I have been flying airplanes since before I could drive. I soloed at 16, got my Private ticket at 17, and my Commercial ticket at 18. Other endorsements and ratings (tailwheel, glider, multi-engine, seaplane, instructor) came later.
Flying has been a lifelong obsession...a real sickness! Those of you who are already licensed know what I mean. Those of you just starting out will find out very quickly that flying becomes a part of your DNA!
My background includes:
IMPORTANT!!!
Due to the upcoming holidays and holiday travel, all December 2024 AND January 2025 dates have been filled. I'll begin taking February 2025 requests on January 15th.
If you send your request via mail prior to January 15, you will receive an automated response asking you to PLEASE RESUBMIT your request on January 15th. That is the only response you will receive prior to that date. When you submit on January 15th, you will receive a reply to your request within 48 hours.
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As you can imagine, the FAA is quite specific in its requirements for a check ride. They are also quite specific as to what we, as DPEs, must do prior to doing check rides.
There are four application forms below. Please be sure to select the correct one, complete it and scan/email it to me at Pat@HoustonDPE.com
Read the instructions CAREFULLY. If any information is missing, or illegible, it will only delay the process!
I will reply via email with a suggested date/time. Once confirmed, I will send you an email with your cross-country, or other, assignment(s).
Scroll down to the next section for some helpful hints on how to prepare for your ride.
FOREIGN PILOTS…PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
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There's no way around it...check rides can be stressful. There's not much I can say to change that, but these tips should help keep it to a manageable level. They are in no particular order.
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ANSWERS TO THE ACS is an excellent resource for Private, Instrument, and Commercial applicants. Take some time and check it out here.
Here is another link you may find of interest...some typical questions asked of DPEs. Click here.
Here's an excellent (and short) article from BOLDMETHOD on common reasons for check ride failures. Click here.
NOTE TO COMMERCIAL PILOT CANDIDATES
Please make sure your instrument training logbook entries make reference to 61.129(a)(3)(i). If it doesn't, you may not be qualified for the Commercial check ride. Please refer to this letter of interpretation from the FAA.
It refers specifically to the Commercial requirement for at least 10 hours of instrument instruction using
a view limiting device.
For more potential "gotchas" on the Commercial ride, click here.
ADD-ON CHECKRIDES
Do you currently hold a helicopter certificate and you’re adding fixed wing to it? I need to know in advance. Do you hold a Commercial helo cert w/instrument rating and a Private fixed wing and want to add instrument to the private fixed wing? I need to know that. In short, if this is any type of an ‘add-on’ ride, I need to know in advance as the practical test requirements are different.
AND FINALLY...
If you do not have a Wings account with www.FAASafety.gov please consider registering for one using the email on your check ride request form. At the successful completion of your ride, I'll issue you WINGS credit. For information on the FAA's WINGS Program, click here.
While this document is written for the "first timer", the information applies to all check rides. If this is going to be your first one, take a few minutes and read this article. It will help demystify the process and give you a good idea about what to expect on the Big Day!
CHECK RIDE DAY-What To Expect (pdf)
DownloadBefore you take your check ride, take a few minutes to look at these very common errors I see on almost every check ride. (Scroll down to "BEHIND THE PROP" for a live discussion on common check ride errors)
See those smiling faces? That's the goal! Remember, it's your job to thoroughly prep your student for his/her check ride. That includes carefully auditing their logbook, verifying times (and distances in the case of cross countries), proper endorsements, reviewing maintenance records, and making sure the paperwork (IACRA) is correct! Please take a few minutes and read this article. There are some excellent tips for CFIs to help insure a happy outcome like this one.
REMINDER: Required endorsements can be found in Advisory Circular 61-65J, published 10.30.2024.
We discuss all the ways you an reinstate your CFI privileges if you've let them lapse. It's about 30 minutes of good information.
CFI Initial, Add On, or Reinstatement -Form V7 3.20.24 (pdf)
DownloadIf you are a student pilot, a CFI (new or experienced), or a flight school owner, you'll find these guides to be very helpful. Feel free to download them and share them. They're free of charge!!
That's AOPA's Dave Hirschman and me following an afternoon of aerobatics in Mike Filucci's sweet Epsilon. A memorable experience to be sure!
(photo credit: Kay Sundaram)
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"IMPOSSIBLE TURN"
Check out this excellent video by my AOPA colleagues. It's pretty eye-opening! Click here.
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MISCELLANEOUS FUN STUFF
Before aviation, I had a 35 year career in the music industry. The National Assoc Of Music Merchants asked me to sit for an Oral History piece. Click here for an excerpt.
AOPA's David Tulis and I sat down a while back for a fun conversation, and the tape was rolling. You can listen here!
(Note: Scroll down to Episode 54, then forward to about 19 minutes into the podcast.)
Jeremy Walters invited me to be a guest on his "Breaking The Chain" safety seminar series. It was an honor to participate. Click here to watch.
Jeremy Walters invited me to guest (again) on his Breaking The Chain series. Click here.
In this video, Jeremy Walters and I spent some time knocking the rust off my seaplane rating, including transitioning from the front seat to the rear seat. Click here.
Dan Millican and Christy Shafer host a wonderful program called In The Hangar. I had the pleasure of sharing one of my favorite stories when them. You can see it here.
Christy Shafer and I discuss AOPA's You-Can-Fly program "In The Hangar". Click here.
In this video, Jamie Beckett and I discuss his upcoming 800 mile cross country flight in a Cessna 152...challenges, potential hazards, and more. Click here.
Many of AOPA's ASK AN AMBASSADOR programs can be accessed through this single link. For links to individual programs, keep scrolling down!
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BEHIND THE PROP
Here's a fun podcast from United Flight Systems in Houston. It's hosted by owner Bobby Doss and DPE Wally Mulhearn. I've had the pleasure of doing a couple of them and....here they are!
Common Private Pilot Check Ride Errors Part 1) Click here
Common Private Pilot Check Ride Errors (Part 2) Click here
Common Commercial Pilot Check Ride Errors Click here
Common Instrument Rating Check Ride Errors Click here
Pet Peeves and other stuff. Click here.
A visit with 3 DPEs. Click here.
Traffic Pattern Etiquette. Click here.
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MAD PROPS
This is a fun YouTube Channel with lots of interesting content. From time to time I'll join in for some fun and frolic with my old pal, Jamie Beckett. Here are a few!
NEW ACS STANDARDS EFFECTIVE 31 MAY 2024. ARE YOU READY?
CFI Certificate Expiration Date Changes Dec 1, 2024....Are You Ready?
Two Guitar Players Walk Intro A Hangar
Farewell To Retiring AOPA President Mark Baker
Tragedy In Houston. Radio Tower/Helo Collision
Can You "Fail" A Checkride Before It Starts?
Changes In The Requirements For Taking The FOI Knowledge Test
Rusty Pilots - How To Get Back In The Left Seat!
FAA Reauthorization Bill of 2024
Prepare For Adventure. You were meant to fly!!
Save Your Aircraft From Hurricanes!
Learning Plateaus - You Can Overcome Them!
CFIs: Should You Fire Your Student?
Downwind Take Offs and Landings...Yes or No?
Everybody's Wrong (occasionally)!
EPIC Check Ride Fails...What NOT To Do
Is It Too Late To Become A Professional Pilot??
Is It Time For You To Buy An Airplane? Part 1
Is It Time For You To Buy An Airplane? Part 2
High Wing or Low Wing: The Debates Rages On!!
You Can't Fail A Flight Review!
Video Recording In Flight. Smart or Not?
Declaring An Emergency. Yes or No?
Avoiding A Practical Test Failure!
What The Aircraft Log Books Can Tell You
Dead Wrong - A Sad, Preventable Crash
Tackling Long Cross County Trips
Transition Training: Is It Important?
Five Money-Saving Tips For Flight Training!
Fly Smarter...Stupid is Expensive
DYI Flight Training...Possible?
Flying Multi-Engine Airplanes-Challenges and Dangers!
Airplanes, Airplanes Everywhere. What's Your Favorite?
Social Media-Please Play Nice...
Loss Of Control...Why Is It Happening?
Class E Airspace...It's More Than You Think!
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"DON'T GET RUSTY" WEBINAR SERIES
AOPA does these monthly, and occasionally I drop in for a visit. Join me and my AOPA colleagues Chris Moser, Pablo Maurelia, and Stephen Schroeder at the links below.
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ASK AN AMBASSADOR
Over the course of 55 episodes, my fellow Ambassadors showed up on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month for "Ask An Ambassador"...a little thing we started during Covid. While we're no longer doing them "live", the recorded evidence remains!!! We're a diverse bunch...an A&P/CFI, an aeronautical engineer, and me. And, we have a lot of fun.
Creative Ways To Finance Your Flying Habit
Cross Country Flying For Fun and Adventure
Long Cross Country Flights (Live from Sun n Fun)
Paperwork, FAA Forms, Recordkeeping
Sims and Flight Training Devices
Fuel Starvation, CFIT, VFR Into IMC
$100.00 Hamburgers (and other stuff)
Memorable Destinations (And how I got there)
Flying Goals/Staying Proficient On A Budget
Things I've Learned As a CFI (Part 2)
Preventing Loss Of Control Accidents
Setting, And Using, Personal Minimums
TFRs and Intercepts and How To Avoid Them
Over The Hills And Far Away (Part 1)
The Cold Hard Facts - Winter Flying Hazards
Over The Hills and Far Away (Part 2)
What's The Deal About Upgrades
Bob Hoover and me. What a thrill!
Prior to the Rod Stewart Show