jdelarco

Hi Everyone,

It seems like I have completed all my PPL requirements, but FAA examiners are VERY scarce here in Oklahoma, and scheduling an examination is around 4 to 6 months out. Is there any other state/area with more FAA examiners? If so, what do I need to do/bring/consider to go somewhere else to obtain my PPL?

Thank you!

JohnBurke

It's a bit of a problem. You're not prohibited from going outside your area to another examiner.

The FAA has a congressional mandate to do this work: it's one of the three reasons they were created (Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended). The FAA decided to use force multipliers a long time ago: designees who give checkrides. Over the last thirty years, the cost of a checkride has risen some 1800%. Examiners are frequently scarce, and in some locations, examiners have been known to fail students just to get them to come back and bill them again; in Phoenix a few years ago a scandal involving just that caused the replacement of most of the designated examiners (who were soaking applicants for six and seven hundred dollars a pop). The FAA limits the number of examiners, forcing applicants to go to the designated examiners, and often refuses to give the checkrides at the FSDO level, that they should be giving. This has been going on for some time. The net effect is sending applicants to a small pool of examiners who are free to charge what they will, and have the conflict of interest in which the applicant is paying the same guy that's testing the applicant. Not good.

You can go out of state or out of your area, if need be. The pilot certificate is a federal certificate, not restricted to a state or geographical location, which allows people who want ratings such as a seaplane or multi rating to travel to a training location and get it there. This is additional expense for you, but may be worth it rather than interrupting training for an extended period.

Have you approached the FAA flight standards district office in your area to enquire about an inspector doing a ride? Your instructor can check.

jdelarco

Yes, we have been checking around Oklahoma, but no luck.

I have heard all those problems with FAA examiners, and I can see why if there are just very few and do/charge whatever they want.

I think it will be completely worth it to go to another state/area knowing that I can schedule sooner AND schedule with an examiner that is honest.

So the question will be... Is there ANYWHERE in the U.S. with a greater number and reputable FAA examiners?

Thank you John

Onemoretime

Check DFW area, not far away and maybe better options.

Continuingappch

Examiners can also come to you, though the travel may cost you more. If you can get more than one applicant to sked on the same or adjacent days it'll help. I bet Tony Condon would come over from the Wichita area but he's probably tied up until January.

Brickfire

Examiners used to be limited in the geographic area in which they could examine. No more. They can come to you.

Also ... the FAA can do rides and they are free. If the wait is 3 months maybe worth an inquiry.

fasteddie800

Interesting to hear about. When I got my PPL ~20 years ago (eeek!), scheduling the DPE seemed to be a non-event.

Just some idle thoughts, but what's stopping a handful of DPEs from joining forces and setting up a testing facility someplace? Centrally located with good weather, maybe someplace in Texas, a couple hours away from DFW? Based on everything I hear about the shortage of examiners, seems like the demand is such that a DPE could do as many check rides as daylight allowed.

Brickfire

I think the faa limits it to 2/day