In this episode, Jared Friend, Director of Helicopter Operations, and Eric Doughtie, Helicopter Chief Instructor, delve into the exciting new Examining Authority granted to Hillsboro Heli Academy. Discover what this significant milestone means for students and the future of their training.
Eric Doughtie
Hey guys this is Eric Chief instructor for Hillsboro Heli Academy I'm with Jared Friend our general manager for a helicopter school and Jared what are we doing today?
36 sec.
Jared Friend
Yeah, today, we're gonna talk about our examining authority. I think a lot of people know that we got examining authority.
40 sec.
Granted to us from the FAA and uh, we thought it would just be good to kind of talk about what is it. How is it gonna affect our students and, uh, what they need to know?
50 sec.
Eric Doughtie
Yeah, you know, this has been kind of a buzz around the school for. Oh, a long while now.
58 sec.
Uh, it was a big process for us to get here. And I know the students have had a lot of questions on it. So I think this is gonna be really really helpful.
1 min. 4 sec.
Uh, for everybody and you know, it's a big moment for the school is something that we've been working towards a really long time.
1 min. 7 sec.
And you've kind of seen that. Ah, Jared through your tenure here.
1 min. 15 sec.
Jared Friend
Oh yeah, yeah, I mean, since the very beginning when I was here.
1 min. 17 sec.
We've always wanted examining authority. Unfortunately, the FAA was a little hesitant to give it out.
1 min. 23 sec.
I think they're very protective of it. Even though. We're meeting the first time pass rate, which is required.
1 min. 29 sec.
You're required to keep a 90% first time pass rate in order to be eligible for examining authority, but the FAA was just a little bit hesitant.
1 min. 33 sec.
They they're kind of releasing some control when they when they give a school examining authority.
1 min. 41 sec.
So they were hesitant, but the FAA came back and they said, yeah, your exam or your first time pass rate rather is excellent. Stellar.
1 min. 46 sec.
Uh, I think we're in the mid to high nineties. If I remember correctly. Um, and, uh, and so they went through the process and started looking at a looking at us a little bit closer.
2 min. 1 sec.
They brought in some guys from the FAA some other DPE’s to verify the pass rate for us and a long story short.
2 min. 9 sec.
They thought we were just doing a great job and granted us examining authority for all of the courses that were eligible.
2 min. 17 sec.
Eric Doughtie
So yeah, yeah, it was a probably a year long process for us to get the final approval.
2 min. 24 sec.
I know this started from the 141 audit that we had the FAA came in and just want to look at all of our training records and in our students, congratulations and so they took a look in you know, it was we've had a really good pass rates for a long time.
2 min. 32 sec.
And they finally took a look at it and said, hey we're open to talking about this and so we actually entered into about a year long process of being audited by our local FSDO. Um, and they wanted to see the basically all of our data, right.
3 min. 1 sec.
All of our pass rates on both knowledge tests and on practical tests with their examiner. And then it was about a full summer.
3 min. 16 sec.
They wanted to us to prove that those numbers again to him a over a few months and so basically, we entered into like a supervision kinda stage where they brought in.
3 min. 18 sec.
Yeah, like you said some more examiners a some more administrators.
3 min. 29 sec.
I know we had the guys from the local FSDO participating a lot in our in our check rides and as well as they wanted a wide variety of designated pilot examiners, both from the local FSDO and then the nearby FSDO.
3 min. 46 sec.
So that they could basically a get as many heads on it and kind of identify those numbers and verify those numbers again. So we were ultimately really successful. Uh in that season.
3 min. 59 sec.
It was it was fun there's a lot of conversations back and forth. Um, I think the biggest thing here and like you said, Jared it's they're releasing a lot of control.
4 min. 3 sec.
You know, DPEs work directly for the local FSDO and so for the FSDO to kinda. Give up a lot of that authority.
4 min. 15 sec.
And saying yes, this individual a deserves, the certificate is a big deal and there and they were definitely you know, right, to a right to come in and ask for things and wanna work with us and ultimately, we worked on the relationship that is examining and I think that's, what it is.
4 min. 18 sec.
You know these regulations were written a long time ago.
4 min. 37 sec.
Um, and I think that's when we sat down and kind of a talk with the local FSDO and said, this is kind of a relationship between, um, you know Hillsboro Heli Academy and the FAA and we just want to make sure everyone was on the same page comfortable with what. We're doing ultimately.
4 min. 54 sec.
They were they were absolutely thrilled with our training and quality that were that were putting out there. So, we're really excited about that.
4 min. 59 sec.
So, um, Jared. Why, don't we kind of start with like on face value for students.
5 min. 2 sec.
What is the examination authority? What is the thing that we're talking about?
5 min. 8 sec.
Jared Friend
Yeah, that's an excellent point.
5 min. 11 sec.
So yeah, as a student here, you may be wondering or as a potential future student. You maybe wondering what is examining authority. And what do they mean when they say they say that?
5 min. 19 sec.
So normally what would happen is at 141 school. You would go through the entire curriculum. So we are 141 school of course.
5 min. 27 sec.
Um, and you go through the entire curriculum and at the end of the curriculum, you would get a graduation certificate.
5 min. 29 sec.
And that graduation certificate is what you would use in order to apply a for your license and then subsequently you would go take a check ride with a designated pilot examiner or the FAA that would consist of some oral quizzing as well as a practical flight exam.
5 min. 55 sec.
Um, and then the DPE or the FAA examiner would then subsequently give you hopefully, uh, if you passed a give, you the grant you the certificate.
6 min. 8 sec.
So the difference with examining authority is we still have that same 141 curriculum.
6 min. 9 sec.
But because we proved that our first time pass rate was good enough instead of having to go with the designated pilot examiner or the FAA they say just graduating the course is enough and that you get to apply for your certificate directly based on your graduation of the course.
6 min. 15 sec.
So you're kind of saving the time.
6 min. 38 sec.
Saving the effort and you know in the industry, right now DPEs a are really hard to come by a there's. Some schools that we hear about thankfully.
6 min. 47 sec.
We weren't experiencing this, but we, uh, we heard of other schools that we're experiencing 6-8 weeks. Of wait before the DPE could actually come in and do a check ride for them.
6 min. 59 sec.
Eric Doughtie
Yeah, at about a at about a minimum. We were hearing some horror stories for sure.
7 min. 3 sec.
And you know, we we've had our own season and DPEs are are busy and it's I mean, it's, just kind of a system of the industry being so great right now. It's, such a great time to become a pilot. Um, that are DPE's.
7 min. 18 sec.
Were busy and so I think what we ended up doing was we ended up pulling from different. Um, different videos different.
7 min. 26 sec.
Uh, you know, we had some examiners from Seattle that we're on a regular basis had a couple from Idaho couple from northern California.
7 min. 28 sec.
So we were pulling in a little bit, but yeah, thankfully, we never saw those like six to eight week minimums. Uh, for examiners. So we were very likely, um, to do that.
7 min. 43 sec.
Jared Friend
Yeah, and it's nice because as a school we're large enough, right.
7 min. 46 sec.
That, uh, we could actually pull DPE’s in from geographic areas that aren't here because they know when they come in they'll. Have a basically a full load of of students to do check rights for them right.
7 min. 57 sec.
They come in and they'll be able to do maybe a week long a or you know a couple days at least check rides where as I think some of the smaller schools maybe that's one of the reasons why they struggled is because they're gonna be doing one check ride at a time.
8 min. 2 sec.
Yeah, you know, here with you know, the number of students that we have the number of check rides that we're doing on an annual basis. There’s plenty of work for the DPE’s.
8 min. 24 sec.
So I think that's one of the things that really helped us, but again now, uh, now that we have examining authority for the majority of our courses.
8 min. 26 sec.
Um, now we don't even have to worry about that right. So they just they do the final stage check. They get the graduation certificate.
8 min. 40 sec.
And they can apply for their FAA certificate, right away.
8 min. 45 sec.
Eric Doughtie
That's awesome that's. Awesome.
8 min. 46 sec.
Yeah, so exactly what you're saying Jared. Uh, the courses that we have been approved for examining authority.
8 min. 49 sec.
Are Private, our Instrument and our CFI that initial CFI so there's basically two courses or two times during a student training where they are gonna have to take practical test. Uh, one of them is for our commercial reduced mins.
9 min. 3 sec.
Jared Friend
Um, let's let's. Talk about that lets. Just expand on that a little bit.
9 min. 8 sec.
Um, so we're, the FAA says that we actually that no one not just us that that no 141 school. Can get examining authority on a course that has reduced mins.
9 min. 21 sec.
Uh, what you tell the students. What that means? What is of course with reduced minimums?
9 min. 25 sec.
Eric Doughtie
So within the 141 environment and this is one of the great benefits of being a being a 141 school and training within the 141 a curriculum is it is an approved curriculum and uh, the 141 regulations actually, lay out kind of a basis for what the FAA expects to be within those course and there's actually a lot of different cases for instance, the private there's reduction of hours for 141 course because it's approved compared to a 61 a course, which you know, just can be your mom and pop kind of flight school and so like for instance for private, you know, if you're in the 61 environment, you need to do 10 hours of solo where there is the 141 environment you have to do five hours.
10 min. 9 sec.
Jared Friend
So that's not reduced minimums.
10 min. 10 sec.
Eric Doughtie
Correct.
10 min. 11 sec.
Jared Friend
Yeah, so that's just the standard 141 course,
10 min. 15 sec.
Eric Doughtie
Exactly and I think, it is kind of important because, you know, there's already a benefit to be in 141 and then for our commercial reduced mins, what we did is we went to the, we went to the FAA and we said, Hey, um, the regulations, uh in 141 for commercial or you know, we don't wanna do this. We actually have an idea and we put forth a proposal to have a reduction of hours and qualifications.
10 min. 36 sec.
Um, for a for commercial course and it fit well with what we're already doing at the school and so they took a look at it.
10 min. 47 sec.
They said, yes, absolutely. This is this looks great. This needs all the qualifications like we're, happy with it.
10 min. 52 sec.
So we basically already have approval to do a reduction of hours with our commercial reduced mins. So the FAA, the funny thing is they kinda consider. It you can't double dip.
11 min. 5 sec.
Basically you can't get approval to do less hours than normal for an approved course and get an approval to do a examining authority.
11 min. 6 sec.
Um, and that's just how they consider it. It's you know. Yeah, it's.
11 min. 20 sec.
You can't double dip basically.
11 min. 21 sec.
Jared Friend
Yeah, so, uh, really specifically the regulations say for 141.
11 min. 23 sec.
Commercial course that has to be 115 hours in order to graduate from a 141 commercial course.
11 min. 35 sec.
Uh, and just like examining authority you have to have a certain pass rate in order to do reduced mins as well.
11 min. 36 sec.
And so we were able to get our commercial course reduced down to 60 hours as opposed to the 115 and again, the reason is because it's a very structured organized course, that they know, results in good quality pilots and so they say a normally 115, but because uh, we're doing so well, we can reduce that and we were able to get the 60 hour number actually approved.
12 min. 10 sec.
So, you can't, we can't have examining authority for that course.
12 min. 12 sec.
Eric Doughtie
Yeah, you know, it's funny. That sounds a lot like examining authority.
12 min. 18 sec.
It sounds like that relationship with the FSDO and kind of approving the quality of the pilots that we're putting out in the industry.
12 min. 22 sec.
Yeah, yeah, it's really cool.
12 min. 28 sec.
So, uh, our private, our instrument our CFI and then we have a Commercial and Instrument add-on the Instrument being part of the IFR course. So it’s all kind of included, but those are the courses that we have approved for examining authority.
12 min. 40 sec.
So individuals that are enrolled in those courses and graduate from those courses. Um, it's after the check ride.
12 min. 50 sec.
We actually will do an administrative process.
12 min. 52 sec.
They'll meet with our airman certification representative, Rainer, and they'll sit down and they will process their 8710 IACRA application and the school sign off on it and actually by the time that they leave that meeting.
13 min. 3 sec.
They will be issued a temporary pilot certificate.
13 min. 11 sec.
Jared Friend
That's pretty cool.
13 min. 14 sec.
Yeah, and so I mean, as part of that process, Rainer, the airman certification representative, goes and verifies all the numbers verifies the course is done properly.
13 min. 25 sec.
Um, verifies that everything looks good and then, um, give them the certificate just like a just like a DPE would absolutely.
13 min. 32 sec.
Eric Doughtie
Um, we can kind of walk through the process.
13 min. 37 sec.
A little bit.
13 min. 40 sec.
Jared, if, uh, if that sounds good, we have to what the students can expect.
13 min. 40 sec.
So okay, so your student and you've just done your last your last flight with your instructor, your instructor says, Hey great job you're ready, let's sign you up for your end of course stage check.
13 min. 54 sec.
Um, and so the paperwork right then and there is already gonna be started.
13 min. 58 sec.
So myself an Rainer will actually get a notification saying that your training records are ready for an audit and so we actually look at your training records ahead of time to make sure that everything's done appropriately and that you are really ready.
14 min. 3 sec.
Ah, for that end of course stage check as soon as we say, Hey, everything looks great.
14 min. 21 sec.
Good luck. Have fun. You got this and then your stage checker will be in touch and schedule a time to have that and of course, stage check.
14 min. 34 sec.
So just like normal it's we're gonna complete the that end of course stage check that end of course, stage check will of course need all the requirements.
14 min. 35 sec.
Um, of the of the ACS um, put out by the FAA which is everything normal.
14 min. 44 sec.
That we've already been doing a so nothing should look significantly different there for examining authority.
14 min. 50 sec.
And of course is versus what we've done historically.
14 min. 58 sec.
Jared Friend
Let let me let me, uh, just make a note right there.
14 min. 59 sec.
I think you know, it's interesting. Uh, people might ask. Oh okay, so the stage check or the end of course, test is my check right, right?
15 min. 7 sec.
Eric Doughtie
No,
15 min. 13 sec.
Jared Friend
okay that's, exactly right.
15 min. 13 sec.
That is that is not the case because it's not our end of course, that's approved for examining authority, it's, our total course, it's, the culmination of going through our structured course which in the end results in a stage check or end of course, test, right, but that is not the substitution for a practical exam.
15 min. 26 sec.
That's just the end of our course what gives you the permission to utilize examining authority is of course in its whole.
15 min. 36 sec.
Eric Doughtie
Exactly and you know the end of course, stage check it's, two purposes, it's verifying that the individual has the adequate knowledge and skill for that specific certificate.
15 min. 42 sec.
But also historically it's been preparation for that practical test and so it's conducted very much like a traditional check ride.
15 min. 57 sec.
The requirements are the same. The standards are the same. Everything is the same. We are at adhering so that when our individuals when our students past that and of course, we know for certain they got this, they can go ahead and go past that practical test and I think that's really a big reason why we've been so successful.
16 min. 22 sec.
Uh in our pass rate, first time pass rate is because we put so much, emphasis on our stage checks.
16 min. 23 sec.
We make sure that we go above and beyond them so that individual we know is ready for that practical test and ultimately why our students are successful.
16 min. 39 sec.
Jared Friend
Yeah, so that in of course, was like kind of like the gatekeeper right for the for the practical exam and now, it's, the same thing.
16 min. 42 sec.
It's it's, gonna be the gatekeeper for the certificate.
16 min. 49 sec.
Um, but it's not it's, not a substitution for a practical examination although it will be performed exactly in the way that the ACS described as far as all the things that we need to check that is not the substitution it's the course and the graduation from the course that that makes that allows you to apply for it.
17 min. 9 sec.
Eric Doughtie
Absolutely and something I'm really excited about two is a with this process.
17 min. 13 sec.
You know, uh, we've gotten a lot of input from a even more input from examiners in the FAA and honestly I'm really excited, right now because I think the, uh, the knowledge that has been kind of restored to us from the FAA and DPE’s that we've been talking to about this whole process.
17 min. 18 sec.
Is I think our stage checkers are you are just gonna be better and better and better?
17 min. 34 sec.
This whole process is an investment into a an increase of quality, which is one of our company values here is always want to get better and better with what we do.
17 min. 48 sec.
So, I'm really excited really happy with the structure that we have here, but ultimately, alright back to the students example, is okay, so you as a student are successful.
17 min. 49 sec.
You passed your state checker gives you high five and says great work.
18 min.
Um, so the next step in the process is you're gonna meet back with your instructor and you're gonna continue with that. Administrative process.
18 min. 12 sec.
Uh, you're gonna fill out your IACRA application.
18 min. 14 sec.
Uh, you're gonna fill out some, uh, all our what we call our graduation checklist, initiate that administrative process of paperwork.
18 min. 17 sec.
Uh, and basically that's automatic it lets everybody know in the administrative team that this individual is coming up and they are ready to go. So your IACRA complete.
18 min. 33 sec.
You finish all the paperwork and basically submitted that to the admin team now.
18 min. 35 sec.
Uh, once you submit that we say around three to five business days.
18 min. 41 sec.
You're gonna be reached out to by Rainer specifically on a time to meet a time to get together.
18 min. 45 sec.
And finalize that paperwork. So behind the scenes. what kinda happen is the individual?
18 min. 56 sec.
The student is associated a by the school and then, uh, the chief or assistant, chief for that specific course is gonna go in and verify and approve the course graduation and eligibility for examining authority.
19 min. 15 sec.
So IACRA fully completed your instructor also is gonna go in and recommend you as a graduate for the course.
19 min. 19 sec.
And then you're gonna, um, meet with Rainer, our ACR, and you're gonna sit down you're gonna final signed all the paperwork.
19 min. 33 sec.
You're gonna you know, talking to talk about a he's gonna basically check all of your document just like you would on a on a regular practical test with a DPE he's gonna check all your document.
19 min. 43 sec.
Your logbook and all that kinda stuff.
19 min. 44 sec.
You can do a little bit of signing and by the end here.
19 min. 45 sec.
You are here is your temporary pilot certificate.
19 min. 49 sec.
Jared Friend
That’s great that's really exciting.
19 min. 52 sec.
Um, I mean, it really should help the students.
19 min. 54 sec.
Accelerate a little bit there. They're training.
20 min.
Minimize any delays that might happen waiting for check rides waiting for the DPE to come in town.
20 min. 1 sec.
Uh, any of those things. So, we're really hopeful.
20 min. 9 sec.
That this will help to move the students through make a make a more seamless a transition from course, right.
20 min. 11 sec.
Eric Doughtie
Absolutely and you know, especially with our visa students, those on that one visa, which are you know, working there, absolutely hardest to stay within that 14-month timeline right?
20 min. 18 sec.
This there's a lot to do with them at 14-months.
20 min. 29 sec.
We're just really excited.
20 min. 32 sec.
That we think we can cut a lot of waiting time out of here and like you said, um, students that are flying more right.
20 min. 32 sec.
Are gonna progress faster.
20 min. 40 sec.
So keeping our students active keeping them in the in the flight training environment.
20 min. 41 sec.
Um, I yeah, I just think it's gonna be great for wait times and great for you know, proficiency.
20 min. 46 sec.
Jared Friend
Awesome, well, I’ll just wrapping up the podcast here.
20 min. 54 sec.
Um, if they have any questions about examining authority.
20 min. 59 sec.
What should they do?
21 min. 2 sec.
Eric Doughtie
Absolutely.
21 min. 3 sec.
Um, we have an open-door policy always right.
21 min. 4 sec.
Um, walk in walk into one of the flight ops offices walk into my office and feel free to ask.
21 min. 8 sec.
And a Rainer of course, will have a wealth of knowledge that that you can, you can a lean on our and Jared yourself. I think we're all here.
21 min. 22 sec.
I think we're all able to answer those questions. Excited about this.
21 min. 27 sec.
This next season of this company history and getting such an honor from the FAA.
21 min. 28 sec.
Um, but yeah, come in ask any questions.
21 min. 36 sec.
Anytime we're always happy to chat.