CFI check ride

[FlyBoyJae]

I just heard that a friend of mine failed his CFI checkride because he could not explain the type of a bolt that was on the plane.

I would have guessed that the bolts are of stainless and anti-rotating(?? as to prevent from it being loose) type, but what else can one say about the freaking bolts?

I thought it was kinda unfair that he failed the checkride just because of them bolts.

what do you guys think?

[Grabo172]

I really don't think it was just the bolt question that failed him... but it might have been the question that put him over the edge...

But if it were ONLY the bolt question... Give the examiner's name to MikeD and let him give him a wall to wall!
edited because I can't type or read!

[flyguy]

[chrisdahut1]

II’m always very skeptical when I hear the "reason" from a student as to why he or she failed a checkride. Notice how it's almost always over something small and meaningless? Usually there are two sides to the story....and when I'd hear the examiners version of events and the real multiple reasons for the failure, I'd have a better idea of what happened.

Normally what happens is the student will stumble or be extremely borderline or deficient in several areas....the examiner may just let it slide and see how the rest goes, without making too much comment. Then when the student crosses the line from barely passable to fail they believe it was that question or subject area alone that caused it.

Now I don't want to come across as being 100% supportive of the examiner, as there are occasions where they can be unreasonable. But claiming failure over such a meaningless question (and several years as a CFI where I sent up many students for checkrides) tends to make me think your friend isn't telling the whole story.

[MikeD]

[ QUOTE ]
II’m always very skeptical when I hear the "reason" from a student as to why he or she failed a checkride. Notice how it's almost always over something small and meaningless? Usually there are two sides to the story....and when I'd hear the examiners version of events and the real multiple reasons for the failure, I'd have a better idea of what happened.

Normally what happens is the student will stumble or be extremely borderline or deficient in several areas....the examiner may just let it slide and see how the rest goes, without making too much comment. Then when the student crosses the line from barely passable to fail they believe it was that question or subject area alone that caused it.

Now I don't want to come across as being 100% supportive of the examiner, as there are occasions where they can be unreasonable. But claiming failure over such a meaningless question (and several years as a CFI where I sent up many students for checkrides) tends to make me think your friend isn't telling the whole story.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree, but I usually have to really weigh the situation and see the records, since often, there are dumbass examiners that love to pink people.

Was in a FSDO once, and overheard one of the examiners joking with another FAA buddy about how he busted a guy.....over some real stupid stuff, from what he was describing. As they wandered towards the front desk, I chimed in and told him that I thought his reason for the bust was BS......exact words were "pardon me, but that's bullsh*#". I further told him how I'd love to go flying with him sometime and really bust his chops a bit. He asked what I was at the FSDO for (getting some reg info), and asked if I had a plane on the ramp. Told him, nope......am a military pilot, so I don't have a pilots license. Though if he'd like to ramp check my plane, it's sitting across the valley at Luke......Just tell them at the base gate that you're FAA.

FSDO pukes......

[BrettInLJ]

[ QUOTE ]

Agree, but I usually have to really weigh the situation and see the records, since often, there are dumbass examiners that love to pink people.

Was in a FSDO once, and overheard one of the examiners joking with another FAA buddy about how he busted a guy.....over some real stupid stuff, from what he was describing. As they wandered towards the front desk, I chimed in and told him that I thought his reason for the bust was BS......exact words were "pardon me, but that's bullsh*#". I further told him how I'd love to go flying with him sometime and really bust his chops a bit. He asked what I was at the FSDO for (getting some reg info), and asked if I had a plane on the ramp. Told him, nope......am a military pilot, so I don't have a pilots license. Though if he'd like to ramp check my plane, it's sitting across the valley at Luke......Just tell them at the base gate that you're FAA.

FSDO pukes......

[/ QUOTE ]

There have been so many stories over the years of unreasonable FAA employees that abuse their authority. Why aren't these few, but obnoxious, bad apples allowed to stay. Is it because its hard to fire someone from a government job? I wish this problem would be addressed more bluntly, for example having AOPA lobbying the next head of the FAA to fully investigate these reports and have the power to discipline/retrain/demote/etc. if it is found that they abused their power. Not that this guy falls into that category; I'm referring more to those types that went after Bob Hoover and others. But it seems like there is an attitude that needs to change among a select few FAA employees, and it won't happen unless they have some external motivation.

[SteveC]

[ QUOTE ]
...I'm referring more to those types that went after Bob Hoover and others.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's more to the Hoover story than most pilots know, at least from some things I've read. I was one of the guys that was P.O.'d about the treatment of Hoover, but if you dig into the background farther you might find that there was some legitimate concerns being addressed in that situation. And in hindsight their may not have been as much "strong-arm" tactics involved as is often assumed.

[Alchemy]

It is EXTREMELY difficult to have a FSDO POI/Examiner dequaled or fired. I know of one in particular that has had dozens of complaints filed against him, and even been investigated by DC, yet he's still around and going strong. This guy busts people on personal vendettas (once busted a guy on a 135 king air PC because there had been a spat between the examiner and the applicant's father, and later told the applicant would never pass a checkride as long as he was the POI) and is totally unreasonable about a wide variety of issues.

It's all luck of the draw when you show up at a FSDO for a checkride. I'd say you have a 25% chance of being royally screwed over by a totally unreasonable examiner anytime you show up at one of those places. It's not like DPE's who will lose their business if they start doing off the wall crap.....the feds keep their jobs regardless.

My advice....if you get a few minutes into the oral and you can tell the guy is a total prick, just act real sick and ask for a letter of discontinuance due to illnesss. The run far far away from that FSDO and try your luck with another one.

[MikeD]

I actually wouldn't mind being an FAA flight examiner at a FSDO, if for nothing else but to be able to be one of the "good guys" that's there to set up a student for success as best as possible; make the checkride a learning experience vice only an evaluation session, and overall try to balance out the force of "bad apple" flight examiners.........maybe even royally kick the asses of the ones I come in contact with.

Then I can realy operate my vendetta from the inside!

[BrettInLJ]

[ QUOTE ]
It is EXTREMELY difficult to have a FSDO POI/Examiner dequaled or fired. I know of one in particular that has had dozens of complaints filed against him, and even been investigated by DC, yet he's still around and going strong. This guy busts people on personal vendettas (once busted a guy on a 135 king air PC because there had been a spat between the examiner and the applicant's father, and later told the applicant would never pass a checkride as long as he was the POI) and is totally unreasonable about a wide variety of issues.

It's all luck of the draw when you show up at a FSDO for a checkride. I'd say you have a 25% chance of being royally screwed over by a totally unreasonable examiner anytime you show up at one of those places. It's not like DPE's who will lose their business if they start doing off the wall crap.....the feds keep their jobs regardless.

My advice....if you get a few minutes into the oral and you can tell the guy is a total prick, just act real sick and ask for a letter of discontinuance due to illnesss. The run far far away from that FSDO and try your luck with another one.

[/ QUOTE ]

He would probably do an emergency revocation of your medical.