Articles on checkride prep, DPE insights, regulations, and aviation training
Master raw-data IFR holding using nothing but a CDI and DG. This 4-part video series covers radial intercepts, teardrop entries, and dynamic wind correction using the Slant Alpha simulator at Hot Springs Airport.
Watch the Series →Flight schools are split on this one. The FAA isn’t. The Herman 2009 Chief Counsel Letter of Interpretation gives a definitive answer on logging PIC time vs. acting as PIC—and why the complex endorsement has nothing to do with your logbook.
Read Article →Why rote memorization of the Fundamentals of Instruction is the wrong approach for the CFI practical test, and what DPEs actually want to see from instructor applicants.
Read Article →Four designated pilot examiners share what they see on checkrides: documentation pitfalls, the military briefing method, logbook auditing, aircraft airworthiness prep, and how to show up ready.
Start with Ep. 1 →The concept of “holding out” goes back centuries to common law ferry operations. Here’s where the principle comes from, how the FAA adopted it, and why understanding the “why” matters for commercial pilots.
Read Article →Operational control—not holding out—is the real cornerstone of commercial flying. Detailed scenarios covering Part 91 flight departments, gray-area compensation, Part 135 dispatch pitfalls, and what to do when asked to cross the line.
Read Article →Private Carriage sounds like “private flying,” but it’s actually a certificated operation. What you can and can’t do as a commercial pilot under Part 91, and why “carriage” always means you need an operator certificate.
Read Article →Teaching ADM goes beyond rote memorization and maneuver precision. How to incorporate scenario-based training, progressive decision-making, and real-world experience into your instruction.
Read Article →The prop doesn’t stop. The cockpit doesn’t go quiet. Why real engine failures look nothing like what you’ve practiced, and how that confusion has led to fatal stall/spin accidents.
Read Article →No contract, no union, no bill of rights. The tenuous nature of the DPE appointment, the math behind the examiner shortage, pilot overproduction, and incremental solutions to fix the system.
Read Article →A three-part series dissecting AOO I of the Instrument ACS — Pilot Qualifications, Weather Information, and Cross-Country Flight Planning — with every element broken down and scenario-based examples.
Read Article →A DPE goes element-by-element through the Private Pilot ACS with scenario-based examples, ForeFlight demonstrations, and the VSL ACE Guide. Covers Tasks A through E.
Start with Part 1 →“Why does my exam cost so much?” A detailed financial breakdown of what it actually takes to work as a DPE, the market forces behind rising fees, and the personal trade-offs of choosing this career.
Read Article →Six proposed solutions to the checkride backlog: centralized scheduling, better applicant screening, FAA oversight reform, splitting oral and flight exams, and why DPEs need a Bill of Rights.
Read Article →A DPE walks through the entire Commercial Pilot ACS for single-engine land — oral exam, preflight through landings, performance maneuvers and stalls, emergency procedures, and the critical appendices.
Start with Part 1 →A FAASTeam safety meeting covering every class of airspace using ForeFlight — the sugar cookie analogy, cloud clearance rules, MOAs, restricted areas, TFRs, and VFR transition routes.
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