Extremely long delays for practical tests, shortages of examiners or examiners completely unavailable to conduct practical flight tests are only a few of the complaints heard from various flight-training locations around the United States. Stories of applicants waiting six to seven weeks for a test, increasing prices or the need to travel significant distances to find an examiner are not uncommon but are also not necessarily representative of the experience everywhere in the country.
Practical Test Delays: The Industry and FAA Search for Solutions
Key Takeaways:
- Flight training in high-density areas across the U.S. faces significant delays for practical tests due to a shortage of FAA Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs).
- This scarcity is linked to a declining overall DPE population (due to aging and retirement), DPEs typically working part-time, and a shift of training activity to fewer, busier locations.
- These delays increase costs and training times for pilots, prompting industry groups and the FAA to collaborate on gathering better data and developing long-term solutions to improve the DPE program and reduce wait times.
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