I PROVIDE PRACTICAL TESTS FOR PRIVATE; COMMERCIAL; INSTRUMENT; SINGLE ENGINE LAND AND SEA AS A DESIGNATED PILOT EXAMINER (DPE).
I will be traveling the western U.S. giving checkrides from September 16, 2022, through February 2023. Do not book Alaska checkrides during this time.
Rough availability schedule – call Carol:
Portland, OR November 1-7
San Jose, CA November 15-23
Northern California December – February
Kalispell, MT February
Alaska March
Northern Idaho/Kalispell, MT April
Kalispell, MT May-October
Examination fee for initial ratings: $800 Expect initial tests for private, commercial, or instrument to take around 6 hours.
Add-on ratings, such as ASES add-on to a private or commercial ASEL certificate: $600. Re-test: $200 or more depending on travel expenses.
Consult with your CFI and book your checkride together, giving extra time to yourself to make sure you feel ready and to account for missed training days due to weather, broken airplanes, etc. Call Carol (907) 350-6607 before booking if you have anything “outside the box” such as DPE travel required. If you would like to ask me if I will do an extra checkride on a certain day or week, I may be able to schedule more than the calendar allows – text and ask.
DPEs get very busy in certain seasons and availability is a scarce commodity. Plan your checkride date in advance and try to keep the appointment; others can use your scheduled time and will if they have the notice to be able to.
I accept cash or Venmo @Carol-Zerbe or you can search for my email on Venmo: northboundak@gmail.com. I may only take payment after the intake paperwork, as the checkride officially begins.
Prices above are for the Anchorage area. For travel to your location: $100/hr for my time, plus actual costs via my own conveyance (airplane or car) or airlines.
To schedule:
Step 1: Click on a date that is open or pending. If I have arranged your date with you via other methods, please do not book the date here. You do not need to book a date here to send me the requested intake paperwork. (See below at step 3). If you attempt to schedule on a date but get an error message indicating that that amount of time is not available, try another date. The system knows how many check rides I want to do in a day and will not allow more, but not all check rides take the same amount of time so I allow a partial booking for seaplane rides, etc. All check rides start at 9 am unless you receive a message from me otherwise.
Step 2: Fill out the form fields below and send.
Step 3: DMS Pre Approval:
I am required get permissions from the FAA to do your checkride. Email me the following FAA pre-approval information by the Friday before your test. The earlier the better. Send me the information via email to northboundak@gmail.com. This is not a web form – simply type in the information in an email.
Type of Test and are you adding to a private or commercial certificate if an add on rating
Retest yes or no
Type of A/C ie. CE-172-P
Registration number (N number)
Applicant Name (on pilot certificate)
Applicant Pilot certificate (student, pending, etc.)#
Applicant FTN#
IACRA Application # (If this is not done until just prior to the test, email me the number separately.)
Applicant Cell #
Applicant email
Applicant ID#, state, and exp date
CFI Name
CFI certificate #
CFI Cell #
CFI email
Verify date, start time, and location for- ground/flight.
Once you send this information to me, I will send your cross country scenario to plan. If you don’t have an application number yet, email it to me when you do. That doesn’t technically have to be completed until just before the checkride.
Step 4: Wait for a reply from me verifying your check ride time and location. (Make sure you check your junk/spam folder in your email application just in case.) If you need to reach out to me my email address is northboundak@gmail.com and my cell number is (907) 350-6607. Text is best if you’re not hearing back right away and need a quick answer.
Step 5: To make sure things go smoothly on the day of your checkride, follow the appropriate checklist below carefully WITH your CFI. Major omissions or inaccuracies discovered on the day of the checkride could possibly result in a reschedule or other delay which is inconvenient for both of us and costs you more money due to retesting fees. I will send your cross country scenario to flight plan for the check ride the Friday before the checkride via email.
Private Pilot Applicant Checklist
Commercial Applicant Checklist
Everyone in interested in a successful checkride – passing with flying colors, the first time. The following are my recommendations on how to make that a high probability event. There is no magic product to buy online, or silver bullet, that guarantees you will pass your check ride. It is up to you and your CFI to work diligently together to ensure you are prepared. Examiners are the final check in the process of certifying you to fly passengers in the national airspace system, and in the real world of flying. Prepare by being intimately familiar with the ACS (Airmen Certification Standards), preparing 3 times more than you think you need to at least for the private (your first checkride experience), and insisting on several “practice check rides” with your CFI, or a couple of CFIs. This very importantly should include oral quizzing of the sort that will happen during your check ride. This level of preparation will help you feel more at ease and have confidence in your performance. The ACS is your best friend during this journey and is, along with the FAA Handbooks, the matrix examiners use to evaluate; so make friends with these publications. If you are in line with the ACS, you are on track for a checkride you can enjoy and be proud of. Examiners love to see preparedness and knowledge of the ACS, and we love to celebrate your hard work with you. Take pride in your excellence and dedication to the art and craft of being a pilot; you should be proud of your hard work and resilience, and every certification level of pilot deserves to be proud of what they have accomplished. I look forward to being a part of your flying journey!