Does DPE really matter?
My question is this. I have had my last two checkrides with a certain DPE who I have gotten along with really well and had great rides with. He has alot of insight and experience and I feel very comfortable and fly well with him and I was planning on doing my IFR ride with him.
Now I have a new flight school (same field, different fbo) and my instructor wants to go with a different examiner whom I have never heard of because he has had many students ride with him and he knows his checkrides which of course would be to my advantage since he knows what the dpe is looking for as opposed to the dpe I have gone with.
Both DPEs do checkrides for the school and are approved but my examiner just doesnt feel comfortable putting me up with the examiner I want and feel comfortable with.
Sooo...the question is, should a student be able to make the call on who they wish to do the ride with and if I am able to make the call should I just suck it up and go with the examiner the instructor wants because that is who he feels comfortable with.
I am thinking it may be to my benefit because he knows the examiners routines and what his rides are like and prepare me as such and I should probably suck it up since I am sure there will be many times I will have to do checkrides and stagechecks with many different people?
Seeing how I am finishing my ratings here I just figured it would be nice to build a relationship and a rapport with my favored examiner and do my next 6 rides with him IFR,CMEL, CSEL, CFI, CFII, MEI
What do you guys think? Many of you have tons of experience and many rides under your belt and I am sure some of you could shed some light on the situation.
Thanks,
Shawn