FAA Launches Voluntary Survey for Pilot Examiners
Published Date: 12/29/2025
Notice
Summary
The FAA wants to start a new survey for pilots who take tests from private examiners to see how well these examiners are doing. This survey is voluntary and helps the FAA keep things safe and fair, as required by a new law. Pilots and examiners are affected, and the FAA is asking for public comments by February 27, 2026, before making it official.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Voluntary post‑exam pilot survey
The FAA will ask pilots who complete practical exams from Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs) to fill out a voluntary survey of about twelve yes-or-no questions about professionalism, exam environment, exam content, and the length of the ground and flight portions. The agency estimates about 49,000 pilots will complete the survey each year, each taking about seven minutes, for a total annual burden of 343,000 minutes.
FAA tracking of DPE performance
The FAA will use the collected survey responses to track the performance and merit of Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs), as directed by Section 833 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. The survey results will be part of FAA oversight of DPEs.
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