Ronnie Greathouse DPE Checkride Gouges
Designated Pilot Examiner
Preparing for an FAA checkride with Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) Ronnie Greathouse? GougeHub has a first-hand Ronnie Greathouse checkride gouge report from a pilot who tested. Read oral exam questions, flight test patterns, and examiner insights.
↓ View 1 available gouge reportAs of this writing, a single CMEL report sits on file for Ronnie Greathouse. The pilot described a complete checkride that covered aircraft systems, V-speeds, and a flight profile built around engine failures. This gives a clear picture of what to study before you fly with this examiner.
The oral leaned into systems knowledge. Know your multiengine airplane cold, from how each major system works to how it behaves when something fails. The pilot reported a strong emphasis on V-speeds, so memorize your numbers and understand what each one means. Be ready to explain not just the speed but why it matters in single engine flight.
The flight portion followed a realistic profile rather than a string of isolated maneuvers. Greathouse set up engine failures at critical moments, which tests both your hands and your decision making. You should expect a failure when your workload is already high, not when things are calm. Stay ahead of the airplane and run your flows without rushing.
Practice your engine out procedures until they are automatic. The combination of systems questions and in flight failures means you need to connect the book knowledge to the controls. Knowing why a system fails helps you respond correctly when it does. The pilot framed the whole ride as connected, so treat the oral and flight as one test.
This is one report, so use it as a starting point and not a full map. Greathouse rewards an applicant who knows the airplane and stays composed under a sudden failure. Drill your V-speeds, study your systems, and rehearse engine failures at bad moments. Do that and you will walk in ready for the ride the pilot described.
Examiner Patterns
Preliminary insight — based on 1 report
- Weight & Balance: 1 pilot reported the examiner required a full W&B calculation
- Oral style: 1 pilot reported the examiner kept the oral conversational
- Oral duration: 1 pilot reported — under 1 hour
- Flight duration: 1 pilot reported — 1 to 1.5 hours
- Logbook review: 1 pilot reported the examiner took a quick glance at the logbook
- Density altitude: 1 pilot reported the examiner did not cover density altitude
- Go/no-go discussion: 1 pilot reported the examiner briefly touched on go/no-go
- Equipment failure simulated: 1 pilot reported the examiner simulated an engine failure
- Preflight briefing: 1 pilot reported the examiner gave a brief overview before flight
Based on self-reported pilot submissions. Data methodology
Ratings & Checkride Types
- CMEL (Commercial Multi-Engine)
FAA Designee Information
FAA Oversight Office: San Diego FSDO
Status: Active Designee
- Private Pilot Examiner: Airplane Single Engine Land, Airplane Multi-Engine Land
- Commercial & Instrument Rating Examiner: Airplane Single Engine Land, Airplane Multi-Engine Land
- Flight Instructor Examiner: Airplane Single Engine, Airplane Multi-Engine
Source: FAA Designee Management System · Verify on FAA.gov →
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.