Steven Brimmer DPE Checkride Gouges
Designated Pilot Examiner • (Steven Daniel Brimmer)
Preparing for an FAA checkride with Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) Steven Brimmer? GougeHub has a first-hand Steven Brimmer 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, only one report sits on file for Steven Brimmer, and it covers an IFR checkride. The oral section carries the most detail, so use it to set your study focus. The pilot described an examiner who asks a question, then follows up to test how deep your knowledge goes.
The pitot-static system came up directly. Be ready to talk through what fails when the pitot tube, static port, or both block. Know how the airspeed indicator, altimeter, and vertical speed indicator react in each case. Brimmer expects you to reason through the failures, not just recite a list.
Icing was another focus area. Know your aircraft limits, how to recognize icing conditions, and what actions to take. The examiner paired this with personal minimums, so come prepared to explain yours honestly. Have real numbers ready for ceilings, visibility, and the conditions you will turn down.
Planning questions covered OROCA and alternate fuel planning. Know how to read OROCA on the chart and what it protects you from. For alternates, be ready to calculate the fuel you need to reach your destination, fly to the alternate, then hold and reserve. Airworthiness documentation also came up, so review the inspections and paperwork that keep the aircraft legal for IFR.
The flight portion is incomplete in this report, so it gives no maneuver detail to lean on. Plan for a standard IFR profile and prepare your approaches, holds, and partial panel work as usual. Brimmer's follow-up style means a thin answer invites more questions. Give clear, complete responses the first time and the oral moves along. If you fly with him soon, add your own write-up so the next pilot gets the flight side too.
Examiner Patterns
Preliminary insight — based on 1 report
- Oral style: 1 pilot reported the examiner used scenario-based questioning throughout
- 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 discussed go/no-go as part of a scenario
- Equipment failure simulated: 1 pilot reported the examiner simulated another type of equipment 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
- IFR (Instrument Rating)
FAA Designee Information
FAA Oversight Office: Scottsdale 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
- Military Competency Examiner
- Ground Instructor Examiner
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.