But the local FSDO selection process is a great mystery and seems to be very different depending on your region. Many CFIs are frustrated getting designated. And many who get in also don’t stay; it is not the job most people imagine. If you are a regular SAFEblog reader, you have been warned here of the less obvious hazards of this profession. What follows are just my personal observations on this job; definitely not FAA guidance. This is just a “peek behind the curtain;” only my personal opinion.
There are obvious rewards to the job and it is an honor to serve the FAA as an examiner, no question. Flight testing will certainly utilize your discerning evaluative skills. Your extensive aviation experience will be also be required (a few of those war stories are actually true). But that is only part of the total picture. Being a DPE also requires a lot of patience, compassion, and tolerance for the “FAA legal machine” as well as the predictable nervousness of every aviation applicant. There is also a lot of “behind the scenes” studying and preparation required for every evaluation which is never obvious to eager CFIs seeking this job.
Most pilots think DPEs specialize in asking the most difficult and tricky questions they can find, but that is totally wrong! It would be very easy to fail any applicant if trickery and obfuscation were the testing goal. DPEs have been flying for years and applicants are, by definition, only aviation beginners. The stated DPE mission is to carefully follow the FAA testing standards and get beyond the obvious nervousness to discern what an applicant actually knows. Good examiners apply the FAA standards, it’s a known test, with carefully stated objectives. And spending time trying to relax every nervous applicant to determine their actual abilities is definitely a necessary part of the job.
While the FAA currently authorizes 935 DPEs to administer tests, 75% of testsare administered by only 350 examiners, with 50% of tests administered by roughly only 200 DPEs. FAA Stats
A DPE’S personal “standard of aviation excellence” is totally irrelevant in the FAA testing process. When wearing the DPE hat; this is the FAA’s test, not *your* test. And there is a very strict FAA emphasis on the DPE s*NOT* teaching (or handling the controls). For every evaluator, when you feel the need to step in and teach, this is one of the first signs the evaluation is not going well and the applicant is not performing to the standards. One of the fastest ways to lose your DPE designation currently is taking over the flight controls and saying “Watch this.” Those days are gone. Teaching is the CFI job, the DPE is only the scorekeeper. Study carefully the three (required) DPE briefings. These are good places to add “wisdom” and counsel. Leave the teaching and demos to the CFIs.
Caution is advised, however, on putting all your eggs into the FAA basket since any pilot examiner can be terminated immediately, at any time, for “no cause:” (see ya!) Every DPE “reapplies” annually in DMS. We have recently seen many terminations, and the FAA standard is unforgiving. Read the newest 8000.95 carefully. I would also review the DPE guidance on the FAA ACS page, it gives a good overview of the DPE mission, process, and perils.
Here are the current requirements for qualification on the general level:
When I was going to write this article last week, I initially did not see item #7 above (“door number 3”). Following that, just about any senior CFI technically qualifies. But bare minimum are unlikely to generate success.
It helps to be a good “aviation citizen.” Being known by the FAA in your district is also important to your selection since trust is an important part of designating DPEs. Being active in the FAA Safety Program (helpful/trustworthy) is also going to help your visibility for designation. A CFI Gold Seal, GA awards, and a 141 evaluation history all are helpful to your application. In these roles, an applicant has already been executing the FAA standard, and usually have a leg up in the selection process.
The recent FAA ARAC on DPEs spent a lot of time debating the proper qualifications for an FAA DPE. This generated more smoke and heat than clarity. The best examiners are not only technically qualified, they actually care about an applicant’s nervousness and do not put on a pompous show. Since it is hard to calibrate ego, compassion, and true competence on an FAA form, there is a thorough interview process at the local level for all potential designees. Usually, a group of inspectors at the local FSDO meets and interacts with the candidates to determine their motivations and qualifications. This is a valid, but poorly defined HR mandate that attempts to sort out good personalities and positive motivations.
