I PROVIDE PRACTICAL TESTS FOR PRIVATE; COMMERCIAL; INSTRUMENT; SINGLE ENGINE LAND AND SEA AS A DESIGNATED PILOT EXAMINER (DPE).
UPDATES: Oahu availability 2021: November 2-14, November 28-December 5. Oahu 2022 so far: January 1-8. Alaska availability all other dates.
Examination fee for initial ratings: $800 Expect initial tests for private, commercial, or instrument to take around 5-6 hours.
Add-on ratings, such as ASES add-on to a private or commercial ASEL certificate: $600. Re-test: $300.
Consult with your CFI and book your checkride together, giving a little extra time to yourself to make sure you feel ready and to account for missed training days due to weather, etc. Call Carol (907) 350-6607 if you have any questions about the process or 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. Plan ahead and schedule 2-3 weeks in advance. This is not egregious – in many areas of the country applicants must schedule ahead by 2-3 months. Cancellations within the 7 day period prior to your checkride will be charged a $100 fee. Cancellations within a 24 hour window of your checkride will be charged a $300 fee. These charges are not intended to be punitive, but to encourage the respectful keeping of commitments and the schedule of others.
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: $200/hr
To schedule:
Step 1: Click on a date that is open or pending. 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 to input the following DMS Pre Approval info into the FAA website 24 hours before your test. Sooner is 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
Retest yes or no
Type of A/C ie. CE-172-P
Registration number
Applicant Name (on pilot certificate)
Applicant Pilot certificate #
Applicant FTN
Applicant Cell #
Applicant email
CFI Name
CFI certificate #
CFI Cell #
CFI email
Verify location for- ground/flight.
Once you send this information to me, and when your CFI has signed your IACRA, send me your IACRA application number and I will send your cross country scenario to plan.
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 to 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 at least 5 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 the matrix examiners use to evaluate; so make friends with it! 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!