DPE SERVICES
Choose Jen Watson as your designated pilot examiner
Jen Watson is currently scheduling Private and Commercial ASEL practical tests, including tailwheel aircraft, as well as ground instructor and CFI renewals.
Primary locations: San Jose (KRHV) and Monterey (KMRY), California. Checkrides at other locations may be accommodated, but travel fees will apply.
Available days of the week: Monday through Friday, between 0900-1700.
Qualifications: DPE, 3-time NAFI Master Flight Instructor, FAA Gold Seal Instructor, CFI, CFII, MEI, ATP, Qualified Aviation Expert Witness, competition aerobatic pilot and IAC judge, Formula One air racing pilot. Click here for her complete bio.
Please note, if you discontinue or fail the practical test with another examiner, I will conduct a complete retest of all tasks.
Scheduling with Jen
Approximate wait time: 3-4 weeks | Phone Number: (916) 399 – 3669 |
Email: dpejen@gmail.com
Getting started
Checkrides are scheduled by using the Checkride Request Form below. Once you submit a request, you will be placed in a queue for scheduling. Before you submit a request, you must meet all the requirements for your certificate or rating, be endorsed for the practical test by your instructor, and have IACRA submitted and signed by the recommending instructor. I only schedule once you are completely ready for the practical test to keep my wait time short for applicants who are ready to go. This helps avoid cancellations, reschedules, and incomplete paperwork issues.
CHECKRIDE REQUEST FORM
After Submitting a request Form
Once you submit the form, please email photos or scans of the following documents to dpejen@gmail.com so I can confirm a date for you:
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Complete my Private Pilot Qualification sheet so I can confirm you meet the FAR requirements
Include photos of each logbook entry showing you meet the requirements listed on this sheet.
Include photos of the last page of your logbook demonstrating totals meet or exceed the requirements for the Private Pilot certificate
Include photos of your endorsements for solo, XCs, and the practical test (see examples)
Airman documents – pilot certificate and medical
Completed flight and ground logs for Private training (see example)
Knowledge test results
For Part 141, a copy of your Graduation Certificate signed within 60 days of the practical test
Carefully review your logbook and endorsements for these common issues that could prevent your Private Pilot checkride from happening…
XCs have landings at an airport at least 51 nm from your original point of departure
The endorsement for initial solo XC per 61.93(c)(1) and (2) includes aircraft make, model and category (like “Cessna 172, airplane”
The 3 hours of checkride prep needs to be clearly logged as such. Time spent meeting the requirements of §61.109 cannot count toward “checkride preparation.
Solo + dual time = total flight time
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Completemy Commercial Pilot Qualification sheet so I can confirm you meet the FAR requirements
Include photos of each logbook entry showing you meet the requirements listed on this sheet.
Include photos of the last page of your logbook demonstrating totals meet or exceed the requirements for the Private Pilot certificate
Include photos of your endorsements for solo, XCs, and the practical test (see examples)
Airman documents – pilot certificate and medical
Completed flight and ground logs for Commercial training (see example)
Knowledge test results
For Part 141, a copy of your Graduation Certificate signed within 60 days of the practical test
Carefully review your logbook and endorsements for these common issues that could prevent your Commercial Pilot checkride from happening…
For SOLO or PERFORMING THE DUTIES OF PIC with authorized instructor on board to meet the requirements of §61.129(a)(4)(i) and (ii), this time must be either ALL solo or ALL with an instructor on board. Examples: You cannot have some of the NIGHT VFR be solo and some with an instructor. You cannot do the XC with an instructor and do the NIGHT solo. Please read the FAA Letter of Interpretation Grannis 2016 and Kuhn 2014 for full clarification of requirements and logging this.
Make sure the entries for 10 hours of instrument training specifically state they meet the requirements of §61.129(a)(3)(i) and which items were trained (i.e. attitude instrument flying, partial panel skills, recovery from unusual flight attitudes, and intercepting and tracking navigation systems etc.). Please note, this training must have been done by a CFII. Your instrument rating training does not count toward this unless the remarks specifically state this.
The 3 hours of checkride prep needs to be clearly logged as such. Time spent meeting the requirements of §61.129 cannot count toward “checkride preparation.”
IMPORTANT FINAL STEPS BEFORE EXAM
Digital logbooks and endorsements are perfectly acceptable as long as they are in a legitimate application (i.e. ForeFlight, LogTenPro, etc.) and digitally signed.
To ensure we don’t have any delays or issues that could derail your practical test, please check the following items carefully:
All pages in your logbook have been totaled (I recommend using pencil for the totals in case a correction is needed).
All training flights (dual hours) are logged and signed by the instructor.
All airman documents are valid (not expired) and names/addresses match. If there are any issues, contact the Airman Certification Branch to make corrections.
I recommend you select “Do Not Use” on your IACRA application where it asks for your SSN.
Please review the Requirements and Endorsements and other Policies sections below.
Once your paperwork has been reviewed, I will send you the next dates available and we will confirm a date. Plan to meet at 0830 on the morning of your checkride and reserve your preferred aircraft from 12 to 5 pm.
Three days before your checkride, email me photos of the aircraft’s logbook entries showing airworthiness. I will then assign a cross-country scenario that we will follow through much of the test.
terms and conditions
POLICIES
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Cash, Zelle, or cashier’s check only
Private Pilot | $1,000
Commercial Pilot | $1,000
CFI renewal, AGI or IGI certification | $50
Discontinuance or Failure
Re-test for Ground and Flight | $750Re-test for Flight only | $500
Thanks to my trusty Maule and RV-7, I am able to conduct practical tests at other airports. To help cover fuel and my time, the following travel charges will be added for the airports listed below:
$100 for E16, KOAR, KTCY, C83, KLVK, KCCR, and KSCK.
$200 for KSNS, KWVI, KCVH, KHWD, KPAO, KSQL, KMCC, KMHR, and KSAC. I can come to KOAK as well, but I will also have to add the FBO fees to the travel fee.
If your airport is near this area but not on this list, feel free to email me to see about accommodations.
If you are traveling to KRHV and are not familiar with the airport, please review my school’s Airport Operations Guide.
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It’s aviation… things happen. Here are a few policies I have to ensure we are being fair and respectful of each other’s time.
Scheduling
Practical tests cannot be scheduled less than 24 hours in advance. This is to allow adequate time for me to prepare a thorough and tailored plan for your practical test. To try to avoid late-notice cancellations due to applicant preparedness or weather, I only schedule 7-10 days in advance.Cancellation by You
Practical tests must be cancelled no later than 24 hours prior to the test start time. Cancellations inside of 24 hours (other than for weather, maintenance, or verified emergency) will incur a $300 cancellation fee.Cancellation by Me
As a flight school owner, corporate pilot, and parent, life occasionally plays havoc with my schedule. Although I make every effort to avoid this, cancellations or rescheduling may occur. In this event, because I only schedule 7-10 days in advance, I can usually have you rescheduled within two weeks. If that doesn’t work, I can attempt to set you up with another DPE. -
Although it might seem complicated, all practical tests are actually fairly simple – Examiners are required to follow the ACS. The more familiar you are with the standards we must hold you to, the better everything will go. Please make sure you are very familiar and comfortable with Airman Certification Standards.
I recommend reviewing the Appendices at the back of the ACS as there is useful information there. For instance, if the stall horn goes off while you are practicing slow flight on a Private Pilot checkride, is that an immediate failure? Look at Appendix 3 under the heading of “Operational Requirements, Limitations, & Task Information.” For a Commercial applicant, is a go-around allowed during a Power-off 180 Accuracy Approach and Landing? Again, Appendix 3 under the same heading addresses this very clearly. Knowledge is power, but it also helps calms nerves and stifle uncertainty.
The Airplane Flying Handbook is where the ACS references come from. If in doubt about how to demonstrate a maneuver, go to the applicable AFH section and read the expanded version. A side note on that – be sure to confirm the ACS or AFH do not contradict anything in your airplane’s POH/AFM. If so, your aircraft’s manual will “win the battle” for correct procedure.
The ACS Pilot’s Guide is also a useful item to review.
On a personal note, I have done many types of flying and taught for many years. My variety of experience gives me a broad understanding of the value of really knowing your stuff and, almost more importantly, being able to use the information in your head. Without context, it’s fairly worthless. I will give a lot of scenarios to watch you work through decisions. Take your time and don’t feel you need to rush to an answer. Think logically and practically about how to handle situations, and don’t worry about what I want to hear.
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Once we have confirmed a date for your practical test, I will ask you to send me your logbook totals, endorsements, knowledge test information, and more to ensure we don’t run into any paperwork issues on the day of your checkride.
Click here to review Private Pilot guidance
Click here for the Private Pilot ground and flight log I highly encourage your instructor to complete prior to the checkride. It will be requested as part of the documents I have you email to confirm you are properly qualified.