Darryl Grace DPE Checkride Gouges

Two reports are on file for Darryl Grace, one from a CFI applicant and one from a CFII applicant. Both rides started early in the morning and began with paperwork. The CFI checked endorsements, ID, license, and IACRA, then heard his pilot bill of rights and handled payment. Darryl keeps a laptop and an iPad in front of him, likely the ACS on one and his own questions and references on the other.

For the CFI oral, Darryl pushed hard on the fundamentals of instruction. He asked what learning is, the laws of learning, the domains of learning, and the characteristics of learning. He wanted each acronym broken down with real examples, not just the letters. He also asked how people learn and what the instructor's responsibilities are. When the applicant reached for his binder, Darryl told him to close it and answer from memory.

The CFII oral opened with regulations. Darryl asked what is required to obtain an instrument rating and the aeronautical experience needed. He asked which endorsements must be given, what an IPC is, and how you would conduct one. Having the FARs tabbed and a current endorsements sheet from AC 61-65 made the references easy to find.

For the teaching portion, Darryl suggested a scenario and the CFII used a PHNL to PHMU IFR flight. The applicant taught risk assessment with PAVE and preflight planning with NWKRAFT, focusing on accurate information sources. They covered route selection, comparing paper IFR low enroute charts against ForeFlight. Darryl asked why the applicant chose 7,000 feet, which led to reviewing each segment of the route.

One CFII note worth remembering: just be a good teacher and Darryl will not push the FOIs. He folds them into the oral instead of drilling them separately.