William McDonald DPE Checkride Gouges

Oral Emphasis

Weather and aerodynamics of flight are Will's two biggest focus areas on the oral. Expect to go deeper than surface-level on both — pilots reported questions about METAR remarks, troughs and ridges, and airspeed limitations. He follows the ACS systematically rather than quizzing you on FAA memory acronyms, though he does expect you to know them. At least one applicant was asked to spell out PARE specifically.

Common Questions

• Interpreting specific remarks on METARs — not just reading them, but understanding what they mean operationally.
• Weather patterns: troughs, ridges, and how they affect flight planning.
• Speed limits and regulatory awareness.
• Aerodynamic concepts — expect him to probe your understanding of why the airplane does what it does.
• He may ask you to define or spell out a specific acronym (PARE came up), but he won't run you through a laundry list of them.

Practical Focus

• Flight began with a soft field takeoff, then followed the cross-country flight plan to verify time-between-checkpoints accuracy — so have your nav log dialed in.
• After the XC portion, maneuvers were completed in whatever order the applicant chose, with freedom to set up however they preferred.
• Landing sequence included a soft field landing into a touch-and-go, then a short field takeoff, short field landing, a forward slip, and a go-around.
• He holds ACS standards, not perfection — if you lose a little altitude during slow flight or another maneuver, correct it promptly and move on. Quick corrections were accepted without issue.
• At the end of the flight, he asked the applicant for a self-debrief: what could have gone better and how.

Examiner Style

• Extremely relaxed atmosphere on both the oral and the flight — described as conversational, not interrogative.
• He does not rush answers. If you need time to think or want to look something up, he encourages it. His philosophy: if you're unsure, look it up rather than guess.
• He encourages use of ForeFlight and EFBs during both the oral and the flight — his logic is that you should demonstrate how you'd actually fly.
• He makes it clear before and after the ride that he's evaluating to ACS standards, not expecting perfection.
• Easy to work with, responsive to texts and calls for scheduling.

What Surprised Pilots

• Will travels from Las Vegas for checkrides in San Diego, which means retakes can take a couple of weeks to schedule — but his commitment to keeping his schedule is notable. In one case he flew to San Diego solely to complete a flight portion after a weather discontinuance, then flew back the same day with no extra charge.
• The self-debrief at the end caught at least one pilot off guard — he asked what you felt you could have done better and how. It's a learning moment, not a trap, but be ready to reflect honestly.
• The level of freedom on the flight — choosing your own maneuver order and setups — was more autonomy than some pilots expected.