Sport Pilot Talk

Jim Hardin wrote:

3Dreaming wrote:

drseti wrote:Tom, here's a link to the FAA DPE search engine:

http://av-info.faa.gov/DesigneeSearch.asp

Use the pulldowns to select the category/class of aircraft, and the FAA District of interest.

I've looked at this before. The pull down gives lots of choices but glider and airplane are not among them. even when you go to the individual FSDO it doesn't state airplane or glider.

Wouldn't the https://www.ssa.org/ be a source? Might have to join.

Both my son and I are members. I haven't seen anything looking on their website. I guess I need to send them a message, and maybe suggest such a list. Lack of a DPE is one of the reasons I am working with the clubs 2 instructors to do a glider sport pilot add on. Neither have done anything sport pilot before, and are unsure of the process. I have been trying to walk them through it. Later I plan to add my commercial and sub part H instructor when there is a DPE around. I think one is maybe coming to an event in June.

There are two glider examiners here in southern California.

3Dreaming wrote: Neither have done anything sport pilot before, and are unsure of the process.

Tom, send them to my EAA webinar "Category and Class" from 4 years ago, at:

http://www.eaavideo.org/detail/video/3830218310001

Well, folks, I had hoped I was home free - but apparently, not quite there yet.

The last step in the DPE certification process is to have an FAA inspector observe me doing a practical exam. This requires aligning the availablity of me, a candidate, his or her CFI, an aircraft, the FAA inspector, the weather, and the stars. I had this all arranged for today, but day before yesterday the applicant told me he just wasn't ready yet.

Of course, you never want to rush anybody's test prep, so I can't fault the applicant for making that decision. Problem is, the FAA inspector won't be available again for a month.

Meanwhile, I'm going to my FSDO Wednesday to attend the Region's annual Designee meeting/seminar (even though I'm not one yet - I figure I'll learn something), and have to wait for the stars to align again.

Oh, and in anticipation, my DPE website remains active at http://SportPilotExaminer.US.

drseti wrote:Well, folks, I had hoped I was home free - but apparently, not quite there yet.

The last step in the DPE certification process is to have an FAA inspector observe me doing a practical exam.

Presumably, this is only for the ground portion of the exam? Do they use video or something in the plane. I'm not trying to be flip, I'm really curious how this is done.

Ron

How is that going to work? You are going for Sport Pilot Examiner and pilot is going for Sport Pilot license. Presumably he is flying an LSA. How is FSDO going to observe?

Observing the practical exam doesn't necessarily mean that they have to observe the flight portion. If that were the case there would be no glider DPE's. There are very few gliders that have seating for the applicant, DPE, and an observer.

They observe the actual oral on the ground. In the air, the inspector becomes the "applicant" and checks the DPE that way

comperini wrote:They observe the actual oral on the ground. In the air, the inspector becomes the "applicant" and checks the DPE that way

I guess they do the oral first, flight test with inspector as "applicant" next, inspector sign-off the new DPE, new DPE does flight test for actual "applicant."

Actually, the last two players get a partial prize. The inspector first reviews my written Plan of Action (a DPE has to generate a unique one for each applicant), to make sure it complies with both the PTS and the relevant FAA Order. Next, the inspector sits in on the oral. Then he or she observes the on-the-ground portion of the flight test (preflight, start-up, taxiing, etc.). Then, the SP applicant flies with the DPE candidate. Finally, the inspector observes the debrief, and the potential DPE's handling of the paperwork.

If you get the impression that FAA is more interested in the following of bureaucratic procedures than they are in actual flying, you're probably right.

As for the actual sign-off of the applicant, the inspector has to do that, because it may take a few days to process all the paperwork to certify the new DPE.

And you get to go through that whole evaluation process each year to maintain your DPE status.

comperini wrote:And you get to go through that whole evaluation process each year to maintain your DPE status.

The first year, yes. After that, they have the option of appointing you to a two-year term, and you only have to do all that half as often!

In the blizzard of the rules and policies on getting reviewed to be a DPE, is it ever stipulated that the candidate you're examining has to be a real student? The inspector is inspecting you, not the candidate. You could have any pilot go through the paces of simulating a candidate.

WDD wrote:is it ever stipulated that the candidate you're examining has to be a real student?

Unfortunately, yes. It's not in the FARs, but rather in an FAA Order. (Studying those is part of what my recent week in Oklahoma City was all about.)