Pilot and flight instructor certificates are issued by
the FAA upon satisfactory completion of required
knowledge and practical tests. The administration
of these tests is an FAA responsibility normally
carried out at the FSDO level by FSDO inspectors.
The FAA, however, being a U.S. government
agency, has limited resources and must prioritize
its responsibilities. The agency’s highest priority
is the surveillance of certificated air carriers, with
the certification of airmen (including pilots and
flight instructors) having a lower priority.
In order to satisfy the public need for pilot testing and
certification services, the FAAdelegates certain of these
responsibilities, as the need arises, to private individuals
who are not FAA employees. A designated pilot
examiner (DPE) is a private citizen who is designated
as a representative of the FAAAdministrator to perform
specific (but limited) pilot certification tasks on behalf
of the FAA, and may charge a reasonable fee for doing
so. Generally, a DPE’s authority is limited to accepting
applications and conducting practical tests leading to
the issuance of specific pilot certificates and/or ratings.
A DPE operates under the direct supervision of the
FSDO that holds the examiner’s designation file. A
FSDO inspector is assigned to monitor the DPE’s certification
activities. Normally, the DPE is authorized to
conduct these activities only within the designating
FSDO’s jurisdictional area.
The FAA selects only highly qualified individuals to
be designated pilot examiners. These individuals must
have good industry reputations for professionalism,
high integrity, a demonstrated willingness to serve the
public, and adhere to FAA policies and procedures in
certification matters. A designated pilot examiner is
expected to administer practical tests with the same
degree of professionalism, using the same methods,
procedures, and standards as an FAA aviation safety
inspector. It should be remembered, however, that a
DPE is not an FAA aviation safety inspector. A DPE
cannot initiate enforcement action, investigate accidents,
or perform surveillance activities on behalf of
the FAA. However, the majority of FAApractical tests
at the recreational, private, and commercial pilot level
Figure 1-1. FAA FSDO. are administered by FAA designated pilot examiners.