Checkride Oral -- Interesting DPE Questions?

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tevbax
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2017 2:01 pm

Checkride Oral -- Interesting DPE Questions?

Post by tevbax »

Getting ready to do my SPL checkride, and working through the ACS and Gleim's checkride prep book. Has anyone had any weird questions? What was the DPS's biggest emphasis? I feel confident and ready, just would like to see a few curve balls from someones thats been through the process.

Thanks!
3Dreaming
Posts: 3107
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2010 6:13 pm
Location: noble, IL USA

Re: Checkride Oral -- Interesting DPE Questions?

Post by 3Dreaming »

The examiner I use for my students mostly ask real life questions to make sure know what can legally be done, and what you should do. Here are a few.

For example he will ask what is the minimum weather that you can legally make a flight from KOLY to KMVN. KOLY is in class G airspace, and KMVN has class E to the surface. After you tell him what you can legally do it is nice to say, but I wouldn't fly in those conditions.

Know what you need to have with you when you fly, and who you must show it to.

On your cross country, when you would arrive at your destination know what your options are if the airport is closed. For example where and how far you could fly with the fuel you have remaining, not counting reserve.
rcpilot
Posts: 356
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2015 4:32 pm
Location: Mastic, NY

Re: Checkride Oral -- Interesting DPE Questions?

Post by rcpilot »

I don't recall any strange questions. He did ask "can you fly if you haven't flown for(various times). I had to point out if more than 90 days I could not fly passengers(until you do your 3 takeoffs and landings) and if more than 2 years you would need your BFR. He did ask about what conditions you can fly in. And he did say you really don't want to fly if visibility is 3 sm(even though it's legal to do so). Since I did not yet have my B,C and D signoff he didn't ask any questions other than maybe could I fly to a class D or C. He did ask some weather related questions. The only one I remember was he asked about the relationship between air temp and dew point. Know the "I'm Safe". Good luck and have fun.
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joey4420
Posts: 150
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2016 8:25 am
Location: Cincinnati Ohio

Re: Checkride Oral -- Interesting DPE Questions?

Post by joey4420 »

My DPE also asked about commercial flying something like, if someone offered to pay you to haul something from one airport to another would it be legal... my response was No I can't and unless I am mistaken even if I had my private I couldn't do that because your have to have a commercial certificate. Talked a lot about weather since it was gusting to 15 knots direct cross wind iirc when we started the oral. We ended up just chatting after the oral was over till the wind calmed and we went flying.

Big key is no matter what happens fly the airplane. The skycatcher I was in lost both of the garmin G3's 2 miles out on the 45 to downwind. So I had no instruments at all. I fly fine, but my landing was off the centerline as I was thinking way too much about things I couldn't see. He wanted me on the centerline for landing. So back up we went for a couple extra landings after I got the G3's restarted.
Joey
Cincinnati OH
Sport Pilot
Double Eagle N35DE
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