Pat Hill DPE Checkride Gouges

Oral Emphasis

Pat works through the ACS systematically and covers a wide range of topics, but certain areas come up repeatedly across all certificate levels:

• Airworthiness & Documentation: He spends real time on aircraft logbooks. Expect to show him the annual, ELT, transponder, and AD compliance — all tabbed and ready. He'll ask about recurring ADs (like the C172 seat rail AD) and wants to see you can prove the airplane is airworthy. He checks that names match across all your documents (license, medical, certificate). Have your IACRA info verified and your qualifying flight hours highlighted in your logbook.
• Weight & Balance: He often sets up the XC assignment so the numbers push you close to or over gross weight, testing whether you recognize the need for a fuel stop or load adjustment. He may ask you to redo a W&B calculation on paper in front of him with different fuel loads. He's also asked how loading forward vs. aft of CG affects true airspeed.
• Weather Briefing: He wants you to give him a full weather briefing out loud, walking through it as you would for a real flight. ForeFlight briefings are acceptable, but know other methods too. Expect questions on METARs, TAFs, surface analysis charts (high/low pressure systems, isobars, air stability), AIRMETs, frontal weather, and icing — including nuanced scenarios like whether you can pick up ice below the freezing level.
• Currency & Privileges: He consistently asks about currency requirements and the privileges and limitations of the certificate you're testing for. For instrument applicants, he's posed real-world currency expiration scenarios (e.g., specific approach counts over specific months). For commercial, know your medical requirements and what class you need.
• Performance Charts (Multi-Engine): For CMEL applicants, he digs deep into POH performance — takeoff distance (single and both engines), landing distance, TAS in cruise, single-engine service ceiling, single-engine climb rate, and accelerate-stop/accelerate-go distances. He'll have you calculate your single-engine climb as a percentage of your dual-engine climb to drive home the performance loss. Have calculations prepped, but be ready to demonstrate chart use live.
• Systems: He asks systems questions at a level appropriate to the certificate — vacuum pump operation, oil min/max, what powers each instrument, inoperative equipment procedures, and alternator failure recognition. For multi-engine, expect engine specifications (LHAND), direct drive, prop feathering mechanics, and asymmetric thrust aerodynamics.
• Spin Awareness: Comes up at PPL and CPL levels. Know PARE cold.

Common Questions

Pat's question style is conversational and scenario-based rather than rote quiz. Pilots consistently reported these patterns:

• He asks you to teach or explain concepts as if to a friend or student — not just recite facts. For CFI applicants, this is literal: he'll ask you to teach instrument scans, unusual attitudes, primary and supporting instruments, and endorsement requirements.
• He uses real-world scenarios to test decision-making: ignoring accelerate-stop distances and facing an engine failure, alternator failure in IMC and how you'd know, picking an alternate airport and justifying why.
• He'll set up currency scenarios with specific numbers and ask you to work through when currency expires and how to get current again.
• For instrument and CFII rides, expect questions on loss of communications procedures, ODP climb gradients and how to calculate whether you meet them, MEA vs. MOCA vs. OROCA, and mandatory reporting points.
• He asks about chart symbology — nav aids, airport colors, airway widths, crossing altitudes — and strongly prefers you reference paper charts.
• For multi-engine, he walks through Vmc demo procedures, engine failure on takeoff procedures, what causes yaw into the dead engine, and the "50% horsepower loss vs. 80% performance loss" concept.

Practical Focus

• PPL: Expect a soft field takeoff departing on your planned XC heading. He'll have you level off at your planned altitude, then divert to a nearby airport without electronics (no iPad). In the practice area: steep turns, emergency descent, power-on and power-off stalls (may specify turn direction), slow flight, and a simulated engine-out where you must pick a field and convince him you'll make it. He specifically watches for pilots coming in high on emergency landings and trying to force it — pick a new spot if needed. Turns around a point, hood work (climbs, descents, turns to headings, unusual attitude recovery), and a short field landing back at the home field. He watches for forward slips — if you don't demonstrate one naturally during a landing, he'll likely ask for one separately. Do not ride the brakes.
• IFR: Expect to fly your planned route initially, with vectors or diversions. He tests holds, multiple approach types (RNAV common), partial panel, and unusual attitude recovery. The oral continues into the flight — he asks questions throughout.
• CFII: You'll do all radio work. He may have you teach approaches including autopilot use for single-pilot resource management. He flew while the applicant taught, then roles reversed. Expect to give and receive unusual attitudes, teach a hold, and fly a full approach to a full stop. He asked about antennas during preflight and had the applicant teach an instrument taxi check.
• CPL: Reported maneuvers include chandelles, lazy eights, steep turns, power-off 180 accuracy landings, short field and soft field operations, slow flight, stalls, and ground reference maneuvers. Expect him to simulate scenarios like engine roughness in locations where airports are at the edge of glide range.

Examiner Style

• Pat is consistently described as friendly, conversational, and genuinely interested in getting to know you. Multiple pilots mentioned he talks about his own flying experiences, his international training background, and even showed pictures of his dogs before starting.
• He sets expectations clearly at the start — explains possible outcomes, says there are no trick questions, and reminds you the oral continues through the flight.
• He follows the ACS methodically but the conversation flows naturally. If you're struggling with a question, he'll rephrase it different ways to help you get to the answer rather than immediately marking you down. He credits his international training experience for this skill.
• He values organization highly. Tabbed logbooks, highlighted qualifying flights, pre-calculated performance data, and printed/paper backups all earn visible appreciation. Coming unprepared with paperwork will slow things down.
• He's old school about paper charts and nav logs. ForeFlight is fine as a supplement, but he wants to see paper charts and will ask what you'd do if your iPad dies.
• Oral exams typically run around 1.5–2 hours. His fee was reported at $1,000 for PPL.
• He'll arrive early and may offer to start ahead of schedule.

What Surprised Pilots

• Multiple pilots were caught off guard by the very first question — particularly instrument applicants who hadn't specifically studied the phrase "privileges and limitations" even though they knew the material. Pat starts right at the top of the ACS, so review those opening items carefully.
• The weight and balance setup is intentionally designed to push you toward being over gross. He wants to see if you recognize the problem and plan accordingly (fuel stop, reduced load). Don't just plug in numbers — think critically about the result.
• One pilot had a FSDO representative sit in on the checkride for the DPE's annual monitoring. The rep was quiet and uninvolved with the applicant, but the surprise presence added stress. Know this can happen.
• For multi-engine applicants, the single-engine climb percentage calculation was eye-opening — seeing that single-engine climb was only about 14% of dual-engine climb made a lasting impression, which seems to be exactly Pat's intent.
• Several pilots noted that having an IACRA discrepancy (even a 2-day date difference on their private certificate) needed to be corrected before proceeding. Triple-check your IACRA entries before the ride.
• He gives you the XC planning assignment up to a week in advance via text, including his weight and passenger/baggage weights. Use that lead time wisely to prepare thoroughly.