Denny Green DPE Checkride Gouges
Designated Pilot Examiner • (John Denny Green)
Preparing for an FAA checkride with Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) Denny Green? GougeHub has 2 first-hand Denny Green checkride gouge reports from pilots who tested. Review oral exam questions, flight test patterns, and examiner insights for PPL checkrides.
↓ View 2 available gouge reportsTwo reports are on file for Denny Green, both from private pilot checkrides. Both describe an examiner who values good decision making more than a flawless performance. The reports call him fair, and they say he rewards sound judgment. That tone should help you settle in rather than chase perfection on every task.
The oral runs thorough, according to one of the reports. Expect coverage across a range of topics rather than a quick pass over the basics. One applicant singled out a weather briefing distinction as a point you need to know going in. Study how different types of weather briefings differ and when each one applies, so you can answer that cleanly.
The flight follows a full sequence, as one report describes it. The reports do not break out each maneuver by name, so treat the standard private pilot ACS tasks as fair game. Be ready to fly the profile as published and to back up your choices with clear reasoning.
The common thread across both reports is judgment. Green wants to see you make sound calls and explain them, not recite memorized lines. Show your thinking on weather, planning, and any decision point, and you give him what he is looking for.
These two write-ups give a consistent picture of a fair, thorough examiner with a known weather briefing focus. If you fly with Green soon, prepare the oral broadly, lock in the briefing distinction, and fly the standard sequence with confidence. Then add your own report afterward so the next pilot knows even more.
Examiner Patterns
Early reports (2) suggest
- Weight & Balance: 2 of 2 applicants report the examiner required a full W&B calculation
- Oral style: 1 of 2 applicants report the examiner walked through ACS task areas sequentially
- Oral duration: Most common — 1.5 to 2 hours (2 of 2 reports)
- Logbook review: 1 of 2 applicants report the examiner reviewed currency in detail
- Density altitude: 2 of 2 applicants report the examiner did not cover density altitude
- Go/no-go discussion: 2 of 2 applicants report the examiner did not cover go/no-go
- Equipment failure simulated: 1 of 2 applicants report the examiner simulated an engine failure
- Preflight briefing: 2 of 2 applicants report the examiner gave a brief overview before flight
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:
“When does your medical certificate expire, and what class do you hold?”
📋 Examiner Insight: A guaranteed question — and examiners have been digging into BasicMed lately, so know that too.
⚠ Common Pitfall: First- and second-class certificates do not lapse into a third-class certificate — their privileges lapse to second and then third class. A first-class certificate that is 59 calendar months old is still a first-class certificate, but its privileges have stepped down to third class, which is valid for private-pilot use.
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: Indianapolis FSDO
Status: Active Designee
- Private Pilot Examiner: Airplane Single Engine Land, Airplane Multi-Engine Land
- Flight Instructor Examiner — Instrument: Airplane Single Engine, Airplane Multi-Engine
- Flight Instructor Examiner: Airplane Single Engine, Airplane Multi-Engine
- Commercial & Instrument Rating Examiner: Airplane Single Engine Land, Airplane Multi-Engine Land
- ATPE: Airplane Single Engine Land, Airplane Multi-Engine Land
- Ground Instructor Examiner
- Flight Instructor Rating Examiner
Source: FAA Designee Management System · Verify on FAA.gov →
Other DPEs in Great Lakes
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.