Kenneth Spivey DPE Checkride Gouges
Designated Pilot Examiner • (Ken Spivey)
Preparing for an FAA checkride with Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) Kenneth Spivey? GougeHub has 2 first-hand Kenneth Spivey checkride gouge reports from pilots who tested. Review oral exam questions, flight test patterns, and examiner insights for IFR and PPL checkrides.
↓ View 2 available gouge reportsTwo reports sit on file for Kenneth Spivey, one for the instrument rating and one for the private. Both point to an examiner who values solid basics over tricky questions. If you walk in ready to talk regulations and demonstrate procedures, you start in a good spot.
The instrument report describes a checkride centered on fundamentals. Know your regulations well, because that is where the oral focus lands. Then plan to fly accurate approaches, since nailing approaches is the heart of the flight portion. Ken cares more about clean execution than catching you out on edge cases.
The private report gives a look at the oral questioning and the flight that follows. The applicant noted Ken's specific teaching style during the oral. He works through topics in a way that feels instructional rather than purely a test. That tone can settle nerves if you come prepared to discuss your answers.
The diversion stands out in the private report. Ken has particular tactics for how he runs the diversion procedure, so practice yours until it is smooth. Be ready to pick a heading, estimate time and distance, and explain your reasoning out loud. Knowing how he approaches the diversion gives you an edge on that task.
Across both rides, the theme stays steady. Ken rewards strong regulation knowledge, clear procedures, and accurate flying. He is not hunting for obscure failures, so build your prep around the core ACS tasks. Study your regs, polish your approaches, and rehearse the diversion before you meet him. If you fly with Ken Spivey next, add your own report so the next applicant knows more.
Analyzed across 113 site-wide Private Pilot checkrides in the GougeHub database, the same questions keep coming up. Here’s one of the 37 in the guide:
“What weather briefing did you get for today’s flight, and how did you get it?”
⚠ Common Pitfall: ForeFlight and other EFBs can count as a standard brief, but they must meet 91.103. See AC 91-92 for what belongs in a standard brief. ForeFlight keeps a record of your briefing for 120 days — not required, but useful to prove you were briefed if it’s ever questioned.
All 37 questions, ranked by frequency, with Examiner Insights and Common Pitfalls from 113 real checkrides — written and reviewed by Andrew Gray, CFI-II.
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Ratings & Checkride Types
- IFR (Instrument Rating)
- PPL (Private Pilot)
FAA Designee Information
FAA Oversight Office: Alabama And Northwest Florida FSDO
Status: Active Designee
- Flight Instructor Examiner — Instrument: Airplane Single Engine, Airplane Multi-Engine
- Flight Instructor Examiner: Airplane Single Engine, Airplane Multi-Engine
- ATPE: Airplane Multi-Engine Land
- Commercial & Instrument Rating Examiner: Airplane Multi-Engine Land, Airplane Single Engine Land
- Private Pilot Examiner: Airplane Multi-Engine Land, Airplane Single Engine Land
Source: FAA Designee Management System · Verify on FAA.gov →
Other DPEs in Alabama
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.