FAQ
Where do you give checkrides?
My preference is the Monroe County (KMNV) airport, but on my checkride scheduling page you will find a list of Middle/East TN airports at which I will conduct an exam. Please contact me if you have a travel request for an exam outside of the Knoxville area.
What type of payment do you accept?
I accept cash, Venmo, and credit card (with 3% processing fee).
What do you charge?
For full private, commercial, or instrument check-rides the fee is $950 (retest fee $450 for oral and flight portion, $250 if only flight portion needed). There is an additional $150 for my fuel/time if I come to your airport (any other airport than KMNV, KMMI). That applies for either initial checkride or retest.
For limitation removal checkrides the fee is $300.
What does initial or add-on mean?
If you are testing for a new class of certificate (Private, Commercial, or ATP), please select "Initial certificate". If you already have the pilot certificate but you are adding a new class of aircraft to it, please select "Add-on rating".
For example, if you have a Private Pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and you want to add a multi-engine rating, that would be an "Add-on" rating. If you have a Private Pilot certificate with airplane-single engine land and you want to test for a Commercial Multi-Engine land, then you would select "Initial certficate" since you do not already have a Commercial Pilot certificate.
In which multi-engine aircraft are you authorized for checkrides?
I am currently authorized in the following make and models: BE55, BE58, BE95, B200, B350, PA44, C310, C337.
If you have a twin not on this list, feel free to contact me and we will see what we can work out.
What is a FTN?
A FTN is your FAA Tracking Number. It must be used for all electronic practical test applications. If you do not have one, please register at the FAA's IACRA website. Once you are registered and login, you will see your FTN at the top left of your screen.
If you are training at a 141 school that does not use IACRA, please enter "NONE".
Why must all requirements and IACRA application be done before I can register for a checkride?
The reason for this change is that, prior to this requirement, CFIs and applicants were forced to register for a checkride that was months away, often before even starting the training. With local examiners being so busy, if the applicant registered for a checkride in advance, they could hopefully finish the training and do the checkride at roughly the same time, while everything was still "fresh" in their heads.
Where this breaks down is that when people have to guess months before when they'll finish training, you can imagine the number of wrong guesses! This led to having to reschedule or cancel around 50-60% of the checkrides on my schedule. Hardly optimal.
The idea now is that once an applicant is COMPLETELY done with their training, completed the knowledge exam (if required), completed the aeronautical experience requirements, received the required endorsements, and have a completed and signed IACRA application, then they may register for a checkride on this website. This should lead to substantially less wait time for applicants, and less guessing and rescheduling for us all.
Please note that when I see a registration come in, I will look for a completed IACRA application. If I do not see it, I will cancel that reservation and email the applicant and CFI to that effect.