Weather Decision-Making on Checkride DayThe DPE’s Expectations

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As you prepare for your practical test, remember that the Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) isn’t just evaluating your flying skills—they’re assessing your aeronautical decision-making (ADM), with weather at the forefront. On checkride day, the responsibility for determining if conditions are suitable falls squarely on you, the applicant. The DPE will expect you to independently analyze the weather and decide if it’s go or no-go for completing all required maneuvers. This isn’t a shared call; it’s your judgment under scrutiny, aligning with FAA standards that emphasize pilot-in-command (PIC) authority from the outset.

Under the Airman Certification Standards (ACS) for your certificate—whether Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, or Commercial—the weather must support safe execution of every task. For a Private Pilot checkride, that means VFR conditions with ceilings at least 3,000 feet AGL and visibility greater than 3 statute miles for most maneuvers, but you’ll need to factor in specifics like crosswind limits for takeoffs and landings, or calm air for stalls and slow flight. Instrument applicants must ensure IMC or simulated conditions are feasible without risking actual hazards like thunderstorms or icing. The DPE won’t dictate the decision; instead, they’ll ask you to brief them on your analysis, probing how you arrived at it.

Start with a comprehensive preflight briefing. Use an app to get quick data, but know the DPE wants to see depth: interpret METARs, TAFs, prog charts, and AIRMETs/SIGMETs for the entire test area. Consider winds aloft for steep turns, potential turbulence for ground reference maneuvers, and forecasts for any en route portions. If marginal, explain your risk assessment—perhaps delaying for improving trends or scrubbing if ceilings drop below ACS minima.

In my experience administering tests, applicants who defer solely to “the app says it’s good” often falter. Instead, demonstrate proactive ADM: obtain a phone briefing from 1-800-WX-BRIEF for context, review PIREPs, and cross-check multiple sources. If the weather deteriorates mid-test, you’ll need to recognize it and make a decision to not proceed, a discontinuance, if you cannot complete all required tasks with the weather that is occurring.

Know what you are going to need for ceilings to get your particular practical test done. A private can generally get done with 3500 AGL or higher ceilings, but a commercial ride that requires accelerated stalls or even a steep spiralling descent may require a much higher ceiling, 5000 AGL, 6000 AGL, or even 7000 AGL, depending on the plane you are using. Multi-engine rides definitely require recovery of many required maneuvers by a minimum of 3000 AGL, so 4000 AGL ceiling might be a good staring point consider a minimum. Some multi-engine aircraft have manufacturer-dictated higher recovery altitudes. Know those, and ensure you can meet cloud clearances, visibility requirements, and all minimum altitudes before heading out on your flight portion of a practical test.

Ultimately, this expectation builds real-world safety habits. By owning the weather go/no-go decision, you prove readiness as PIC. CFIs, drill this in training—simulate checkride scenarios where students lead the decision. On test day, confidence in your analysis could be the difference between passing and disapproval. Weather isn’t forgiving; neither will a DPE on half-measures. The ACS standards don’t change for weather conditions.

Updated 12th Edition of Commercial Pilot Oral Exam Guide Available in September!

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ASA has just released the newly updated 12th edition of the Commercial Pilot Oral Exam Guide, a book that I got to help update!

We worked to directly relate questions in this version to ACS codes that you will need to reference when studying for and taking your commercial practical test.

ASA’s Oral Exam Guide Series is an excellent study tool for students and instructors alike. Arranged in a question-and-answer format, this comprehensive guide lists the questions most likely to be asked by evaluators during the practical exam and provides succinct, ready responses. FAA references are provided throughout for further study.

This twelfth edition of the Commercial Pilot Oral Exam Guide not only aligns with the Airman Certification Standards (ACS), but also connects questions with the applicable ACS code. With expanded information on pilot regulations, airworthiness, weather, airplane systems, emergency procedures, cross-country flight, human factors, flight maneuvers, and scenario-based training, this book is the complete resource to prepare applicants for the Commercial Pilot Airplane checkride.

The book is going to be avaible for shipping in late September, so pre-order your copy today!

Click here to see the Press Release, or

Click here to order the book directly from ASA, or

Click here to order it on Amazon.

FAA Notice (NOTC4570) [How] CFIs and DPEs – [Can] Avoid Certification Delays

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The FAA has recently put out a notice on how CFIs and DPEs can help applicants for practical tests and certification events reduce certification delays associated with mismatches of names in their paperwork. Mismatches between medical certificates, information in IACRA, and from previous certifications (pilot certificates or ratings) are causing delays in processing of certification or the ability to proceed at all with practical tests!

The FAA notice indicates that:

“Recently, many practical test applicants have had there practical tests delayed because the name of the applicant entered in IACRA did not EXACTLY match the name displayed on the applicant’s Medical and Knowledge Test Report.

Before scheduling any practical tests and to avoid any practical test delays, please make sure the applicant’s FULL name is entered into IACRA. If there is any discrepancy, e.g., “John P. Doe” as opposed to the full name “John Plane Doe,” the applicant cannot take the practical test and will have to schedule an appointment at the nearest FSDO to correct the issue.”

It goes on to note the importance that:

“Also, please make sure your practical test applicants have the correct endorsements.”

and refers readers to Advisory Circular 61.65J. (at https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars/index.cfm/go/document.information/documentID/1043278)

You can find the notice at: https://www.faasafety.gov/spans/noticeView.aspx?nid=14570

TSA Flight Training Security Program Update – FAASTeam Notice

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Visit https://www.faasafety.gov/spans/noticeView.aspx?nid=14552 for this notice.

Visit my other blog post on this for more information on this and DHS guide for CFIs at TSA Citizenship Verification Requirements for Flight Training Providers

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) published a final rule for the Flight Training Security Program (FTSP) that took effect on July 30, 2024. The updated and finalized regulation retains many of the interim final rule requirements. One major update is that all flight training providers (including those that train U.S. citizens) must register a provider account with FTSP.

The final rule also makes significant changes to reduce burdens on candidates and providers without impacting security. These changes include:

  1. Flight training providers must establish an account on the FTSP Portal and identify one person as the administrator for their FTSP Portal account. This person may be the security coordinator or another employee. This is required regardless of whether you provide flight training to non-U.S. citizens. (49 CFR §1552.17)
  2. You must designate a security coordinator to act as a single point of contact between you and the TSA. This requirement applies to all flight training providers, including those who only train U.S. citizens. (49 CFR §1552.9)
  3. Initial security awareness training must still be completed within 60 days of hire; however, refresher security awareness training is now required once every two years for each employee who has direct contact with flight students. (49 CFR §1552.13)
  4. Candidates must have a valid determination of eligibility to participate in flight training. (49 CFR §1552.31) NOTE: If a candidate’s determination of eligibility expires due to lawful presence documentation, all training must cease until the candidate submits updated documentation of authorization to remain in the United States.
  5. Simplified process for identifying training events. Considerations of weight of the aircraft and training categories are eliminated from the regulation. There are no changes from the interim final rule as to what training events are covered. (49 CFR §1552.3)
  6. The provider notifies the TSA of all training event details. Candidates select providers through the portal; they no longer provide their training event details to the TSA. You must notify the TSA about scheduled candidate training event(s) through your portal account. (49 CFR §1552.51)

The TSA has several online resources available that provide guidance on the FTSP:

FAA Special Programs Section (AFS-830)
Email: safetybriefing@faa.gov
Phone: 202-267-1100