Michael Brown DPE Checkride Gouges

As of this writing, one PPL report is on file for Michael Brown. The clear theme is weather. He leaned hard into that area and moved through the rest almost as a formality. If you walk in solid on weather products and decisions, you will be in good shape for the oral.

He started with documents, asking what the pilot needs on his person and what the plane needs to fly legally. He covered required inspections and the medical the pilot held, plus how long it stays valid. He asked about forward and aft CG performance, then looked at the weight and balance and asked what happens when you move a passenger around. The pilot used a paper weight and balance sheet, which he liked.

Performance came up with takeoff and landing distance from the POH, plus time and distance to climb. He was understanding when the plane's POH had minimal performance charts. He asked about the electrical system, the fuel system, and the engine type, which was carbureted. The pilot drew the fuel system and that was enough for him.

The cross country ran from KBJC to KABQ. He kept it short, checking the route, airspace, terrain, and altitude choices. He played around on the sectional, asking how to find a flight services radio frequency, the Maximum Elevation Figure, how to tune a VOR, and how to read its Morse code. He asked about class D and class B entry requirements and how to file a flight plan.

Scenarios included an inoperative nav light in day flight and how to make it legal, plus whether you can fix it yourself as preventive maintenance. He asked the color of the left and right nav lights and which way you turn when head on with traffic. He also covered hypoxia, carbon monoxide poisoning from a heater leak, and hyperventilation, including causes, symptoms, and fixes.