A Sept. 25, 2024, letter from six federal lawmakers to FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker focused on the challenges the FAA’s Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) program is facing.
The letter, which I read in a recent Flight School Association of North America (FSANA) newsletter, generally relates to the airline industry and specifically to the regional airline subset.
But since all pilots use the same examination system, the letter’s citation of the number of examiners and the percentage of tests they administer is eye opening.
“While the FAA currently authorizes 935 DPEs to administer tests, 75% of tests are administered by only 350 examiners, with 50% of tests administered by roughly only 200 DPEs.”
That’s right: 37% of all DPEs administer three-quarters of all tests, while just 21% administer half of all tests.
In 2023, DPEs administered 75,891 original certificate tests and 83,551 additional certificate tests, totaling 159,442 tests.
| Certificate | Original | Additional |
| Recreational | 6 | 0 |
| Sport | 258 | 18 |
| Private | 31,950 | 21,326 |
| Commercial | 17,974 | 20,508 |
| ATP | 11,218 | 30,033 |
| Rotorcraft | 2,923 | 737 |
| Glider | 225 | 1 |
| Flight Instructor | 11,337 | 10,928 |
| Total | 75,891 | 83,551 |
(That data comes from tables 17 and 18 from the FAA’s U.S. Civil Airmen Statistics for 2023. It does NOT include rating tests, example: instrument ratings.)
On average, those 200 busy DPEs each performed 398.6 tests in 2023. That’s nearly one per day. All year long. Dang, that’s a lot.
I called DPE Jason Blair to ask how the lawmakers came up with those numbers?
Apparently there is a Designee Standardization Branch within the FAA that maintains a database of tests administered by DPEs.
That makes sense.
The other line from the letter that stood out to me: “We urge the FAA to either fully utilize all 900 currently staffed DPEs or find additional staff.”
I asked Jason “are DPE schedules under the control of the FAA?”
“No.”
To maintain DPE status, examiners need only conduct five check rides a year.
Hmm. So the DPE program, as maintained by the FAA, relies on a group of DPEs the FAA has no real control over.
That doesn’t seem sustainable.
Column updated Feb. 20, 2025 to correct count of number of tests.
DEI is very real issue, as is the “Good ole boy(or girl…) issue. I am aware of a person who basically brownosed their way into a DE spot with relatively low time and even less ability. This person is a danger… a yahoo cowgirl in the air. Then they’re glorified by the GA aviation press. I’m not going to say any more regarding her description as I don’t want to get myself in any trouble.
The system has its issues for certain.
46 year CFII, MEI. 135 & 121 experience. Retired but been giving 350-400 CFI hours a year for past 9 years since retiring from the airline. Frustrating to schedule people for check rides when the very busy DPEs in my area are booked 4-5 months out. No joke. So I’ve stopped instructing.
So FAA can not gives tests? Few FAA inspectors are current. No one really knows where all this is going as the FAA is broken and they are still blaming covid?
There a variations between FSDO’s……
The DPE program is clearly broken as is the FAA overall. Any professionals worth their salt get frustrated and move on from POI and other positions in a year or two. Like most govt agencies, there is a high number of lazy unproductive employees. The system protects them from being fired so the only way to move them out of their position is to promote them and of course that creates more of the same since they are now in a leadership role. It’s said that 80 percent of DPE work in the general aviation world is done by only a small percentages of the DPE’s. Let’s start by revoking DPE status for those not taking on their share of the load to make way for someone who will. Not likely to happen but hope is a good thing.
Those who continue to defend DEI need to take a long objective look at the damage it has done to companies and government agencies
Well said!
I am a 32 year DPE and as of late have been administering 150-170 checkrides yearly. For the person whose friend is a high time 121 pilot, how is that relevant to the part 61 and part 91 training environment ?
We can blame the FAA and to an extent rightfully so. Our POIs can only manage a certain number of DPEs. I have had a glimpse of some of their other duties. Managing DPEs is only a small part of their job. I’m hoping the FAA authorization bill passed in May will enable FSDOs to hire more POIs but don’t hold your breath. These new hires require extensive training and then they’ll talk about taking on more DPEs which also require time to get up to speed. So point your fingers as you will but bear in mind it is a very large ship to steer and slow to respond. Not the answer you were looking for but it is what it is. Help is on the way but still a long ways out. In all likelihood, the airlines needs will be satisfied in the next couple years and you can get your checkrides the next day.
Hank,
I am a retired American Captain and two of my former jobs was DPE and POI.
POI stands for Princple Operations Inspector and distinguishes him/her from the new or junior inspectors. POI usually have to have at least 3-5 years before they get promoted to POI and take on more supervision and responsibility within the FSDO district. Just to clarify they don’t hire POI’s they are trained and experienced to hold that new title.
The DPE today must meet stringent qualifications and attend OKC academy and pass a tough written knowledge test before they are selected from the pool of other candidates. When a vacancy occurs the FSDO Chief/Manager asked OKC to send the top three or four candidates applications from their district, he then makes the selection after he interviews them.
I do agree with almost all the comments about having a student ready and having to wait months! The FAA needs to add more DPE’s by lowering or removing some of the requirements.
I think a DPE deserves to be paid a honest wage for his time spent testing an applicant. But the fee’s they are charging is insane! A DPE should be able to test a private pilot in about 3 to 4 hours start to finish. The fee’s in my area are about $800 for a PPL. That is $200 per hour! Learning to fly in very expensive and so are the fee’s DPE’s charge!
We need to abolish the currant FAA totally and start fresh with “common sense” instead of a bunch of butt kissing, power grabbing wannabe’s!
I think you would find the same for DME’s. Not enough of them, a less than transparent DME approval process and 20% of the DME’s doing 80% of the evaluations.
A very nicely written article in which the argument falls apart due to blaming a systemic problem on so called DEI. Let’s present real solutions and stop trying to blame minorities for the short comings of the government.
Um, the government embraced DEI which resulted in a bunk of incompetents being hired so yes, I blame the government. All DEI hires should be fired and replaced with people who know what theyre doing- there is your course of action.
The FAA has control, probably too much control. The Houston area DPEs are overloaded and it can be a several month wait to get a checkride. The rumor I’ve heard is that the FSDO won’t add more DPEs because they have some ratio of DPEs per FAA supervisor and they don’t have more staff to supervise. Bureaucracy at its finest.
Ever since I stopped teaching and began doing only training material sales, I’ve seen a continued decline in the “quality” or mental capability in those buying training material. Some are going out on their own with training kits they buy openly on the market. If someone called me directly, I’d ask if they had an instructor and if not, find one. If they did, find out what materials that instructor prefers as many instructors like to keep students on the “same page” with all working with the same materials.
Then there’s the overdependence on the kits by instructors who are so focused on building time they spend little to no ground time with the student. I’d even wager some of the ground time logged has been fudged from time to time. As a result, candidates show up to written knowledge tests with a poor understanding the material after still following the old method of rote memory. That’s followed by a less than ideal performance at the practical test oral portion… all because the instructor is not investing in the ground time with the student.
Then, we have DPEs faced with failures because the candidates are poorly trained by poorly trained and inexperienced instructors. How much does this affect the DPEs stats with the FSDO? Do DPEs hold back when they sense an unprepared candidate?
Regardless, there needs to be something in place that is not merely a DPE being terminated at the drop of a hat by an egotistic safety inspector. If they don’t have the same level of resources and appeal process as the lowly private pilot, I can understand there being fewer applicants.
The “full-time/part-time DPE” discussion has more issues at play. The original DPE program was not a full-time job. FAA inspectors flew most of the check rides and professional pilots assisted the FAA with occasional overloads on a part-time basis. In the past 20 years, DPEs have incrementally taken over the whole testing process with no change in the original DPE/FAA relationship. The “FAA designee” has become full-time with basically no employment “rights” (no FAA HR at this level). Additionally, there is little FAA retraining or recurrent evaluation once a DPE is “in the field!”
The structure of this FAA designee relationship is a result of this part-time origin. Most importantly, DPEs can be terminated at any time – immediately and for no cause at all. (This is actually the official FAA description: termination “not for cause.”) A “full-time DPEs,” potentially making $600K a year, can be “fired” tomorrow with no appeal; painful! This one-sided relationship keeps many qualified senior CFIs from even considering this occupation (no stability). Consequently, the quality of DPE applicants suffers: CFIs become DPEs for the money or the “glory” (recognition) neither of which are good motivation for “competent/compassionate evaluators!”
Several advantages of part-time DPEs are additional sources of income; this is not their “gravy train.” And personally, I feel flying professionally (with two FAA type-checkrides a year with Flight Safety) yields perspective and compassion when testing applicants – these DPEs do the same “suffering.” Performing one or two check rides a day can easily lead to burn-out. Full-time DPEs can become “arrogant mercenaries” (the common source of the FAA terminations). Additionally, many full-time DPEs have a difficult time even meeting the FAA currency requirements – 60 hours PIC, 10 hours category/class. Consequently, many full-time DPEs experience “right seat rust” and can be pretty scary at the controls.
The disadvantages of part-time DPE are almost the opposite: Proficient at flying, but rusty on the certification and testing process (three websites, numerous plans of action, etc)- this is a complicated job. There are lots of FAA changes and nuances and the testing procedure itself requires a whole level of “currency” to be effective (“substitute teacher” problem). Importantly, FAA oversight is required (and expensive) They need supervision whether they perform 5 or 500 checkrides a year.
So the “job” has evolved and the structure has not. My personal recommendation would be better initial screening to assure quality DPE applicants (compasionate evaluators rather than “ace pilots”), then regular retraining and evaluation to assure continuing quality and currency (just like professional piloting). CFIs should be heralded as the real “aviation influencers” in aviation; doing the training and creating pilots. DPEs are just keeping the score.
BTW, US Congress weighing in on “how to operate efficiently” is a joke right?
My MS observes me yearly, and we have annual meetings in the FSDO for recurrent training. Obviously, after reading your well written commentary, all don’t do that.
Excellent commentary!
Yep, I’ve been there.
When I applied years ago, I was a former Marine Attack Pilot/Stan Eval/NATOPS CheckPilot.
Additionally, I was a Part 121 IP/Check Airman for a major Cargo carrier and a CAP Check Pilot Examiner. Never heard from the Feds.
As stated, you needed someone at the FSDO to run interference for you-Good Ole Boy Club indeed!
FAA motto “We’re not happy, until you’re not happy”
This is a very common thing. I was just on a trip with a captain who had applied to be a DPE. Despite the checkride backlog in his area, he heard crickets from the FSDO.
I guess ‘crickets’ are ‘chronic’ with the FAA.
Was already a 1,000-hour CFI when I joined the USAF at 26 years old. I was also an experienced airport planner…
I became an instructor pilot and stan-eval check airman (called “SEFE” in the USAF) in the F-15C and B-1B.
Retired to civilian life as a (granted, only part-time) CFI-A, CFII, MEI…
…and an instructor for AOPA’s ASI; including teaching their pre-Covid, in-person FIRCs.
Thought I might make a fairly competent FAA GA ops inspector…or even DPE candidate…
Nada.
The issue isn’t a lack of qualified people to be dpe’s but a lack of PIs to supervise them.
BTW there seems to be an error in your article? Maybe I misunderstood the point that the FAA does not control the DPE’s They actually due. A DPE must inform the FAA that they are testing an applicant and get the approval from the Inspector in the FSDO to do the test. The DPE is required to be tested every year by the DPE Inspector in each FSDO …..THe assigned inspector observes a test that the the DPE is conducting for the oral and actual flight test. Again FAA inspectors are not current to perform this?
The DPE must present an applicant each year, that will be observed by an FAA inspector …..Many applicants dislike this ……
There is a shortage of FAA personnel Nationally and again many FAA Operation inspectors are not current and are unable to give testing….
Lastly I should mention that testing applicants in many different aircraft require the DPE to be sure each aircraft is airworthy and this requires the DPE having a level of experience to determine an aircraft is safe to test in…..other then paper work currency …..
Regarding FAA control of DPEs, I was referring only to their schedules. As written, “are DPE schedules under the control of the FAA?” The answer, according to Jason Blair. “No.”
“37% of all DPEs administer three-quarters of all tests”. The inverse being, 63% of all DPEs administer just one-quarter of all tests. And yet, the FAA must still jump through the hoops you’ve outlined.
The FAA does not schedule Checkrides and don’t assign them. So a dpe can do 1 a month or 30
We are “observed” every two years, not every year. And, yes, applicants don’t like it!!! I don’t charge the applicant if he/she agrees to have a Fed in the room/airplane first the check ride!
Depends on your definition of ‘control’. We get observed yearly, subject to counseling, etc..if the observation doesn’t go well, termination of it goes especially bad. Letters of authorization, regulating the types of tests a DPE can perform, are at the discretion of the FAA.
Our FSDO doesnt want ‘full time’ DPEs, and most that I know do it as a second job regardless of the FSDO they work under.
The FAA has plenty of control over us, with the ultimate control being the ability to rescind our Designation (termination) on one end, and hiring more DPEs on the other end of the spectrum.
I know FSANA is frustrated by the lead time between test scheduling and actually testing, and rightfully so. But…….
I’ve had six straight instrument students, from various flight schools, that didn’t know how to load an airway into their G1000s, three more than couldn’t properly track a VOR radial when failing the GPS. Thats nine spots that could not go to first time applicants.
Perhaps FSANA should address the first time failure rate from the flight school end. Getting that number down would help with DPE scheduling, then maybe we can work on convincing the FAA to appoint more Designees.
Does the FAA ‘control’ a DPEs schedule? As in, does the FAA assign checkrides to DPEs? That is the FAA ‘control’ I was referring to.
It is difficult to become a DPE. One needs to know someone in a FSDO to move it along.
Applicants apply and never hear from the FAA?
It appears applicants go in a pool and wait for FAA to contact them and then go through an expensive process, including a trip to OKC for standardization. It also requires a flight test and renting an aircraft for 60 hours a year for currency requirements.
FAA does not allow DPE’s to remain current by testing?
Liability is an issue also. If a test applicant has an accident after being tested, The FAA could violate the DPE or remove the DPE? and again the DPE can be sued.
The DPE program, IMO is complicated
Lastly in the past the FAA offered testing and now all inspectors do not conduct testing because they either are not current or refuse to do testing …..
A local very experienced airline Capt with close to 20k hours in the air, is an owner of and very active in the RV community, and is a checkride examiner for the largest airline. He was denied a DPE spot in the DFW area due to “not enough experience” however they then placed a 25 year old minority female that was a chick-fil-a clerk three years ago and has less than 1000hrs of active employed airline time. On one of her first Instrument checkrides she failed a person at the table, when the individual challenged the failure and backed up the challenge with exact FAR references, she reluctantly opened the checkride back up, just to fail him again because he didn’t say no smoking during his preflight briefing. That is not a required portion of the IR pilot brief, only that of a commercial / turbine brief. The FSDO reinstated the persons clean record and allowed for a new checkride. The DFW area is on a 3-6 month wait with prices skyrocketing. The FAA DPE program / rules are ridiculous and mired in DEI issues.
Perhaps the applicant with 1000 hours was more experienced with GA. Your story sounds like you’re just trying to “blame the minorities” again, and how do you have such insight into these private matters? Maybe your multi thousand hour friends didn’t do well on the interview process.
This issue is real, especially for applicants for the initial CFI certificate. I had a DPE cancel on me 6 days before my checkride after having them scheduled a month and a half out. The next closest DPE was booked two months out so it delayed my ability to find employment and start instructing. Fix this FAA!