Greg Madriaga DPE Checkride Gouges

Greg starts every ride with paperwork, and he is patient but thorough. He goes through your logbook line by line to confirm prerequisites and endorsements. He checks IACRA, your medical, and your written exam codes. For digital logbooks he wants ground sessions logged as entries, and he will not start until they are. He is an A&P, so he digs hard into the maintenance logs. Expect to prove airworthiness through AV1ATE and ARROW, and to show where each inspection lives. Know your AD status and overhaul hours before you fly.

The oral runs as discussion, often broken up with stories from his career. On private rides he covers documents, airspace and VFR minimums, chart symbols, VOR navigation, and weather briefings as a go or no go call. He hands out a cross country scenario in advance, frequently with an overweight aircraft or an inop carb heat or pitot system. He wants your reasoning, not the finest detail. He likes human factors and illusions, density and pressure altitude, and maneuvering speed.

On instrument rides he tests currency math, lost comms, holds with no EFC time, icing, turbulence, and thunderstorm avoidance. He sneaks VFR currency into an IFR scenario to see if you catch it. On multi engine rides he loves weight and balance, fuel and range planning, V speeds, OEI limits, crossfeed, and the hydraulic gear system. He asks why you have two engines and when that second engine is most dangerous.

The flight covers short field takeoffs, slow flight, power on and power off stalls, steep turns, unusual attitudes, and diversions. Expect foggles, a simulated IMC encounter, and a lost procedure using VOR triangulation. Answer plainly, like you are explaining to a friend, and know where to find what you do not recall.