Likely DPE questions by Area of Operation, with concise model answers and what to cite.
Flight Instructor–Helicopter Checkride: Oral Prep
The CFI oral leans heavily on the Fundamentals of Instructing and your ability to teach — expect to explain, not just perform. Answer in your own words, then cite. Confirm exact paragraphs as you study.
Reference shorthand: AIH = Aviation Instructor’s Handbook (FAA-H-8083-9); HFH = Helicopter Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-21); PHAK = FAA-H-8083-25; AIM; AC 61-65 (endorsements); SFAR 73 = 14 CFR Part 61 Special FAR for R22/R44; ACS = FAA-S-ACS-29 (supersedes PTS 8081-7B). Confirm the ACS revision and all codes.
I · Fundamentals of Instructing
What is the demonstration-performance method, and why use it for skills?
Explain, demonstrate, the student performs, then the instructor supervises and evaluates. It engages the psychomotor domain directly and lets the instructor correct errors as they form.
Cite: AIH (Teaching Methods); ACS Area I.
Explain the laws of learning and how primacy affects your teaching.
Readiness, exercise, effect, primacy, intensity, recency. Primacy means first learning is strong and lasting — teach it correctly the first time so habits don’t have to be unlearned.
Cite: AIH (Learning Process).
What makes a critique effective?
Objective, specific, balanced, constructive, and tied to the ACS standard; address a few key items and give an actionable path. Let the student self-assess first.
Cite: AIH (Assessment).
What are your responsibilities and unique risks as an instructor?
Professionalism, ethics, honest endorsements, and role modeling; manage control-confusion (positive 3-way exchange), demonstrations near the ground, and your own complacency from repetition.
Cite: AIH (Professionalism & Risk Management).
II · Technical Subject Areas
Teach me dissymmetry of lift and translational lift.
Dissymmetry of lift: the advancing blade sees more relative airflow than the retreating blade in forward flight, equalized by flapping. Translational lift: rotor efficiency improves through ~16–24 kt (ETL), giving more lift for the same power.
Cite: HFH (Aerodynamics).
Where do endorsement wording and requirements come from?
AC 61-65 (current edition) for wording, with the underlying requirement in 14 CFR Part 61. Verify the student meets the requirement before signing — an endorsement is your professional certification.
Walk me through how you would teach a maneuver from a cold brief.
State the objective and completion standard; explain the aerodynamics/why; lay out the elements (how); brief the common errors and their corrections and the safety/risk considerations; then demonstrate, have the student perform, and evaluate.
Cite: AIH; HFH; ACS Area IV (Maneuver Lesson).
How do you teach the rotor-safety brief and runway-incursion avoidance?
Rotor safety: approach/depart in the pilot’s view, never toward the tail rotor, stay low, wait for the signal. Incursions: verbatim hold-short/crossing readbacks and a current diagram, modeled every flight.
What are the common hovering errors, and what is the main slope hazard?
Over-controlling and fixating down; teach small anticipatory inputs and looking ahead. The main slope hazard is dynamic rollover — recovery is collective down, not opposite cyclic, and the instructor must be ready to take controls.
Cite: HFH (Hovering & Slope); ACS Area VII.
How do you teach an autorotation and manage its risk?
Immediate collective down to preserve RPM, autorotation airspeed, RPM control, spot selection, flare and cushion to a level aligned touchdown (manage rising RPM in turns). Manage risk with power-recoveries first, hard minimum heights, hands/feet ready, and respect for the HV diagram and R44 RPM limits.
Cite: HFH (Autorotation); R44 POH. Numbers from POH.
XI · Emergency Operations
Per SFAR 73, how do you teach low-G recognition and recovery?
An abrupt forward-cyclic input or pushover causes low-G; the teetering rotor allows a right roll. Per 14 CFR Part 61, SFAR No. 73, immediately apply gentle aft cyclic to restore positive G before any lateral cyclic — left cyclic against the unloaded disc risks mast bumping. Prevention (no abrupt forward cyclic/pushovers) is primary.
VRS: powered + sink > ~300 fpm + below ETL; recover with forward cyclic (or Vuichard); adding collective worsens it. Low RPM: lower collective and add throttle/power per POH; condition a response to the low-RPM horn.
Cite: HFH; R44 POH. Confirm R44 wording.
XII–XIII · Special Operations & Postflight
How do you teach a confined-area operation?
High recon then low recon; assess with the 5 S’s (size, shape, surface, slope, surroundings); determine wind; compute the OGE/power margin — if it isn’t there, don’t commit; approach no steeper than needed and always brief an escape route/go-around.
Cite: HFH (Confined/Pinnacle); ACS Area XII.
What postflight habits do you teach?
Proper cool-down and shutdown, secure the rotor/aircraft against wind, keep bystanders clear during coast-down, FOD discipline, and honest documentation of any discrepancy — the flight isn’t over until the aircraft is secured and records are complete.
Cite: HFH; R44 POH Section 4; ACS Area XIII.
FLAGS for Walter: verify the current FAA-S-ACS-29 revision/effective date and every code (FI. for Area I, HI. for II–XIII); verify all endorsement wording against the current AC 61-65; confirm R44 numbers from the POH; low-G follows SFAR No. 73 (note the Aug-2024 change making low-G a ground awareness-training item). Wheel-taxi/rolling-takeoff and OEI Tasks don’t apply to a skid, single-engine R44.