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Episode 3 features Nick Adcock, a former B-2 stealth bomber pilot turned Southwest Airlines first officer and DPE. Nick focuses on the admin side — logbook auditing, the ACS Companion Guide checklist, and why having your weight and balance done before you walk in the door makes everything go smoother.

Key Takeaways

• Audit the logbook against the regulation, line by line. Nick literally takes the FAR and checks each requirement. A cross-country that’s a mile too short or missing dual instrument time will slow or stop the test.
• 141 school software “complete” doesn’t always match the logbook. He’s seen flights marked complete in the syllabus that don’t meet the regulatory distance. The logbook is what the DPE audits.
• Weight and balance and takeoff/landing data should be done before you arrive. It shouldn’t be the first time you compute W&B when the examiner asks for it. That’s a going-in item.
• Bring all endorsements printed and organized. The A2 endorsement (knowledge test authorization) is frequently buried in an old email. While the applicant digs for it, their stress goes up and the clock is ticking.
• Use a logbook audit spreadsheet. Nick recommends tools like the Wi-Fi CFI audit spreadsheet — fill it out before the checkride and present it to the DPE to speed up the review.
• Use the ACS Companion Guide checklist. The practical test checklist moved out of the individual ACS documents and into the companion guide. It lists everything you need to bring.