To set up your test appointment, please follow the steps below. Don’t hesitate to contact Bo with any questions or concerns you may have.
1. Complete the required training. You CANNOT be scheduled until all training requirements of FAR Part 61 or 141 have been completed, IACRA application has been submitted with an Instructor recommendation (as required).
2. All required endorsements for the practical test must be completed and entered in your pilot logbook by your flight instructor.
3. If applying for an Instrument Rating, assure your Instrument Flight Instructor places CFII on the entries to be counted as instructional hours.
4. Complete and submit your application in IACRA, which should include an Instructor recommendation if required.
5. Obtain and complete the “Information Request Form“. You must be signed off and in IACRA prior to completing this form. Email the form to bocorby@gmail.com
NOTE: Sending an Information Form does not guarantee an appointment. If you book an appointment with another examiner, please advise you no longer need to be on my list.
6. I will notify you when a test date comes available.
The Scheduling Process: I no longer offer a date-selecting calendar to schedule you. This is due to the unpredictable nature of my schedule, making the time to get on my schedule impossible to project.
The weather is always a factor and delays will occur.
I do not book out more than 2 weeks ahead to allow those candidates that are already scheduled an opportunity to get back on the schedule if a weather or other related delay takes place.
Details
StateWashington
Home Airport(s)
KRNT – Renton Municipal Airport (RNT), Renton, Washington
KBFI – King County International Airport / Boeing Field (BFI), Seattle, Washington
KSEA – Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Seattle, Washington
S36 – Crest Airpark (S36), Kent, Washington
KTIW – Tacoma Narrows Airport (TIW), Gig Harbor, Washington
Private Pilot Single Engine $1,000
Private Pilot Multi Engine $1,000
Commercial Single Engine Land $1,000
Commercial Multi Engine Land $1,000
Commercial Instrument Multi Engine Airplane $1,000
ATP Single Engine Land $1,000
ATP Multi Engine Land $1,000
Citation 500 Series Initial Type Rating $3,500
Citation 650 Initial Type Rating $3,500
Falcon 50/900 Initial Type Rating $3,500
Lear 40/45/75 Initial Type Rating $3,500
Certified Flight Instructor $1,500
Certificated Flight Instructor – Multi Engine $1,300
Certificated Flight Instructor – Instrument Airplane $1,300
Hello, I'm Bo C.Email VerifiedEmail address verified
As a very young lad from the farmlands of SE Pennsylvania, I became enamored with aviation around the age of 5. Airliners departing the Philadelphia airport would fly right over our farm and it was impossible not to watch them with envy of the people getting to ride in the huge silver beasts climbing high into the sky. I knew immediately where I wanted to be in life.
If you dream long enough about something, it usually comes true, as it did for me. A round Robin of sorts, starting in General Aviation, progressing to the airlines with eventual retirement in 2006. And then as luck would have it, got really fortunate and was able to continue in the Corporate world for the past 15 years or so. And as I get older, slipping back into general aviation completes the round robin of experience. Life is funny that way, as you start an aviation career it seems the aircraft keep getting progressively larger until you reach the pinnacle and then they get progressively smaller as you age.
This wonderful journey afforded me opportunities to experience many things few men or women ever get to see in a lifetime. Some of these include flying mail for the US Postal Service in Beechcraft 18’s, Flight Instructing for a Major University, working as a young instructor in the flight crew training center of Boeing Aircraft, living in the Middle East, Africa, England, Germany flying Boeing 707’s and 727’s. Then on to a small airline named Hughes Airwest, which merged into Republic Airlines and eventually Northwest Airlines. While there I was lucky enough to make Captain, Instructor, Check Airman, ALPA Training Committee Chairman and Mentor to a lot of young pilots fresh out of simulator training and on the line for the first time.
Along the way I was fortunate to pick up Type Ratings in the A-320, B-727, B-737, B-747-4, B-757, B-767, B-777, BE-350 DC-3, DC-9, DC-10, C-650, G-100 and LR-45/75. Most import was opportunities to fly a wide variety of general aviation aircraft; Piper, Cessna, Mooney, Beechcraft, Pilatus and many more. You might say it’s been a wild ride over the past 60 years.
I’ve lost friends over the years, either due to mechanical failures and of course a few human failures too, due to weather, lack of experience or judgement. As an evaluator, my bottom line was and is “will you stay alive long enough to gain the experience necessary to keep you alive.” It’s the last question I ask myself when exiting the aircraft after an evaluation event.
As a DPE and representative of the FAA, I have an obligation to assure the spot check called “Practical Test” accomplishes its objective of proper training in knowledge, risk assessment with mitigation and skill attributes. But most importantly, I must also be able to assure myself that you are going to exercise good judgement and decision making after being certified. Nothing is more satisfying to a certifying official than seeing this all come together. It is rewarding to be part of this experience for the applicant.
As a very young lad from the farmlands of SE Pennsylvania, I became enamored with aviation around the age of 5. Airliners departing the Philadelphia airport would fly right over our farm and it was impossible not to watch them with envy of the people getting to ride in the huge silver beasts climbing high into the sky. I knew immediately where I wanted to be in life.
If you dream long enough about something, it usually comes true, as it did for me. A round Robin of sorts, starting in General Aviation, progressing to the airlines with eventual retirement in 2006. And then as luck would have it, got really fortunate and was able to continue in the Corporate world for the past 15 years or so. And as I get older, slipping back into general aviation completes the round robin of experience. Life is funny that way, as you start an aviation career it seems the aircraft keep getting progressively larger until you reach the pinnacle and then they get progressively smaller as you age.
This wonderful journey afforded me opportunities to experience many things few men or women ever get to see in a lifetime. Some of these include flying mail for the US Postal Service in Beechcraft 18’s, Flight Instructing for a Major University, working as a young instructor in the flight crew training center of Boeing Aircraft, living in the Middle East, Africa, England, Germany flying Boeing 707’s and 727’s. Then on to a small airline named Hughes Airwest, which merged into Republic Airlines and eventually Northwest Airlines. While there I was lucky enough to make Captain, Instructor, Check Airman, ALPA Training Committee Chairman and Mentor to a lot of young pilots fresh out of simulator training and on the line for the first time.
Along the way I was fortunate to pick up Type Ratings in the A-320, B-727, B-737, B-747-4, B-757, B-767, B-777, BE-350 DC-3, DC-9, DC-10, C-650, G-100 and LR-45/75. Most import was opportunities to fly a wide variety of general aviation aircraft; Piper, Cessna, Mooney, Beechcraft, Pilatus and many more. You might say it’s been a wild ride over the past 60 years.
I’ve lost friends over the years, either due to mechanical failures and of course a few human failures too, due to weather, lack of experience or judgement. As an evaluator, my bottom line was and is “will you stay alive long enough to gain the experience necessary to keep you alive.” It’s the last question I ask myself when exiting the aircraft after an evaluation event.
As a DPE and representative of the FAA, I have an obligation to assure the spot check called “Practical Test” accomplishes its objective of proper training in knowledge, risk assessment with mitigation and skill attributes. But most importantly, I must also be able to assure myself that you are going to exercise good judgement and decision making after being certified. Nothing is more satisfying to a certifying official than seeing this all come together. It is rewarding to be part of this experience for the applicant.
Frequently asked questions
The answers below are general guidance for checkride applicants. Requirements, fees, and procedures vary by examiner, certificate, and region — always confirm the specifics directly with your DPE before scheduling.
A checkride — officially, an FAA practical test — is the final evaluation for a pilot certificate or rating. It's conducted by an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) and has two parts: an oral examination covering knowledge and decision-making, followed by a flight portion where you demonstrate the required maneuvers and skills. The examiner evaluates you against the FAA's Airman Certification Standards (ACS) for the certificate or rating you're seeking. It's an evaluation, not a lesson — examiners verify that you already meet the standard.
Your FTN is the FAA Tracking Number assigned to you in IACRA, the FAA's online certification system. You'll need it to schedule most checkrides. To find it, log in to iacra.faa.gov — your FTN is usually displayed in the upper-left area of your main account page. If you've ever taken an FAA knowledge test, you already have an FTN; use the same one for everything.
The Application ID identifies the specific certificate or rating application you've started in IACRA for this test. Your application must be completed, submitted, and signed off by your recommending instructor before the practical test can begin — and many examiners require it at least 24–48 hours in advance. Log in to iacra.faa.gov to find your Application ID, and confirm your examiner's deadline when you schedule.
Plan to bring: a government-issued photo ID, your medical certificate, your pilot certificate (if you hold one), your airman knowledge test report, and your logbook with all required endorsements. One detail that trips up more applicants than you'd expect: your name must match exactly across all of these documents. A mismatch between your driver's license, medical, and IACRA application can stop a test before it starts — check this early, not the night before.
Your instructor must certify in your logbook that you've received the required training and are prepared for the practical test, per the current ACS and the endorsement guidance in FAA Advisory Circular 61-65. The exact set depends on the certificate or rating you're seeking. Before scheduling, sit down with your instructor and verify every required endorsement is present and correctly worded — missing or incorrectly written endorsements are among the most common reasons a checkride can't begin.
The test can't begin. If a required document, endorsement, or eligibility item is missing when the examiner does their pre-test review, the checkride typically won't proceed — you may lose the appointment slot, may owe some or all of the examiner's fee, and will have to reschedule (often weeks out, given examiner availability). This is the single most preventable checkride failure. Review your documents with your instructor well before test day, and ask your examiner ahead of time exactly what they need from you and when.
Earlier than you think. In most regions, demand for checkrides exceeds examiner availability, and booking several weeks to a few months ahead is common. Weather rescheduling is also a normal part of the process, so build buffer into your timeline — especially if you're working against a deadline like a Part 141 graduation window or a job start date. Reaching out early also gives you time to complete the examiner's pre-test requirements properly.
Either works. If you use a digital logbook (like ForeFlight), examiners will often ask you to send the generated summary reports — they pull your totals and experience together cleanly. If you use a paper logbook, organize it before you submit anything: tab or flag your endorsements, make sure entries are legible, and be ready to locate specific flights quickly. Whatever format you use, your examiner will likely ask for copies in advance — clear photos or PDFs of the relevant pages.
Not necessarily. The aircraft must meet FAA requirements and be appropriate for the certificate or rating sought. If you're planning to test in a Light-Sport, Experimental, or otherwise non-standard aircraft, contact your examiner before scheduling — many require advance review of the aircraft's certification basis, equipment, and documentation, and some aircraft may not be accepted for certain tests even if they're airworthy and legal to fly. Confirm aircraft suitability with your DPE before you commit to payment or travel arrangements.
Examiner fees vary by region and by certificate or rating — there's no standard national rate, so ask when you schedule. Most examiners treat cancellations differently depending on cause: rescheduling well in advance (or for weather) is often accommodated without penalty, while a test that can't begin on the day because of missing documents or eligibility problems may cost you some or all of the fee. Confirm your examiner's fee, payment method, and cancellation policy up front.
When you're nearly ready — not when you're hoping to be ready by then. A checkride is an evaluation, not a training session: the examiner won't teach, coach, or fix paperwork on test day. The right time to book is when your instructor agrees you meet the ACS standard and your documents and endorsements are in order. Scheduling before you're ready risks a discontinued test, lost fees, and a rescheduling delay measured in weeks.
They're different outcomes with different consequences. A test that never begins (because of missing documents or eligibility issues) or is discontinued partway (for weather, aircraft problems, or other circumstances) is not the same as a failed test — what carries over, what must be repeated, and how retesting works differ by situation. If your test is discontinued or unsatisfactory, your examiner will explain exactly where you stand and what the retest requires. Your instructor can also walk you through the applicable rules (14 CFR §61.49 covers retesting after a failure).
