Austin is back.
After his first appearance became the most-watched full-length episode on The Aerpod, we went straight to the comments and brought him back to answer them.
Austin is a Boeing 777 First Officer at Atlas Air and a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE). In this Q&A episode, we dig into checkride pass rates, common DPE myths, Atlas Air schedules and pay, gateway commuting, and more.
In this episode:
- Why the private pilot checkride now has the lowest pass rate
- What DPEs really look for on a checkride (and why the ACS matters)
- Why “shopping for an easy DPE” usually backfires
- How Austin became a DPE at a young age
- Atlas Air schedules, minimum guarantee, and reserve life
- Gateway travel and living outside base (including internationally)
- Why some pilots choose cargo over the majors
- The realities of widebody flying, fatigue, and long-range decision-making
