a lot of the cash payments don't get reported to the IRS.

Combine this, with someone's retirement money/pension, and they are getting away like bandits.
 
Do3r17 said:
So in a sense their independent contractors? I assume they file a 1099.
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Yes and their check-ride numbers are known if the IRS really wanted to check them. They have to send in the 8710s' to OKC so there is a paper trail. If they want to keep out of trouble, they'll report their cash made.
 
aloft said:
Oh yes they can! I learned that the DE who busted me on my initial commercial had been previously called onto the carpet for being a Santa Claus, he'd had a string of over 200 passes and zero failures, which the FSDO suspected was B.S.
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Yep, the FAA expects to see around a 15% bust rate.
 
Do3r17 said:
No, I have a check ride coming up, and no offense taking. I don't know, I guess I just figured they would be on a salary or something. I makes a lot more sense to me now though.
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This question might be more reasonable to ask after you have 10+ years of dual given then. Unfortunately, becoming a DE isn't just something you 'become'.
 
The FAA does monitor the pass/fail rate for DPE's. I am sure they are probably under a certain amount of pressure to fail a certain % or applicants, Instrument and CFI probably being the most common.

In terms of $$$, I would suspect that most DPE's probably make more giving checkrides than at their "real" flying job.
 
cfii2007 said:
The FAA does monitor the pass/fail rate for DPE's. I am sure they are probably under a certain amount of pressure to fail a certain % or applicants, Instrument and CFI probably being the most common.

In terms of $$$, I would suspect that most DPE's probably make more giving checkrides than at their "real" flying job.
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One of our DEs out in Riverside, CA is also a UPS Check airmen on the 767. He def. makes more at his "full time" job.

The DE work pays for those 4 planes in his hanger.
 
Do3r17, I would like to bring to your attention that no actual DE has responded to your question, and all you are getting is outside opinions of the DE's life.

It's just like a senior flight instructor's life - it has a high degree of variability depending on your location and your personal life-style preferences. Don't get hung up on these few narrow viewpoints.
 
nosehair said:
Do3r17, I would like to bring to your attention that no actual DE has responded to your question, and all you are getting is outside opinions of the DE's life.

It's just like a senior flight instructor's life - it has a high degree of variability depending on your location and your personal life-style preferences. Don't get hung up on these few narrow viewpoints.
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Elaborate on what's narrow minded. I simply gave my opinion (which was formed by knowing 2 DPE's pretty well) based on my experiences of 6 check-rides with DPE's. I would like to think that my viewpoint isn't narrow minded.....:confused:
 
Do3r17 said:
Hello, I just started thinking about becoming a DPE and been looking at the requirements and such. I know its a lot of work and involves a bit of patience. But what I am curious about is what the job is like? Is it full time? Is it voluntary? If not how much are they payed? Can anybody under 30yrs old really expect to become a DPE? Anything else I should know?

I appreciate any info.
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The governing document for DPE's (requirements) is the FAA 8710.3E.
http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_G...05F70260EC75279A8625716F00713075?OpenDocument

Not a DPE just a company PPE
 
Stomp16 said:
based on my experiences of 6 check-rides with DPE's. I would like to think that my viewpoint isn't narrow minded.....:confused:
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Didn't mean anything personal at all.

I was just pointing out the fact that no DE had responded.

6 experiences with a few DE's against the thousands of DE's around the country don't make a good sampling.

A lot of DE's do really well, but a lot do not. In low activity areas, a DE may only do 2 or 3 checkrides a week, and he is required to be available in his designated area, so he kinda has to make up for those days of inactivity with the '$300 a pop' on a checkride.

Of course, if he is in a high activity area, he makes big money. But not that big. There are lots 'behind the scenes' activity associated with conducting checkrides for the FAA. Meetings, paperwork, etc., just having to be responsible and connected to the local FSDO is part of the job that those checrides have to pay for.

My only point is that the OP is getting second-hand opinions from a local few experiences and is not seeing a bigger picture from a DE who is living the life. That's kind of a narrow viewpoint. I did not mean you are any one person is narrow-minded.
 
nosehair said:
Didn't mean anything personal at all.

6 experiences with a few DE's against the thousands of DE's around the country don't make a good sampling.
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Nothing personal taken at all! That's the only problem with forums, you can't always tell the context in which things are written.


Actually, the one DPE who did 5 of my 6 check-rides also taught many of my ground classes. We got a good account of his daily life quite often.




But, you are completely right, no DPE has responded. Do we even have any DPE's on this board?
 
v1valarob said:
Well considering the job is based only around people who need checkrides, if it gets too expensive to fly, then of course checkrides will go down.

I dont think they can take away DE status from you in a FSDO area, once it has been granted. The FSDO doesnt pay you to sit around, only if you work. So it wouldnt matter to them if you where working or not.
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I have a buddy who is a DPE in a pretty desolate area. He said that the FAA wanted to at least see 10 checkrides from him a year or they would take his DPE status. Last year he did 4 checkrides. They are not going to take his status because although he isnt busy he is the only guy around that area. Seems like a pretty good gig to have.
 
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