DPE Checkride > Sport Pilot Examiner - DPE checkride (Prof. H. Paul Shuch)
Sport Pilot Examiner - DPE checkride (Prof. H. Paul Shuch)
Prof. H. Paul Shuch served for several years as an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) managed by the Harrisburg PA Flight Standards District Office. He is currently based at the Frazier Lake Airpark (1C9) in Hollister CA, and assigned to the FAA Specialty Aircraft Examiner (SAE) branch out of Oklahoma City.
As such, he is authorized to examine all candidates nationwide seeking Sport Pilot Airplane Single Engine Land (SP-ASEL) and Sport Pilot Flight Instructor (CFI-S) ratings.
Prof. Shuch is also empowered to perform such FAA administrative functions as processing of military equivalency, foreign pilot equivalency, flight instructor renewal, Student Pilot certificate, Remote Pilot certificate, and Sport Pilot Category and Class add-on applications. The links found on our Main Menu provide full details. Applicants are encouraged to read them in their entirety before scheduling a practical test or administrative function.
Details
StatePennsylvania
Airplane Checkride
Sport Pilot - Single Engine Land (DPE-SPE-ASEL)
Policy
[Applicant Responsibilities]
In addition to reviewing the Sport Pilot Practical Test Standards, with special attention paid to the FAA's Special Emphasis Areas, candidates for a Sport Pilot Certificate, as well as their Recommending Instructors, should familiarize themselves with these Sport Pilot Practical Exam Requirements prior to scheduling a Practical Test. You should bring this checklist, and all required documents, with you on checkride day.
In preparation for conducting a practical test, the Examiner will have prepared a custom Plan of Action (PoA) tailored to the individual applicant's background and experience. The PoA will be built around a specific scenario, which the Examiner will convey to the Applicant at the time the practical test is scheduled. This scenario will guide the course of the oral and flight portions of the practical test. The applicant will be required to prepare in advance a cross-country flight plan to a specified destination. All this should be discussed between the Examiner and the applicant when their schedule is being set.
Applicants should review, and be prepared to remit, appropriate practical test fees, as published on this website. It is also the responsibility of the applicant to ensure, prior to the Practical Test, that his or her flight instructor has provided all required logbook endorsements.
Prior to and following the Practical Test, the applicant will be asked to sign several forms, which he or she is encouraged to read in advance.
Applicants for the Sport Pilot license must provide a suitable aircraft for the Flight portion of the Sport Pilot Practical Test. The aircraft may be a Special Light Sport Aircraft (SLSA), an Experimental Light Sport Aircraft (ELSA), or an Experimental Amateur-Built aircraft (E-AB) or Certified Aircraft that meets the Light Sport definition as listed in FAR 1.1.
Throughout the Practical Test process, the applicant assumes the role of Pilot In Command, and makes all flight decisions accordingly. Since the PIC is solely responsible for the safe outcome of the flight (FAR 91.3), the Applicant must both ensure, and demonstrate to the DPE, that the aircraft is airworthy and/or in a condition for safe operation. This means the applicant must verify that all required inspections and maintenance have been performed and properly logged, and all required documents are in order and aboard the aircraft. To verify required maintenance and inspections, applicants may use the aircraft maintenance logbooks, along with downloading and filling out this generic Aircraft Expirations Checklist.
The applicant is to at all times treat the Designated Pilot Examiner as one would treat any other passenger. However, since the DPE conducts evaluations in many different types of aircraft, and may have limited experience with the one being provided for the checkride, applicants are encouraged to download, fill out, and provide to the examiner this generic Aircraft Specifications Checklist.
Please note that, in the event of an actual inflight emergency, the Practical Test is immediately suspended (a Discontinuance will be issued), and the applicant and examiner will work together, doing whatever it takes to resolve the emergency.
Additional Notes
Sport Pilot Initial Practical Test $900 payable by cash or chip-enabled credit card
Sport Pilot Retest $600 if completed within 60 days of a disqualification
Sport Pilot Retest $500 if completed within 60 days of a discontinuance
Sport CFI Initial Practical Test $1,200 payable by cash or chip-enabled credit card
Sport CFI Retest $600 if completed within 60 days of a disqualification
Sport CFI Retest $500 if completed within 60 days of a discontinuance
Paper Application Processing Fee $200 waived if using IACRA
Sport Pilot Category/Class Proficiency Check $500 if Recommending Instructor completes 8710-11
Personal Assistance Setting up IACRA Account $200
Student Pilot Certificate Processing Fee $50
Remote Pilot Certificate Processing Fee $50
CFI Renewal Processing Fee $50 requires that CFI prepare renewal application via IACRA
All other Administrative Certification Functions $100 Applicant must provide all necessary documentation
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).
