Sport Pilot Talk

If you've taken a practical test within the past year (or are about to take your checkride), you may get a follow-up call from the FAA. They have recently authorized Flight Standards District Offices to:

"Conduct interviews of recently certificated pilots. These interviews are to ensure the examiner is properly following the PTS when the FAA is not in attendance. Inform interviewees that the questions are to evaluate the testing procedure and not a reexamination of their certificate. Conduct a sufficient number of interviews (at least five randomly selected airmen or 50 percent of the airmen newly certificated by the designee over the past 12 months, whichever is fewer), to provide confidence that the designee is properly conducting the test."

The purpose of this program is to ensure that all Designated Pilot Examiners are testing to the same standards. Your cooperation with FSDO will help to improve the quality and consistency of checkrides, and is appreciated.

I'm sure the folks at the FSDO's LOOOOVE that new requirement.

I cannot see them doing it. My guess is... that one will be pencil-whipped.

I'll be taking a checkride in a transition from Sport to Private here in the next month or so and I really hope that I get called - not for myself, but for a fellow pilot in the area that had an absolutely miserable checkride experience when going for a CFI ticket. Obviously I will only be expressing my opinion of his story - but if only half of what I was told was true I would have second thoughts of ever trying to get a CFI ticket.

The short of what I was told was the DPE pretty much said to this guy that he was going to fail - before they even got started. That is the kind of behavior that needs to be reported, followed up on and fixed.

As for my experiences - so far so good.... knock on wood.

I would personally not talk to the FAA about a checkride that I wasn't a personal part of. If I am relaying something someone told me, I might be telling one side of a twisted story. I don't want the FAA then deciding to question me further about my objectivity.
CFI is a very difficult checkride to pass. I know, as I have done three of them. In no case was the DPE every friendly. It can be an intimidating experience.
One of my questions on this FAA initiative is would there be any circumstances in which they would revoke my certificate, if they determined the DPE failed to administer the test to the FAA's satisfaction? I'm unlikely to get one of those calls and wouldn't relish one if I did.

I took a checkride in August and didn't get a call. In any case, I'd be happy to say that, to the best of my knowledge, the DPE followed the PTS to the letter, was demanding but fair and tough me a few things.

I had an acquaintance Doctor that had a shiny new Extra 300 and loved doing aerobatics over his home which was on the fringe of the city. (He did it high...probably about 1000' plus).

Several people not licensed pilots) reported him to the FAA because HE WASS NOISY!!

One or some of them mentioned my name to the FAA and said I would corroborate their complaint since they knew I had seen him on several occasions.

An FAA Safety Inspector from the FSDO called me and questioned me for 30 minutes on the Doctor's actions, personality, piloting skills, and level of safety.

That's the ONLY time I know of, where here-say from a 3rd party was used by the FAA to take action in General Aviation.

The scary thing about administrative actions such as the FAA does is that there are no rules of evidence, no due process, limited appeal, and one can get one's self in trouble without realizing it.
Bryan, I winced when I heard of the FAA call to you. I don't know how I'd have handled that. The immediate fear is that if one doesn't cooperate, one can end up on the FSDO's black list and get ramp checked or otherwise singled out for unwanted attention.
I hope that my reaction would have been, "I have no way of determining who you are over the phone so until I can see your credentials, I'd prefer not to discuss the matter." I hope that my bottom line would have been for them to send me a letter on FAA letterhead or to visit me in person (although who wants either of those?)
What happened in this case, do you know?

Although I never got deep into it. I think he changed his behavior a little and quit doing aerobatics over the city. I never heard anyone say he was violated by the FAA.