Roger Wazniak DPE Checkride Gouges

Oral Emphasis

Roger's CFI oral covers a wide range of topics but places heavy emphasis on endorsements and the logistical path from brand-new student to private pilot certificate. Pilots reported walking him through the entire endorsement chain in detail. Other areas that came up:

• Scenario-based questions on adding a class or category rating
• Runway incursion awareness
• Airspace
• Principles of flight
• Night operations
• Airworthiness requirements, including a pointed comparison of MELs vs. KOELs (be ready to explain why an MEL is advantageous over a KOEL in practical airline operations)
• Aircraft maintenance logs — expect to locate all required inspections and state their expiration dates
• FOIs saved for the end of the oral, covering topics like motivation techniques, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and stages of memorization

Common Questions

Roger's questioning style is scenario-driven and conversational rather than rote interrogation. Pilots reported being asked to:

• Walk completely through the endorsement process for a new student pilot pursuing a private certificate
• Explain what endorsements and requirements change when adding a class or category
• Articulate why having an MEL is preferable to relying on the KOEL
• Answer focused FOI questions (2–3 per subject area) rather than delivering a full lesson on each FOI topic
• Brief the weather as if teaching a student — explaining how to read a weather brief and what to look for
• Teach a maneuver (chandelle was assigned) following the ACS format: purpose, procedure, common errors, and limitations

Practical Focus

Reports indicate the flight portion followed after the full oral and a weather briefing exercise. Specific details on the flight were limited, but pilots noted:

• Roger had the applicant brief the weather and plan the flight as if instructing a student
• A maneuver teaching demonstration (chandelle) was assigned, with the expectation that the applicant follow ACS structure
• The checkride was conducted out of KLNA (Lantana), though Roger also operates out of F45 — be prepared for a last-minute location change

Examiner Style

Roger is described as very personable and easygoing. He takes time at the start to talk about himself and learn about your background, which sets a relaxed tone. Key style notes:

• Conversational and cool demeanor — not adversarial
• Lets the applicant choose which oral topic to start with
• Saves FOIs for last
• Asks targeted questions rather than demanding full presentations on every topic
• Conducts a thorough but not unnecessarily drawn-out oral

What Surprised Pilots

• Roger may change the checkride location on short notice — one pilot was redirected from F45 to KLNA via text right before departing
• He expects FOIs to be memorized, which caught at least one applicant off guard — however, he only asks a few focused questions per FOI area rather than requiring a full lesson on each
• He lets you pick your starting topic on the oral, which can help you build confidence early if you choose a strong subject first