Steve Buckenroth DPE Checkride Gouges

Oral Emphasis

Steve's CFI oral is heavily weighted toward aerodynamics and aircraft performance. Pilots reported spending significant time on theories of lift (Newton's Third Law and Bernoulli's Principle), pressure and density altitude, the standard atmosphere, and how environmental factors affect engine power, propeller thrust, and wing lift. He also digs into aircraft systems — particularly flight control surfaces, flap types, and trim devices like anti-servo tabs. Expect questions on stalls and spins, including phases and recovery procedures. Ground operations and taxi safety (ramp awareness, hot spots, runway incursion areas) also came up early in the evaluation.

Common Questions

• Explain the two theories of lift and what each one states.
• Define pressure altitude, how to obtain it, and what standard atmospheric conditions are.
• Walk through how density altitude is calculated and, more importantly, how it affects aircraft performance — and whether temperature or pressure has a bigger impact.
• Define angle of attack, the chord line, and the critical angle of attack for typical GA aircraft.
• Describe how an airplane turns (horizontal component of lift).
• Explain what an anti-servo tab is, how it moves relative to the stabilator, and what it does for pitch sensitivity.
• Name and describe the types of flaps.
• Define a spin, list its four stages, and explain recovery procedures.
• Know your V-speeds cold for the aircraft you're using (Vr, Vx, Vy, stall speeds).
• Describe what to look for during taxi operations, including hot spots on the airport diagram.

Examiner Style

Steve's approach is methodical and building-block oriented. He starts with foundational definitions — pressure, chord line, angle of attack — and then layers on applied concepts like density altitude effects and spin aerodynamics. The questioning style is conversational but precise: he wants clear, instructor-quality explanations, not just rote answers. He appears to probe deeper when an answer is vague, asking follow-up questions that test whether you truly understand the "why" behind each concept. This is consistent with what you'd expect for a CFI checkride — he's evaluating whether you can teach, not just recite.

What Surprised Pilots

• The emphasis on being able to articulate the relative impact of pressure versus temperature on performance caught some pilots off guard — it's not enough to just define density altitude, you need to reason about which variable matters more.
• The level of detail expected on trim and control surface systems (anti-servo tabs, flap types) was more granular than some candidates anticipated. Knowing your specific aircraft's systems thoroughly is essential.
• The stall horn activation point (5–10 knots above stall speed) was treated as a specific knowledge item, not just a general awareness topic.