Cole Robert Norton DPE Checkride Gouges

As of this writing, only one report is on file for Cole Robert Norton, and it comes from an instrument checkride. The pilot who wrote it did not pass the oral portion. That pilot is also a nervous test taker, so weigh the account with that in mind. Cole is a young examiner in his thirties, and he charges more than some. He also asks for a 400 dollar down payment to schedule. The pilot found him hard to reach, on the extreme end compared to other examiners.

The pilot felt the oral lacked a set structure or clean flow. It started fine with the basics, then the question wording got harder to follow. Cole would form questions in odd ways and not state them clearly. He also listened to an answer, then asked for it again as if it did not land.

One sticking point was the G5 standby instrument battery. Cole asked how long it lasts after a generator failure, and the documented answer is four hours. The pilot answered 30 minutes from real experience with the airplane. Cole wanted that backed by the document, so the pilot had to download the G5 manual mid checkride. He was not pleased about that, and he pressed on why the airplane differs from the four hour figure.

Another moment came when Cole asked how the pilot personally files IFR flight plans. The pilot said ForeFlight, and Cole paused and said that was not what he was looking for. So expect him to want the deeper method, not just the app name.

The clear lesson is to have your aircraft system documents downloaded and ready. Know your G5 battery numbers and be able to point to the source. Some pilots told this writer they love flying with Cole, so opinions vary. Come prepared to show, not just tell.