2022 Andrews University Safety Stand-down - How Aviation Testing Integrates Into Aviation Safety and Why Do We Need DPEs

1. How Aviation Testing Integrates
Into Aviation Safety and
Why We Need DPEs
Testing is a Part of Training!
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2. Purpose of Testing
Why do we conduct testing for pilot certification
and/or ratings after their CFIs have trained
them?
Don’t we trust the CFIs did their job?
The point is to spot check the training that was
conducted and verify the candidates have
learned the required skills and knowledge.
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3. Let’s Talk Big Picture First
Before we dig all the way into all the details, let’s talk
about the overall structure and how that is set up so
we can then talk about how training and testing fits
into the system.
It’s worth knowing the FAA Mission Statement:
The mission of the FAA is to provide the safest, most
efficient aerospace system in the world. The role of
the FAA Airports organization in meeting this goal is to
provide leadership in planning and developing a safe
and efficient national airport system to satisfy the
needs of aviation interests of the United States.
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4. What are some of the FAA offices
that relate to pilot training?
• There are a number of ways various office and
divisions in the FAA relate to pilot training,
testing, and standards.
• All of these are part of a landscape that
interrelates to develop qualified and proficient
pilots to safely operate in the national
airspace system.
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5. Two Main FAA Divisions Related to Pilot Training
FAA AFS - 800 General Aviation & Commercial Division
• Training & Certification Group
• Operations Group
• Safety Outreach Group
FAA AFS - 600 Regulatory Support Division
• Airman Testing Standards
• Aviation Data Systems
• Delegation Program Branch
• Designee Standardization
• Specialty Aircraft Examiner
These divisions set policy, administrate the implementation of policy
and standards, and oversee field offices and designees.
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6. Other FAA Offices of Note:
Aviation Safety (AVS) - Offices
Accident Investigation and Prevention Flight Standards Service
Aerospace Medicine Air Traffic Safety Oversight Service
Aircraft Certification Service UAS Integration Office
Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) Office Quality, Integration & Executive Services
Rulemaking
Airman Certification or Aircraft Registry – This of this division as the one that
“processes the paperwork”
FAA Local Field Offices
Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) Branches Engine Certification Office (ECO) Branch
Flight Standards District Offices (FSDO) International Field Offices (IFO)
Manufacturing Inspection District Office Manufacturing Inspection Office
(MIDO) Sections (MIO) Branches
These are the office with the staff that come into more regular contact with airmen. Kind of the
front line contact and work effort.
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7. Don’t Forget about
the FAASaftey Team
FAASTeam Mission Statement
“Lower the Nation’s aviation
accident rate by conveying safety
principles and practices through
training, outreach, and education;
while establishing partnerships and
encouraging the continual growth
of a positive safety culture within the
aviation community.”
Integrates with a wide variety of sections of the aviation
industry to help achieve this goal.
If you haven’t already, sign up at:
www.FAASafety.gov
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8. The Training Flow
Standards are established
CFIs/Schools train students to the standards
DPEs check the applicants adherence
to the requirements/standards
FAA verifies that DPEs are
doing their job correctly
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9. A Little Known Concept
• The DPE isn’t the one that certifies you.
• Your CFI does.
• Your CFI provides the training, verifies the
experience, and endorses you as “qualified”
and “proficient”. The DPE just verifies that this
was done in the practical test process.
CFIs are REALLY the people certifying
airmen for certificates and/or ratings.
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10. So How Does all This “Checkride”
Testing Integrate with the
Rest of the FAA System?
• A DPE is “designated” by the FAA to be authorized to
conduct certain activities – a practical test for example.
• The DPE is designated by a local field office (Flight
Standards District Office – FSDO)
• The FSDO is authorized to designated DPEs by the FAA
Designee Standardization office.
• The FAA Designee Standardization office under policy and
oversight by the FAA Regulatory Support Division which
operates in policy established by the FAA General Aviation
& Commercial Division
Confused yet?
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11. Oversight Flow
FAA Division Staff
FAA FSDO Staff
DPEs
Feedback from CFIs/Students/Schools to FAA
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12. Who Does the Tests?
• Mostly DPEs…
• The FAA doesn’t have the staff to do all the
tests, so that function is “delegated”.
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13. Who Get’s to Be DPEs?
• Experienced pilots;
• Generally have higher levels of CFI experience;
• Dedicated to safety, training standards, and
professionalism;
• Good level of experience in a variety of flight
operations;
• Pilot’s able to apply FAA policy, standards, and
regulations to the testing process;
• Many have previous “oversight experience”;
• Don’t have to be airline pilots, ex-military, astronauts,
or super pilots. Just good experience with a dedication
to training and safety can be enough.
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14. Training Standards and Oversight
Aren’t Just “FARs”
• Laws
• Regulations
• Policy
• Standards (Such as ACS/PTS)
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15. How are the ACS/PTS Developed?
• FAA Training standards are developed from a
combination of laws as directed by Congress
to the FAA, on regulations the FAA establishes,
and with the input of the industry.
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16. How are the ACS/PTS Developed?
• FAA Training standards are developed from a
combination of laws as directed by Congress
to the FAA, on regulations the FAA establishes,
and with the input of the industry.
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17. An example of how this all comes
together: Development of the ACS
• Challenges with Knowledge Test lead to Industry representatives to raise a
concern with FAA Airman Testing Division staff;
• A meeting between training industry leaders and FAA staff considered the
challenges and how it was affecting training;
• This lead to proposals to update the PTS standards to improve knowledge
testing development and application;
• The improvements to this sector were brought into the practical test
realm to keep them in alignment;
• Work product over multiple years developed the new format and process
that was then shared with the aviation industry for comment and input.
• A final product was then released and continues to be implemented
within all aviation training.
The effort was a collaboration between FAA and industry representatives that
generated a final product for the next generation of training/testing.
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18. Where the public gets involved in the
standards/rules process
• Aviation Rulemaking Committees
• Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committees
• Notices of Proposed Rulemaking
• Administrative Policy Notifications / Comment
Periods
• Direct comments to FAA staff, divisions,
• Congress (1500 Hour Example)
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19. What’s this have to do
with my checkride?
• The structure of the system is what makes
your practical test standards and the system
that certifies your training.
• The training system is what ensures safety in
operations.
Testing is part of training – to ensure all required
training is meeting standards.
And that means safety.
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20. Thanks for listening!
Questions?
Or find more information at:
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21. Slide Title
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