Can't find an IFR Examiner

I called all 4 DPE's in the FAA Tampa District Office. The first three said they wouldn't do a check ride in "any experimental" plane. The 4th guy was super cool and readily agreed. Yesterday he and 2 other DPE's were "dismissed" and no longer available to give check rides.

There is also the problem of "certified" avionics. I have a RV 7A (side by side), with dual Grand Rapids Technology EFIS glass panels and a Grand Rapids Technology EIS as well. My radio is a Garmin SL30, and I use an iPad Pro with Foreflight and Stratus for backup and situational awareness. I and my plane are fully capable of IFR flight, for ILS, Localizer, and VOR approaches.

Does anyone know of any designated examiners in the west central Florida area who are willing to give an IFR check ride in my plane?

Can't help with the examiner, unless you want to fly to CA. They do have the right to decline to fly in an EAB.
There is no requirement for the equipment you have to be TSO'd. You will have to find and use approaches that do not require an ADF or MB (assuming you don't have those). For approaches with a VOR cross fix, your SL30 can bring in both the primary aid (localizer or VOR) and a VOR cross fix. Your GRT will display both nav aids (the cross fix as a pointer needle) on the HSI page. Split the screen.

DPE

Did you try Toby Blanton in Venice (four-zero-four-three-eight-six-two-six-four-three); he just did one of my students and was good to work with; but he had a certified plane. Good luck and let us know if you find one.

Try Jerrold (Jerry) Kuzia. Flagler Beach-678five four eight oh nine one oh.

check the fort pierce area for and examiner. i think he will work out for you. i will research for now.

Interestingly, neither Vans, nor EAA, nor AOPA had any sort of list of examiners willing to give check rides in "experimental" planes. It's a sad situation I find myself in after investing quite a bit of time with IFR instruction. Thank you all for your suggestions and I will be sure to call the contacts you've provided and inquire as to their willingness.

to Bob Turner....
I only have the single Garmin SL30 radio. I'm not sure I understand how to get the radio to simultaneously display two different VOR radials on two different frequencies, for identification of intersections defined by cross radials. Am I missing something here?

garrys said:

to Bob Turner....
I only have the single Garmin SL30 radio. I'm not sure I understand how to get the radio to simultaneously display two different VOR radials on two different frequencies, for identification of intersections defined by cross radials. Am I missing something here?

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The SL-30 lets you monitor a cross fix while simultaneously tracking something else. This is a huge ability when you only have one radio. Read page 15 of the Pilots Guide. Suppose you are tracking a localizer on 110.5, and the FAF is defined by a cross fix, the 270 radial from a VOR on 116.0. Go to the nav page, enter those two frequencies with 116.0 in the standby window. Push and hold the nav button for a couple of seconds. Next to "116.0" a small 's' (for standby) will change to a "m"(for monitor). On the SL30 display, you will see the digital bearing from that VOR. You will see it change as you fly along the localizer; when it gets to 270 you're at the FAF. Even nicer, most GRT EFIS boxes (you did not say what you have) will pick up that data. I have the HX. I split the screen to show PFD - HSI. The primary HSI needle will track 110.5 data, while the 116.0 data is shown as an RMI needle pointing to the bearing to the station (and the tail is on the current radial from that VOR).
This makes one radio operation a piece of cake, because it behaves as if you have two.

Edit: consult the GRT manuals for HSI set up. You have a choice with bearing pointer displays. I chose just head and tail, but you can display the whole needle although I think that's too cluttered.

garrys said:

to Bob Turner....
I only have the single Garmin SL30 radio. I'm not sure I understand how to get the radio to simultaneously display two different VOR radials on two different frequencies, for identification of intersections defined by cross radials. Am I missing something here?

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Word to the wise. Know your avionics backwards and forwards, to include their failure modes, before you schedule that checkride. With only 1 NAV/COM you are at minimum legal IFR navigation capability which can produce significant workload in some instances and will be magnified if you aren't completely familiar with the equipment.

Auburntsts said:

Word to the wise. Know your avionics backwards and forwards, to include their failure modes, before you schedule that checkride. With only 1 NAV/COM you are at minimum legal IFR navigation capability which can produce significant workload in some instances and will be magnified if you aren't completely familiar with the equipment.

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I would pretty much guarantee the SL30 will fail in the checkride and the IPad will be off limits.

AltonD said:

I would pretty much guarantee the SL30 will fail in the checkride and the IPad will be off limits.

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I'd be more afraid of a EFIS screen "failure" and then flying partial panel with only the SL30's built-in CDI.

AltonD said:

I would pretty much guarantee the SL30 will fail in the checkride and the IPad will be off limits.

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THREAD DRIFT ALERT

This brings up a question in my mind about how an examiner can do that and fail an applicant if the craft is legallyoutfitted. Note I didn't say smartly (with all kinds of backups) but only the minimum requirements of the FARs.

Maybe a topic for another thread? I don't remember seeing a discussion on this particular subject before.

AltonD said:

I would pretty much guarantee the SL30 will fail in the checkride and the IPad will be off limits.

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I respectfully disagree. He has the minimum equipment required for the check ride. If something 'fails', e.g., the nav-com, it's an emergency and the examiner cannot deny him access to everything available including the iPad. Or a handheld radio, followed by a request for vectors to an ASR approach. Or use the compass to fly to VMC. But you do need to have a plan.
That being said, I personally wouldn't fly actual IMC with this setup unless a solid gold, VFR alternate was within range. I'd also want to know if he has two, or just one, ADHRS boxes. Getting the rating is one thing; flying actual IMC is another.
As long as I'm giving criticism, let me add one more: who is your cfii? The SL-30 is a very common, TSO'd box found on lots of normally certified airplanes. Your CFI should have at least read the manual.

Auburntsts said:

I'd be more afraid of a EFIS screen "failure" and then flying partial panel with only the SL30's built-in CDI.

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I don't know exactly what EFIS he has. But GRTs recommended wiring is to run the SL30s RS232 nav output to both boxes, so box #2 can look just like #1, e.g., not partial panel at all. But a second question is, where is the second box on the panel? Have you practiced flying with just that box?

rzbill said:

THREAD DRIFT ALERT

This brings up a question in my mind about how an examiner can do that and fail an applicant if the craft is legallyoutfitted. Note I didn't say smartly (with all kinds of backups) but only the minimum requirements of the FARs.

Maybe a topic for another thread? I don't remember seeing a discussion on this particular subject before.

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The current instrument PTS has a long discourse on this topic, in the front of the book, including recommendations on what examiners can and cannot do to test applicants on instrument failures.

Thank you Bob Turner! I'll go back and read my GRT and SL30 manuals, and then go play with my equipment in my hanger. Good stuff! P.S. my GRT panels are early Horizon HS models.

I got "some" good news....from a recently retired FAA inspector. He said NONE of my radios or avionics need to be certified/TSO'd. The whole plane is experimental and so the avionics can be experimental too. All I need to be able to do on the check ride is to navigate and fly to the standards of the rating. Makes sense to me.

can't find an IFR Examiner

All....Yes the SL30 is a certified box but it displays the needles on a non certified box, the GRT EFIS. Per my earlier post it doesn't matter. The EFIS does not need to be certified.

Yes, my plane is wired for the SL30 to feed BOTH EFIS boxes, so if one fails the other should continue to function.

For backup, I have a fabulously functioning iPad Pro running the Foreflight app. I also have Foreflight running on my cell phone. If everything fails I still have my needle, ball, airspeed, altimeter and compass. I don't fly scared or stupid. But I might add if you need to wear two belts, two suspenders, and two pair of clean underwear before you leave the house, you probably shouldn't take up flying as a hobby. It's all about risk management and backup plans.

P.S. Neither AOPA, EAA nor Vans was able to offer any helpful suggestions on finding a willing DPE. Kind of disappointing.....particularly EAA who is supposed to be looking out for the interests of the Experimental community.

BobTurner said:

The current instrument PTS has a long discourse on this topic, in the front of the book, including recommendations on what examiners can and cannot do to test applicants on instrument failures.

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Thanks Bob,
I'll look that up at my leisure.

I apologize for the thread drift but just out of curiosity, what's your IFR mission?

garrys said:

P.S. Neither AOPA, EAA nor Vans was able to offer any helpful suggestions on finding a willing DPE. Kind of disappointing.....particularly EAA who is supposed to be looking out for the interests of the Experimental community.

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Since the decision whether to conduct a ride in an E-AB aircraft is left to the individual DPE and those that are willing isn't indicated in the FAA's own DPE database, how's an external organization supposed to collect that info?

Can't find an IFR Examinern

Todd, my IFR mission is to avoid IMC at all times if possible. However there are times when I'll be at an airport with an 800 foot ceiling with tops at 1,500 feet and I want to get on with my flight. Assuming this is an early morning phenomena that will burn off in an hour or so with VFR enroute and at my destination, I'd like the ability to fly some light IFR to get up and away. Also, I like the idea of having backup skills and capability in the event my destination airport unexpectedly goes IFR.