The pilot shortage sweeping through the regional airline industry has also been partially responsible for a shortage of available flight instructors. Buried inside the data on that shortage is the realization that we’re also short of designated pilot examiners, mostly the local CFIs given the nod by the FAA to deliver checkrides on behalf of the agency. Like the rest of the pilot population, DPE’s are aging. Not long ago, the DPE ranks hovered at about 1,500. Today that number is hovering closer to 850 to cover the 78,000 checkrides given each year. That works out to about 95 checkrides per year each, but of course that’s only an average. Not all DPEs are handling 95 checkrides per year.
Timely Scheduling of Checkrides is Still a Problem in Some Locations
Key Takeaways:
- A severe shortage of Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs) has emerged, with their numbers significantly reduced from 1,500 to about 850, leading to a bottleneck in pilot training.
- Pilot applicants in many areas, particularly California and Florida, are experiencing checkride wait times of 4 to 6 months, forcing students to travel long distances to find available examiners.
- This problem is attributed to an aging DPE population, the FAA's perceived slow rate of backfilling positions, and internal agency disagreements, despite industry groups like FSANA advocating for a faster, standardized 10-business-day scheduling window.
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