Must initial CFI checkrides be done with FSDO?

[Sam Snead]

My friend wants to get his initial CFI.

In my experience, there are DE's that have been "blessed" by their FSDO to give initial CFI checkrides. This appears to be no more.

Is there some sort of FAA rule out on this? Is this a regional procedure?

I would love to tell my friend that he can do the ride with a DE.

Help?

 

[Prof. ATP]

[...]
Is this a regional procedure?

I would love to tell my friend that he can do the ride with a DE.

There are regional differences, of course; we're talking FAA, right?

But the rule stands that the initial CFI ride must be with the FSDO. If the FSDO doesn't feel like it, though, they'll authorize a DPE to give the initial check. I had a student take his initial CFI with a DPE a couple of weeks ago under this: our FSDO just doesn't have enough people to give them. You have to call them and ask, though.

 

[veneratio]

At the 141 flight school where I used to instruct the 141 check airman were allowed to give the initial CFI checkride.

Each time an applicant is ready to take the initial CFI practical test, the Chief Flight Instructor would call the local FSDO and tell them that an applicant is ready for a checkride, the FSDO examiner would either:

1) Allow the 141 Approved End of Course Check Airman to do the checkride
2) Allow a DPE to do the checkride
3) Send an examiner from the FSDO to the flight school to do the checkride

The FSDO would base their decision on several things:

1) If the flight school has a high student end of course pass rate 80% +, then they would generally allow the 141 end of course check airman to do the checkride.
2) If they were busy, they would either allow the end of course check airman of a DPE

At my old flight school, when our pass rate for the initial CFI checkride went down to about 70 percent, the FAA implemended a policy that for the next 6 months, they would do 50 percent of the initial CFI checkrides and 10 percent of all other checkrides.

 

[bizicmo]

Go to the state of florida.
I have never heard of someone doing an intitial at the fsdo. Only with DE. Not saying its impossible to do it with the fsdo, just don't know anyone who has.

 

[flyer172r]

It varies from FSDO to FSDO. When I did my CFI the DPA FSDO would assign you a random DPE to do it with. The IND FSDO only required you to call them and tell them who you wanted to do the checkride with, and they would fax an authorization form to the examiner.

 

[flyf15]

Here in Colorado, for my initial CFI checkride in 2003, I called the FSDO and was prompty given a list of DPEs with which I could select one. Ended up being the first initial CFI applicant my DPE had ever done.

 

[mattpilot]

In Oklahoma, the FSDO insists on doing them. If they can't schedule you within 2 weeks, they'll assign a local DPE.

I called them a week ago to schedule mine. Since i'm such a lucky SOB, they could squeeze me in 2 weeks from the day i called. :/

Another thing that blows, the FSDO insists on you coming to them (either rent a plane at a local FBO, or fly one in from your school). They don't drive to your city.

 

[FDAFCFI]

Oklahoma and Texas both insist on the FSDO doing the checkrides. By the way, not all FAA examiners are bad or difficult. If you've been prepped well enough it doesn't matter who does your ride. Get to know the examiner before you start the checkride and the whole ride should be much smoother.

 

[av8rbama]

You can always try telling the FSDO you work a full-time job and the only time you have available is early Sunday mornings... Rumor around here is that will always guarantee assignment to a DPE.

 

[RichardRambone]

The KC FSDO was backed up for me so I did mine with our 141 schools CPE.

 

[JAFI]

You can always try telling the FSDO you work a full-time job and the only time you have available is early Sunday mornings... Rumor around here is that will always guarantee assignment to a DPE.

Not always so. I have showed up for the early Sunday morning check ride.

JAFI

 

[wxman13]

Ditto what others have said. Because my airport was near the border of the SJC and OAK FSDOs, when SJC was unable to do it, they told us to check with OAK first before allowing me to take the CFI ride with a DPE.

 

[igneousy2]

FSDO's can delegate whatever ratings they wish to their DE's. It varies from state to state. For a long time in Hawaii you had to use the FSDO. They then got short staffed for awhile and then they started letting the DE's do them. Recently they have gone back to doing the CFI's with the FSDO.

 

[Big Dog]

It's been my experience that the FSDO's are not really that bad. I had what I would call a "thorough but very fair" experience with my FSDO. One student of mine also had a similar experience with a different FSDO. Another student went to a DPE and got raked over the coals. I would imagine that in most parts of the country the DPE's don't do the majority of the CFI Initital rides and those examiners are encourge to follow the letter of the law, ie. give a tougher checkride. But I would agree that the situations are highly regional. It all depends on the FSDO's workload, and that depends a lot on factors such as area air carriers, 135 ops, ect. and how busy they are making the FSDOs.
One big thing to think about: FSDOs are free where a DPE might charge big $ for a CFI Initial, and the price is totally up to the examiner. It's usually more than a private or instrument ride because it takes all day.

 

[aviator1978]

I would love to tell my friend that he can do the ride with a DE.

Why?

Really the FAA isn't that bad. I felt that my initial CFI with the feds was a positive experience. I'm still on a friendly first name basis with my examiner. Plus I saved $300+ for the checkride.

Make sure your friend is prepared and he'll do fine.

 

[rcbullock]

Oklahoma and Texas both insist on the FSDO doing the checkrides. .

At Airman Flight School (in Norman, OK) they used to do a 141 ride (self examining auth) for the CFII and later, you did the CFI as an add-on with a DPE. Weird, huh?

 

[ILuvKittyLitter]

If your flight school (141) doesn't have self examining authority for the Initial CFI, you will need to call the FISDO. They may require you to come to them for the ride, or they may outsourse you to a local authorized FAA examiner. I did mine at Comair Academy and they had self examining authority for the Initial CFI. Mine was 8 hours of ground and 4 hours of flight...I would have rather done it with the Feds....

 

[satpak77]

Not always so. I have showed up for the early Sunday morning check ride.

JAFI

I would too for Sunday Pay



applicants who don't want a FSDO ride might claim SATURDAY is their only free day

 

[schoolio]

I guess the SDL FSDO is different. My initial (MEI) is Monday, and we set it up directly with the DE. I'm guessing the reason for that is the overabundance of CFI candidates among all the flight schools in the PHX area...

 

[JAFI]

I would too for Sunday Pay

"Sunday Pay" is about $2.50 more than any other day (not per hour, just 2.50 per day). The only problem is you have to get some to approve the extra money that comes from a diffrent pot of money than normal pay. Any one who has worked it government may understand.

JAFI