Dave Burton DPE Checkride Gouges
Designated Pilot Examiner • (David Nelson Burton)
Preparing for an FAA checkride with Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) Dave Burton? GougeHub has a first-hand Dave Burton checkride gouge report from a pilot who tested. Read oral exam questions, flight test patterns, and examiner insights.
↓ View 1 available gouge reportDave Burton gives a private pilot checkride that covers the oral and a full flight. As of this writing, only one report sits on file for this examiner. So treat this as one pilot's honest account, not a broad pattern. Read it, then add your own once you fly.
The oral hits specific topics rather than a general chat. The report points to defined oral areas tied to the ACS, so study with intent. Come ready to talk through the subjects you would expect on a private oral. Know your documents and your aircraft well before you sit down.
The flight is where this checkride earns its name. The pilot flew a diversion as part of the sequence. So practice picking a new field, turning to it, and giving a real time and distance estimate. Keep your chart and your plan handy so you can work the divert without fumbling.
An engine-out landing also showed up in the flight. Drill your best glide, your field selection, and your engine-out flow until they feel automatic. Then back that up with multiple field maneuvers in the same ride. Plan to fly more than one task at a working airport or field, so stay sharp on traffic and your pattern work.
The short version is a checkride that asks you to plan, fly, and adapt on the same day. The diversion, the engine-out landing, and the field maneuvers all sit inside one flight sequence. So build your prep around smooth transitions between tasks, not just single maneuvers in isolation. One report covers this examiner so far, and your write-up would help the next pilot get ready.
Examiner Patterns
Preliminary insight — based on 1 report
- Weight & Balance: 1 pilot reported the examiner asked applicants to walk through W&B verbally
- Oral style: 1 pilot reported the examiner kept the oral conversational
- Navigation tools: 1 pilot reported the examiner accepted ForeFlight for weather only
- Density altitude: 1 pilot reported the examiner did not cover density altitude
- Go/no-go discussion: 1 pilot reported the examiner asked a standalone go/no-go question
- Equipment failure simulated: 1 pilot reported the examiner simulated an engine failure
- Preflight briefing: 1 pilot reported the examiner gave a brief overview before flight
- When ACS standard not met: 1 pilot reported the examiner (no ACS standard was exceeded in these reports)
Based on self-reported pilot submissions. Data methodology
Analyzed across 113 site-wide Private Pilot checkrides in the GougeHub database, the same questions keep coming up. Here’s one of the 37 in the guide:
“What documents must be on board the aircraft before you fly?”
📋 Examiner Insight: You’re nearly guaranteed this — nail it cold. Remember ARROW.
⚠ Common Pitfall: The registration must be valid — they expire after 7 years. The weight and balance data must be the latest, signed by an A&P. If the aircraft has any STCs, the POH/AFM must carry the appropriate supplements.
All 37 questions, ranked by frequency, with Examiner Insights and Common Pitfalls from 113 real checkrides — written and reviewed by Andrew Gray, CFI-II.
Get the Private Pilot Oral Exam Guide — $14 →7-day money-back guarantee · Instant PDF download
Ratings & Checkride Types
- PPL (Private Pilot)
FAA Designee Information
FAA Oversight Office: Philadelphia FSDO
Status: Active Designee
- Private Pilot Examiner: Airplane Single Engine Land, Airplane Multi-Engine Land
- Commercial & Instrument Rating Examiner: Airplane Single Engine Land, Airplane Multi-Engine Land
- Flight Instructor Examiner: Airplane Single Engine
- Military Competency Examiner
- Ground Instructor Examiner
- Flight Instructor Rating Examiner
Source: FAA Designee Management System · Verify on FAA.gov →
Transparency Disclaimer: This page summarizes patterns reported by applicants. It is not an endorsement, prediction, or guarantee of checkride outcome. Every checkride varies based on the applicant and circumstances.