Darrel Leroy Dilley DPE Checkride Gouges

As of this writing, only one report is on file for Darrel Dilley, and it covers the flight portion of a PPL checkride. The pilot logged 1.4 on the Hobbs out of Greeley. Dilley comes across as friendly and patient, the kind of examiner who points out a passing pilot and notes her CFI ride is next week. He likes to talk about Greeley airport, his pilot friends, and his airline years.

Safety drives how he evaluates. He told the applicant beforehand that slow flight is a great indicator of how someone flies, so master it. He does not want any silver bullets, like skipping clearing turns. The pilot asked before every maneuver and ran one or two clearing turns. Dilley handled radios during the maneuvers but wanted to be asked about calls before each one began.

Local knowledge earns points. Mention you know the Greeley TPA is 5500, which is 800 feet AGL, and it will probably impress him. Remember that runway 28 uses a right pattern if it is in use. He planned to start with performance takeoffs and landings, but the busy pattern pushed those to the end.

Dilley stayed hands off during preflight while the applicant used the checklist slowly and diligently. He offered the ARROW documents, and Dilley glanced through them briefly. The pilot forgot the brake check until after run up, caught it, and Dilley laughed that he was hoping it would get noticed.

The flight opened with a short field takeoff, and Dilley called the obstacle. The applicant then headed east of Greeley, climbed toward 7,500 feet, and followed the cross country course. Dilley gave subtle hints when he wanted something, like reminding the pilot a checklist existed. Calling out your own deviations and fixes goes a long way with him.