Vincent Wittig DPE Checkride Gouges

Oral Emphasis

Wittig structures the oral around your ability to teach. He starts by having you pick a lesson topic to present — one pilot chose principles of flight. From there, expect questions on:

• Endorsements and experience requirements (he gave a scenario of a commercial helicopter pilot transitioning to commercial single-engine and asked what endorsements and experience were needed)
• Runway incursion awareness — specifically, identifying signs and markings on the ground during taxi
• Stall/spin awareness
• Ground reference maneuver instruction, including knowledge of ACS codes (eights on pylons came up)
• Fundamentals of Instruction (FOIs), including concepts like REEPIR, CAP, and RUAC with practical examples (e.g., using Vy as a teaching example)

The oral was reported at roughly 1.5–2 hours and described as moving quickly.

Common Questions

Pilots reported scenario-based questions rather than rote recall. Wittig may hand you a student profile (e.g., a helicopter commercial pilot seeking a single-engine add-on) and ask you to walk through the required endorsements and aeronautical experience. He also asks you to identify airport signage and markings as if briefing a student during taxi. FOI questions were woven in toward the end of the oral rather than up front.

Practical Focus

Wittig expects you to come prepared with a plan of action that covers all required tasks. In the air, he has you demonstrate everything yourself — this is a full demo ride, not a talk-through. Key details:

• He takes the controls to set up the simulated engine-out emergency rather than having you self-initiate it
• Flight time was reported at approximately 1.6 hours
• No tasks outside the ACS were introduced — he stays within published standards

Examiner Style

Wittig is described as efficient and ACS-focused. He holds you to ACS standards but doesn't go beyond them or try to trip you up. Pacing is quick — he moves through topics without lingering. When external factors compress the schedule (such as a TFR), he may streamline certain areas rather than reschedule, so be ready for an adjusted flow. Overall, pilots found him fair and straightforward.

What Surprised Pilots

• An active TFR on the day of the checkride caused him to skip some items and accelerate the pace — be aware that external airspace restrictions can change the flow of your ride
• The oral moved faster than expected, clocking in under two hours despite covering a wide range of CFI topics