Dave Leonard — DPE
★★★★☆4.3 · 3 reviewsFlag incorrect info
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Write a reviewDescribes the CFI ride as a "how test" — can you teach a concept, not just recite it. Wants endorsements derived from 14 CFR Part 61, not read from the AC. Long, thorough oral (5+ hours). Flight to the Ramona practice area with emergency work over Lake Wolford.
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Same teaching-first philosophy for the CFII. Expect to actually instruct him through instrument concepts and approaches. Very knowledgeable, patient, and consistent.
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Starts from the aircraft logs — prove the airplane is IFR-legal and how you know. Detailed flight-planning discussion (file above the MEA, DP routing from MZB), lost-com specifics, chart symbology. Fair but exacting.
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Dave frames the CFI ride as a "how test": can you teach a concept so a student understands, rather than reciting from a book. He will often ask you to derive answers from 14 CFR Part 61 rather than read the endorsements AC. Thorough and patient.
- Typical start: Morning start at KSEE (Gillespie)
- Locations: KSEE (Gillespie), KRNM (Ramona)
- Duration: Long oral (5+ hours) plus ~2 hour flight.
- Fees: Standard DPE fee; confirm when scheduling.
Learning theory, a long student-pilot/endorsements discussion, maintenance and airworthiness, then taught ground lessons (e.g. slow flight).
Examples and how you teach to correlation.
- Relate slow flight to landings
- Relate a rectangular course to the pattern
Find the answer in Part 61, not the AC.
- Endorsements before first solo and their validity
- 2-calendar-month and citizenship endorsements not in the AC
AROW, inspections, ADs, placarding, required instruments.
- Which ADs are recurring
- 337 if GPS installed
- Short-field departure from SEE
- Fly to the Ramona practice area
- Slow flight, stalls (power on/off, cross-control)
- Emergency landing over Lake Wolford
- Soft-field touch-and-goes at Ramona
- Reciting instead of teaching
- Reading the AC instead of deriving from Part 61
- Weak airworthiness/AD knowledge
- Treat every answer as a mini-lesson
- Derive endorsements from Part 61
- Be ready to instruct him through a real flight review
Aggregated from 1 gouges (2010-2012). Derived “what to expect,” not verbatim test items.
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