John Charalambous DPE Checkride Gouges

John, called Johnny by the pilot who flew with him, is described as straight forward and to the point on the instrument checkride. He is based in the Long Island area, so the flying happens around Brookhaven. As of this writing, only one report sits on file for him, so treat this as a single data point and add yours after you fly.

On the oral, he puts real emphasis on lost comms procedures. He asked some tough questions about logging approaches in a simulator. He also dug into neglected portions of the approach plates, the parts most applicants skip over. Know your plates cold, front to back, and be ready to explain simulator approach logging.

For the flight, the pilot noted that Johnny likes the RNAV 15 at Brookhaven. This pattern showed up on the pilot's own ride and on rides flown by peers. Study that approach and expect it to come up.

The sharpest lesson from this report is about feeder route altitudes. The pilot requested the VOR 6 at Brookhaven with the feeder at Calverton. He was at 2,500 feet, then descended to 1,900 feet, the minimum feeder route altitude. Johnny did not like that move at all. He insisted the pilot stay at 2,500 feet until cleared for the approach or until ATC approved lower.

That mistake did not cost the rating, but Johnny let the pilot know it was grounds for a failure. So hold your altitude and wait for the clearance or ATC approval before you go down. He helped with the coms during the ride, and the pilot still called him a smooth guy overall.