FAA is Slowly addressing the DPE Shortage

In the latest Aviation Safety Briefing Magazine, an FAA publication published once every two months, there was an article about checkrides. Most of the article focused on avoiding the need to be qualified or the airplane not being airworthy for the test. Here is a link to the publication.

Near the end of the article, there was a discussion about the DPE shortage and what the FAA is doing about it.  FAA said they heard “loud and clear’ from the public about the problem.  They are actively recruiting additional DPE applicants and suspending people other than DPE-selected applicants from attending the DPE standardization course in OKC.  All DPE applicants must attend and finish this course before being designated.  It seems nearly ½ the class wasn’t selected as DPEs, which was also causing the designation process to slow down. Currently, 25 percent of applicants for a practical test are either not eligible, not endorsed properly or have an unairworthy airplane. Every time this happens, the test slot is lost, and another one needs to be booked. This really cuts into availability. A big reason was that the recommending instructor wasn’t available at the time of the test to correct problems.

The Flight School Association of North America (FSANA) completed a survey of recent DPE charges for checkrides.  The fees have all gone up considerably.  FAA does not regulate pricing as DPEs don’t work for the FAA. They are private contractors.  As with anything, as availability becomes harder, the prices rise.  CFI checkrides seem to be the highest priced.  They are usually all-day tests, so the DPE can’t do anything else but that test for the day.  FAA is relieving some of those rules, like the number of practical tests allowed on a given day, but it’s still not enough.  In our world, at three locations, Palo Alto, Las Vegas, and Miami, the test fees range from $1100 to $1600.  We are fortunate to have good DPE availability.  We get a lot of calls from people who don’t train with us, who want us to get tests for them, or “who do you use?” questions.  The job of the CFI that is training you should be arranging a test.  If they can’t do that, we suggest you find another CFI.  As an individual, you should not need to look around for a DPE.  Your CFI should already have a relationship with the DPE they use.  This helps with eligibility, confidence, and overall results.

In the FAA reauthorization bill that was signed into law, there is a requirement that the FAA open an office to train, assign, and standardize DPEs nationwide. No more FSDO saying they don’t have the oversight. This office will do all of that. This will really help out, especially in the standardization department.

The Difference Between Slips and Skids Are Not Being Understood

In an effort by SAFE (Society of Aviation and Flight Educators), safepilots.org is trying to bring this to the spotlight. Many pilots and instructors feel that it is dangerous when an airplane is uncoordinated.  It sometimes is, but not most of the time.  As a quick lesson, let’s describe the differences between a slip and a skid.  In a slip, the ailerons are applied opposite to rudder deflection.  This can be used to expose a large area of the fuselage to the relative wind that will cause a higher descent angle and subsequent altitude loss without increasing airspeed.  Valuable if you are too high for example.  This is called a forward slip.

A slip can also be used to control drift during a crosswind landing.  This is called a side slip.

Neither of these situations is dangerous at all.  In each case, the airplane is banked.  Because the rudder is applied opposite to the bank, the bank is opposite to the applied rudder.  An airplane will spin in the direction of the applied rudder.  Because the rudder is in one direction and the wing that is down is below the horizon, if a stall happens, the airplane will begin to roll in the direction of the applied rudder.  This means the down wing must come back up and through the horizon.  This may actually improve the stall characteristics of some airplanes.  There is only problem here is if the stall isn’t recovered from.

In a skid, the ailerons are applied in the same direction as the applied rudder.  This means that the downwing is already below the horizon.  If a stall occurs here, the wing doesn’t come back up to the horizon it lowers further.  This will develop into a spin fairly quickly.

Due to a misunderstanding of the difference between a slip and a skid, many CFIs teach avoidance of either so that the airplane “won’t spin.”  In a skid, it is very likely to spin, but in a slip, there is adequate time to avoid any trouble.

Check out the article posting on SAFEs website, safepilots.org, in the blog postings.  SAFE is really trying to improve instructional techniques, effective teaching and these the lack of aeronautical knowledge areas.

New Mastery Class is Coming From CFI Bootcamp

A new weekend-long, Friday-Sunday, class is getting ready to be announced and started at CFI Bootcamp’s Miami Location.  This course enhances a flight instructor’s teaching and presenting ability, focusing on using technology, EFBs, and a syllabus.  The first day is centered on using ForeFlight to teach, including syncing cloud drives, annotating, Advanced Features, and then using Zoom to do remote instruction.  CFIs will also be able to use a smart TV to share their screen.  A few hours of practice time will be set on the first day to ensure everyone walks away knowing how to use their devices effectively.  The next day, we will all use ForeFlight, which includes advanced features.  The last day is dedicated to using a syllabus, blending online ground school content with a syllabus, and teaching practice.

Here is the current outline.  It may change a little, but this is a sneak peek. CFI - Master Class Bootcamp - “The Weekend”

Day One - Setting Up and Using Technology and ForeFlight Basics

• What’s available, and what is necessary to teach with technology?

• Using iCloud and your Apple ID.

• Your iPad, iPhone, and computer - Set up and basics

• Backing up

• Cloud services set up. Dropbox.

• Connecting your device’s screen to a smart TV or your student’s laptop.

• Using AirPlay and Apple TV.

• Setting up Zoom for instruction

• Teaching from ForeFlight day one - Documents Tab. Importing PDFs and connecting a cloud drive. Annotating a PDF or other image.

• Using a virtual whiteboard with Apple Pencil.

• Downloading YouTube videos and creating a library of videos.

• Practice using and presenting with Zoom.

• Practice presenting to a smart TV

• Using ForeFlight to fly, aircraft profiles, weight and balance, basic flight planning, weather briefing, using profile view for risk management, and review of essential features.

Day Two - ForeFlight for Navigation Training and Using a Syllabus

• You will learn how to use ForeFlight to:

• Teach airspace dynamically with student engagement.

• Teach weather theory from an included walk-through presentation and then on ForeFlight.

• Learn or teach a flight plan walkthrough.

• Fly 3D routes and see 3D airport views.

• Select and see internet ADS-B to gauge the busyness of the practice area and traffic pattern.

• Set multiple top of climbs in a flight plan.

• You will also learn to teach better and track students progress by showing you by:

• Using Google Sheets to track progress and share progress.

• Teaching from a Syllabus.

• Integrating preflight briefings into a syllabus.

• Covering the aeronautical knowledge in the syllabus using an online course.

• Setting up Zoom for both individual and classroom remote instruction.

• Using an online calendar synced with your iPhone, iPad, and laptop.

• Using PowerPoint or Keynote to maximize time and deliver better lessons.

• Using the 9 points to fly a light airplane - Principles of better teaching.

• Delivering more effective lessons by showing less.

ProTips

1. Import documents you use to teach into ForeFlight under Documents. You have to do this from the ForeFlight website, not the iPad or iPhone. When you are logged into your ForeFlight account, click on Documents, and you’ll see an import button. After importing from here, you have the document on all of your connected devices running ForeFlight.

2. When flying cross-country at night, plan your fuel stops at an airport with a 24-hour FBO and a fuel truck. Self-serve pumps can become inoperative or run out of fuel, and getting stuck until the morning is not fun.

3. Use the Apple pencil when annotating on your iPad. It allows you to do some pretty good work as if you were in front of a whiteboard.