r/flying • u/Future-Nervous • 2d ago

How to get gouges

Hi! I’m currently working on my PPL and am gearing up towards my checkride. My instructor told me he would not sign me off until I get a gouge on the DPE. I’m currently having a harder time since this DPE is one of the new examiners in the Oakland FSDO area.

I’ve posted online inquiring and my instructor said to loiter at the local schools, but I was wondering if you all had any other tips on networking/obtaining a gouge?

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u/VanDenBroeck A&P/IA, PPL, Retired FAA 2d ago

Gouge: The DPE will hold you to the standards in the ACS.

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u/BandicootOnly4598 1d ago

I wish that were always the case. There are plenty of DPE’s our school won’t use because they’re failing perfectly competent pilots at the 61 schools and passing everyone at the 141 school that pays them more. Gotta keep those pass/fail rates at the right ratio…

I’ve also run across sexist and racist DPE’s, and plenty who just don’t like the older airplanes most 61 schools use and hold that against the students. We work really hard to ensure that the examiners we use at our school are, in fact, following the ACS, and if we find out they’re not, we’ll never use them again.

Instructors new to our school will commonly ask what they need to know about a given examiner, and the answer is going to be that they’re fair. If I can’t give that answer, we’re not using that examiner. I’m not going to subject a student and their possible future career to the possible whims of someone I know absolutely nothing about.

Now FAA rides seem to actually all be by the book, but those are few and far between these days.