Must initial CFI checkrides be done with FSDO?

[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