HOGS Local DPE Presenting At Heli Expo 2023 & Professional Pilot

Hey, we got some exciting news. Our local designated pilot examiner that is is going to be presenting at Heli Expo 2023 this year and he's going to be presenting his top 10 examiner pet peeves. Somebody hai saw that and reached out to Randy. So he's talked to me today. He's presentation to present to them live during Heli Expo 2023. So I'm excited. I'm going to help Randy freshen up that presentation that all started with helicopter top 10 checkride tips. We'll put a PDF link down below. While we were up there shooting some videos with these guys, we got talking about the top 10 checkride tips that Taz, Chrisma and I put out 2018 Flight Instructor of the Year. And Randy said, hey, how about some top 10 examiner pet peeves? So we went out and shot those. Many of you have seen them. They're inside our courses. They're on YouTube. So we're going to add those to this book. And then Taz has some extra DP.

Tips in the back.

So I think we're going to turn this from top 10 to probably top 30 because we're going to add Randy's and then actually figure how many of the extra tips are in the back. So go below to get a free PDF copy. So the theme of today's video is also about professional cop pilot becoming a professional pilot. We all kind of started together way back 20 years ago. And I'm going to show you that here in a video. Randy's going to talk about how we kind of got together with an instrument dealer and service center years ago. I became a cfi. Randy became a cfi. He became a dpe. I created Hogs. Hauser is one of my students, is one of our online instructors and he's now moved on to helicopter EMS after doing 135 charter and so on. So the kind of theme is we're running a special right now until March 1st for our 11 year online celebration. We'll put a link down below for that for 50% off professional pilot. So I'm going to roll the video right now so you can learn a little bit about how we all got into this and how we got started. And Randy's gonna also talk to you about how to become a dpe. So we're gonna roll that right now.

See what you think.

I was like, yes, we are. Yes. Okay. Yes.

So Randy came up with these a couple weeks or a month or so ago when we were up here doing videos here with Chris here at Sweet Randy said, hey, how about having me do some videos on what's the things I see that are problems with checkrides? And I said, that's perfect, Randy, because Taz and I did this book, I think 2018 old, right? So Randy came up with his own top 10 things that he sees as an examiner. So when we go fly together, we're.

All going to go out in the.

130 and Chris going to go with us. We're going to go, we're going to fly around and talk about the top 10 pet peeves. So it'll be fun to see how many of them match. You can get free PDF down below or we'll ship it to you for.

Just shipping and handling.

Randy, just to start this short series of videos. Sure, if you're brand new to our videos, this won't mean a lot to you. But for those of you been watching us for a while, you've heard all my stories and a lot of them started here at Goshen over 20 years ago in the late 90s.

Yes.

And when Randy and I were talking.

The other day, he goes, you know.

We got quite a history and we do. And it's, it's a fun part of the story. Like when people say why did you fly instruments? One of the reasons was because I.

Live a half an hour away.

And when I first started flying, right, I had Indianapolis with a Schweitzer, Chicago with the Robinson, Berghoin with an Enstrom. And I jumped around and got experience in all three, but ended up working here. Ended up working for you when you guys were an Instrum service center.

Yes.

Why don't you tell us a little bit about the Instrum service center just because it fits into the NSTROM story.

It does. I mean we love the nstrom. So I started the FBO Goshen Air center back in 1992 and my business partner Zane Gillen and I About the late 90s, we had this interest in getting a helicopter to take helicopter lessons. And Zane and I had both been quite corporate pilots in the past and we had flown professionally. So in the late 90s we were looking around for helicopters and I think right around 2000 we ended up buying a 2.80C. So instrum built variations of the different piston model, but it was the 280C. It was I think 1977. That was a big deal for us and we ended up getting our commercial add on rating together.

That's about time I met you guys. Were you guys were working on the commercials. If I remember the Commercial add ons when I was working on my private.

Yes. So our instructor worked for Nipsco at that time and prior to that he was with the Indiana State Police. Randy Yablonski, great guy. Randy's a great guy. And he'd drive over here from Porter county and give lessons to five of us. So Zane and myself and I think there were three other guys that wanted to get their helicopter add on rating. So we eventually got our rating and again we did the commercial add on and Zane and I ended up doing different fairs and festivals in the two adc. In the meantime, Instrum was looking for dealers. So we became one of the nine Instrum dealers in the United States. So we were buying and selling used and new instruments and it was just about that time that you and I got together and we hired you as our full time and our very first full time helicopter instructor.

We started with one aircraft and then it turned into. It's a different entity now, but years later there's all these helicopters and it's grown into. We're all involved somehow with this. It's all starting here at Goshen and Chris is involved in it. And anyway, yeah, it's amazing.

I mean we're looking back at what, 1998 that we got together late 90s and look what we're doing today. Yeah, I enjoy it.

How did you wind up being a dpe? And what is a dpe?

A DPE is a designated Pilot examiner and that's basically a designee from the faa. Okay, so I'm not an employee of the FAA but rather a designee. So what are the qualifications? They are looking for individuals that have a minimum of a cfi and in this case it would be Rotorcraft. And if you happen to have an ATP then that's just an advantage. So how do you get to be a DPE is that you have to submit an application to out in Oklahoma City. Okay. And then once you've done that, that remains on file and then the local district that you're in and in the case here it would be the Grand Rapids district. They will call Oklahoma and say, hey, send us the top three applicants that you have on file for that particular district. Okay. So in that case they, they called Oklahoma City and they sent the three back to. Well back then it was the South Bentisto which has since consolidated and now it's part of the Grand Rapids Fizdo. But nonetheless it was an appointed position. So I was appointed to be a DPE for helicopters Rotorcraft here within the district And I had to go out to the academy for five days in Oklahoma City where they teach you everything on how to conduct a practical test. And they want it to be in such a manner that if you go to this DPE in Toledo versus myself or maybe some over in Chicago, that we all do it the same way. We have a checklist. We have what they call a plan of action, and that has to be approved by the district. And they want to make sure that we're all doing the test the same exact way on the plan of action, which in our case is still the pts. As you know, the airplanes are now using acs, but helicopters are still just a little bit behind. And we're. We still follow the practical test standards.

So add whatever you want. But I also want you to tell anybody watching the video all the different aircraft that now you're qualified in to teach and let us know how can.

They get a hold of you if.

They want to travel to Northern Indiana to do a checkride?

Yep, that's a good question. So as a dpe, we have to list the aircraft that we're qualified in. In order to be qualified, you have to have five hours in make and model, and not necessarily five hours of instruction, just five hours in make and model. So in my case, I can do The Capris, the G2s, I can do all of the instrument helicopters, I can do a lot of the Airbus helicopters, the single engine turbines, for the most part. The bell 206S. The bell 407 is also on my certificate of authority. That's what they call it, the coa. And that's actually listed on my authorization to do checkrides.

Awesome.

So if you want to get ahold of me, it's randyuathelicopters.com or my cell number if you want. It's 574-238-1000.

There you go.

You know how to get a hold of him. What else do we want to add?

Question.

Question.

Chris, how's this? Yeah, question. Let Chris jump in.

Yeah, get in here. I know you're. I knew I could feel it behind me.

I'm like.

I could just feel as I feel it behind me. Hey, I'm not talking in these videos.

I gotta talk, right? I wanna hear my voice.

I know you're part of it. Right.

So you mentioned something about you have to submit an application.

You do?

Okay, so how would. Past that, how move forward from that? Like, do I have to have a certain number of hours? You mentioned a CFI, so yes, brand new CFI with 300 hours via DPE.

Not quite.

Yeah. Requirements there.

There are. So you can go to faa.gov okay. And just look for the links as to what it takes to become a designated pilot examiner. And they have all the requirements there. So. Nope. If you're a brand new cfi, you're probably going to have to wait a while. But they're looking for X number of hours of hours given as a cfi. Hall, have you been doing it? How current are you? And if you meet those qualifications, send that application. They will keep it on file in Oklahoma City for I believe, I think it's five years. They'll keep it. And as that district needs DPEs, they have to go to Oklahoma City to ask for that.

My next kind of follow up. I remember when you were applying, one of the things that you told me was that there has to be a need. There has to be a need.

There does area.

And, and you mentioned you're a designated pilot examiner for the faa. So if I wanted to take a check, ride in a helicopter, I could do it with the faa.

You can, right? Yes, yes.

But the FAA doesn't have as many helicopter inspectors, I guess, as airplanes do. So that's why a lot of helicopter guys go to DPE because.

Right, right. And more district offices, FSNO offices are assigned assigning the checkrides to DPEs. You know, back 20 years ago, chances are you'd have to take your checkride with an FAA inspector like I had to back in the early 80s. But nowadays it's about a 95% chance you'll be doing it with the DPE.

You want to add anything else? Before we move on to the next video for tomorrow, we're going to Talk about the EC130 and what you guys do at suite. Anything you want to add?

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Okay, top 10. Try to put in some of the Chris acting goofy, right? Because he's the comedy relief.

Yep, yep. Check.

So there you go. Hope you enjoyed that.

Go below for your free copy of the top 10 check ride tips, free PDF that is. And sign up for professional pilot by March 1st. Save 50%. Peace out.