Ken Cobb DPE Checkride Gouges

Oral Emphasis

Ken builds the oral around a practical cross-country scenario he assigns about a week before the checkride. For the multi-engine ride, pilots reported being asked to plan a multi-leg trip with alternates for each leg, fuel planning that accounts for flying approaches at both the destination and alternate airports, and familiarity with TEC routes. He also checks logbook entries carefully — complex and high-performance endorsements were specifically verified for the Seneca.

• Cross-country planning with multi-leg scenario and alternates
• Fuel planning including approach fuel burn at destination and alternate
• TEC route familiarity and how flight planning tools (e.g., ForeFlight) display routing
• Logbook and endorsement verification — he uses a checklist

Common Questions

Ken's questioning style is conversational and scenario-driven rather than rote quiz-style. Pilots reported that he focused on practical decision-making within the cross-country scenario, such as how you'd choose an alternate starting from the missed approach point and how you computed fuel reserves for each leg. He was interested in how pilots used electronic flight planning tools and whether they understood the underlying logic.

Examiner Style

Pilots consistently describe Ken as personable and easy to talk to — more like chatting with a friend than being grilled by an examiner. He tends to show up about 20 minutes late, so plan accordingly. He goes through the required paperwork using a structured checklist but keeps things moving, especially if he's seen you before. He covers the pilot's bill of rights and required administrative items efficiently.

• Conversational, relaxed demeanor — puts you at ease
• Expect him to arrive ~20 minutes after the scheduled start time
• Uses a qualification checklist for pilot and aircraft documents
• Scenario-based oral rather than rapid-fire questions

What Surprised Pilots

• The level of detail expected in pre-checkride planning — alternates from the missed approach point and full fuel plans for each leg go beyond what regulations strictly require, but Ken values this real-world thoroughness.
• He assigns the cross-country scenario about a week in advance via phone call, so be ready for that conversation and treat it as the start of your checkride prep.
• Despite the thorough preparation requirements, the overall atmosphere was described as the best checkride experience compared to other examiners in the area.