Bob Drapal DPE Checkride Gouges

The one CFI report on file shows Bob Drapal building his oral from the ground up. He opened with a scenario about a student who walks in wanting to start flight training. He asked whether a birth certificate is enough to begin. Then he wanted to know what entries go in both the student logbook and your own logbook.

From there he moved into medical classes and how each one ties to privileges and types. He covered what a student receives after completing IACRA, meaning the student pilot certificate and the FTN number. He asked about 61.87 endorsements, the limitations set on them, and whether you give one before every solo. He also wanted to know how long that endorsement stays good.

He gave a cross country scenario with a student living at KOQN who wants to fly to N14. The questions covered the required logbook entries and the cross country endorsements. He went over hour requirements and the 150 nautical mile cross country your student must complete. He asked about complex, high performance, and Class B landing endorsements too.

He spent time on 61.107 and 61.109, the required tasks, and how they map to the ACS. He expects you to use the FAA companion guide to pull the references listed under each task. He then asked you to write AV1ATES and ARROW on the whiteboard and talk through airworthiness. He covered airworthiness directives and an example of a plane needing the 100 hour inspection for hire.

Systems went deep on the pitot static system, blockages, and fixes, plus the aircraft category ratings. He covered 91.103, FDC versus distant NOTAMs, and weather. That included the MOS on ForeFlight and its update cycle, METARs, TAFs, and reading a surface analysis chart.