As international supply chain issues in 2022 continue to affect the world economy, they also can be easy to ignore. Until something you need isn’t readily available in a timely fashion. So it is—and has been—with the FAA’s designated pilot examiner (DPE) cadre. The DPEs necessary for an FAA pilot certificate practical test can are in great demand, especially in certain good-weather regions, and scheduling them weeks in advance is the norm. Thanks to a provision in the 2018 FAA reauthorization bill, the agency formed a Designated Pilot Examiner Reforms Working Group to examine ways to improve the DPE system and make it more accessible and efficient.
In 2021, the working group issued a report with 12 recommendations to its parent FAA Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee. Now, the FAA has formally responded and, according to AOPA, already is implementing some of the working group’s recommendations.
