Josh Donaldson DPE Checkride Gouges
Designated Pilot Examiner • (John Lee Donaldson)
Preparing for an FAA checkride with Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) Josh Donaldson? GougeHub has a first-hand Josh Donaldson checkride gouge report from a pilot who tested. Read oral exam questions, flight test patterns, and examiner insights.
↓ View 1 available gouge reportAs of this writing, only one report is on file for John Lee Donaldson. It comes from an IFR checkride. The report describes an examiner who keeps the tone supportive throughout the day. The pilot found the experience fair across both the oral and the flight portions.
The oral covered standard IFR tasks at a fair level of coverage. The report does not name specific systems, documents, or weather topics in detail. So treat the oral as a broad IFR review and prepare across the full ACS rather than chasing a narrow list.
The flight portion also drew fair coverage in the report. It points to the usual IFR flight tasks without singling out particular approaches or maneuvers. Plan to be ready for the full instrument task set and fly each item to standard.
The clearest signal from this report is the examiner's manner. The pilot described John Lee Donaldson as supportive during the ride. That tone can settle nerves, but it does not lower the bar on performance.
The report is short on study guidance and specific detail. It gives a useful read on the examiner's style, yet leaves the topic-by-topic prep up to you. If you fly with John Lee Donaldson soon, add your own write-up so the next pilot gets the detail this one lacks.
Ratings & Checkride Types
- IFR (Instrument Rating)
FAA Designee Information
FAA Oversight Office: Scottsdale FSDO
Status: Active Designee
- Flight Instructor Examiner — Instrument: Airplane Single Engine
- Flight Instructor Examiner: Airplane Single Engine, Airplane Multi-Engine
- Private Pilot Examiner: Airplane Single Engine Land, Airplane Multi-Engine Land
- Commercial & Instrument Rating Examiner: Airplane Single Engine Land, Airplane Multi-Engine Land
- Sport Pilot Examiner: Airplane Single Engine Land
Source: FAA Designee Management System · Verify on FAA.gov →
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.