Cole Carter Daum DPE Checkride Gouges

As of this writing, only one report sits on file for Cole Carter Daum, and it covers a commercial checkride from January 2026. The applicant described him as professional and fair. The oral ran about 1.5 to 2 hours and stayed conversation based. He opened with commercial privileges and limitations, then moved into common carriage using the scenario from the nav log.

From there he worked through airworthiness. He wanted the documents, inspections, and required equipment that make the aircraft legal to fly. He focused on the annual, transponder, and ELT inspections, then asked who keeps the aircraft airworthy. He also gave an inoperative EGT scenario and walked through the process to handle it.

Weather came next, and he wanted a solid, detailed briefing. Thin answers earned deeper follow-up questions. That led into the nav log, chart symbology, and route choice. The pilot played the rocket ship airspace game and covered equipment requirements and cloud clearances. He asked about VORs, service volumes, and finding that information on the chart. He also asked how the applicant calculated TAS, pressure altitude, and density altitude, and how that affects takeoff performance.

The aerodynamics section ran deep. He covered stability and dihedral, then stalls and spins with the actual aerodynamics. He asked about the phases of a spin and spin recovery using PARE and why it works. He tied CG into it, asking how forward and aft CG change AOA and what happens in a stall.

Systems closed the oral. He covered primary and secondary flight controls, then the engine as the biggest limitation. He asked about the electrical system, possible failures, how the magnetos work, and how many batteries the aircraft carries. The discussion wrapped up with the G1000 and the pitot-static system. Know your aircraft well before you sit down.