Donovan Burns DPE Checkride Gouges

Oral Emphasis

Burns works from a list of ACS topics he considers most important, but he digs deeper into areas where you missed questions on the FAA written exam. Expect to spend extra time on those weak spots. Reported topics include:

• Cross-country planning — he assigned a route from KLGB to Henderson Executive (KHND) and expected the applicant to identify weather issues (thunderstorms) that made the route unflyable
• Weight and balance using the actual POH — make sure your POH has all the correct charts and supplements before the checkride
• Night currency requirements and other regulatory knowledge

Common Questions

Burns uses a "key word" approach — once you hit the concept or term he's looking for, he checks it off and moves on. He doesn't belabor topics you clearly understand. His style is to listen for whether you grasp the core idea rather than quizzing you on every detail.

• If you're struggling, he'll offer hints to guide you toward the right answer rather than letting you flounder
• He specifically probes areas flagged by your written test results, so review every question you got wrong

Examiner Style

• Described as a really nice, personable examiner who puts applicants at ease
• He's conversational and will talk about his airline background and experience as a check pilot — he wants you to know he understands checkride nerves
• Very scenario-based approach throughout the oral, tying questions to real-world situations rather than rote textbook answers
• The oral runs roughly 2 hours, and he'll tell you that up front so you know what to expect
• He's fair but has limits — a missing W&B chart in the POH nearly caused a failure, though he allowed the applicant to retrieve the aircraft's onboard POH to resolve it

What Surprised Pilots

• The POH issue — one pilot's binder was missing the weight and balance chart (a floatplane version was there instead). Burns took this seriously and it nearly ended the checkride. Lesson: physically verify every chart and supplement in your POH days before the exam.
• His scheduling can be tricky since he's an active airline pilot, but he's good about timing the flight portion for the afternoon so coastal marine layers have a chance to burn off
• Complete your IACRA paperwork at least 3 days in advance — he requires this. Also note his cancellation policy: non-weather/non-mechanical cancellations need at least 2 days' notice.
• Fee is $1,300 for the initial checkride and half that for a recheck