Ernie Pitts DPE Checkride Gouges

Oral Emphasis

Ernie works through the ACS in roughly sequential order, but your written exam missed questions are a major driver of the oral. He looks up each Learning Statement Code from your knowledge test and builds questioning around those areas. Beyond that, the most consistently reported topics include:

• Weather: Cold fronts, thunderstorm ingredients and hazards, AIRMETs/SIGMETs, interpreting current weather products (including aviationweather.gov), and making a clear go/no-go decision based on the day's actual conditions.
• Cross-country planning: Nav log review — why you chose your checkpoints, route, and altitudes. Expect him to quiz VFR cruising altitude selection using your actual flight plan. Weight and balance, including knowing where the current W&B data lives in the aircraft.
• Aircraft systems: Powerplant questions, oil system scenarios (e.g., low oil pressure — causes and actions), and ELT operation.
• Regulations and documents: Required pilot documents, required aircraft documents, the inop equipment flow (91.213/KOEL/MEL process), medical certificate duration, currency vs. proficiency, and what a private pilot can and cannot do.
• Airworthiness: Can you fly day-VFR with a specific piece of equipment inoperative? He expects you to walk through Part 91, the KOEL, and the POH equipment list.
• Aeromedical: Hypoxia — causes and avoidance. IMSAFE checklist and how you'd apply it to passenger scenarios.
• Airport operations: Non-towered airport inbound procedures vs. towered airport procedures.
• ADM/Scenarios: What-if diversions (e.g., a passenger gets sick), go/no-go decisions, and effects of forward vs. aft CG.

Common Questions

Pilots consistently reported these styles and patterns in Ernie's questioning:

• He starts by asking you to walk through the documents — yours and the aircraft's. He'll ask you to show him where endorsements and required items are rather than hunting for them himself.
• Written test codes are addressed one by one. He pulls up the code, identifies the topic, and asks you to explain the correct concept. Come prepared with a solid understanding of every question you missed.
• Weather questions are scenario-driven: he uses the actual weather on the day of your checkride and asks you to brief it and make a decision. If conditions are marginal, he wants to hear your reasoning.
• Systems questions often follow a "what would you do if..." format — for example, what causes low oil pressure and what are your next steps.
• He asks about airspace by referencing the sectional chart along your planned route.
• He doesn't expect you to recite FARs from memory, but he does expect you to know which Part to look in and to find the specific regulation quickly.

Practical Focus

The flight portion follows a fairly standard PPL practical test flow. Pilots reported:

• You will fly the first portion of your cross-country, using your nav log headings and timing checkpoints. He wants to see you actually navigating with your plan, not just following GPS.
• Maneuvers reported: Slow flight, power-on and power-off stalls, steep turns, turns around a point, unusual attitude recovery.
• Simulated instrument: Heading changes, climbs/descents, and VOR identification and tracking under the hood.
• Emergency scenarios: Simulated engine fire and emergency descent.
• Takeoffs and landings: Short-field takeoff and landing, soft-field takeoff and landing, forward slip to a normal landing, and go-around procedures.
• He expects a proper pre-taxi brief, passenger briefing, and emergency briefing before you start the flight.

Examiner Style

Ernie is universally described as fair, reasonable, and conversational. Key observations from multiple pilots:

• He operates out of his hangar at KSMX. The oral is conducted there in a relaxed setting — expect him to offer you a Gatorade or jerky.
• He opens with a structured briefing explaining how the day will go, his expectations, and the possible outcomes. This sets the tone early.
• After the logbook and document review, he likes to take a short break — grab coffee, reset — before starting the oral conversation. He explicitly says he wants to "reset the mood."
• The oral feels more like a guided conversation than an interrogation. He values honesty and a genuine respect for safety over rote memorization.
• He appreciates candidness about your limitations. Multiple pilots noted he responded positively when they acknowledged the seriousness of aviation and their own areas of growth.
• He is methodical and thorough — especially with the logbook. He checks every endorsement, every pre-solo entry, every hour total. He cross-references the aeronautical experience requirements (61.109). This portion alone can take 10–30 minutes.
• Your CFI will be asked to leave after the maintenance log review or document check.

What Surprised Pilots

• Logbook scrutiny is real. Multiple pilots emphasized how carefully Ernie reviews every endorsement and time entry. Tab your logbook, know where everything is, and be ready to walk him through it proactively. He's offered the chance for applicants to guide the review — take it.
• Weight and balance awareness matters. One pilot didn't know where the most current W&B data was stored in the aircraft and Ernie noted it. Know your airplane's paperwork inside and out, not just the flying.
• Written test codes drive a big chunk of the oral. This isn't a footnote — it's a primary structure of his questioning. Study every missed question in depth before you show up.
• He may adjust the schedule for weather. At least one pilot had the start time pushed back due to conditions. Be flexible and plan for the possibility of no prep time at the airport once you arrive.
• Bring original maintenance logs. He noted that photocopied maintenance records aren't ideal and the FAA technically expects the physical books. If you can bring originals, do so.