Definition
An official FAA publication (FAA Order 8710.3) that provides Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs) with the policies, procedures, and standards they must follow when conducting practical tests for pilot certificates and ratings.
Plain English
It is the FAA's rulebook for the examiners who give checkrides. It tells them how to run the test, what to check, and how to make sure every applicant is evaluated the same way.
Context Anchor
Seen when reading about the role of a designated pilot examiner and how a pilot certificate or rating test is conducted.
Why Pilots Care
Knowing the handbook exists helps a student understand that examiners follow standardized procedures rather than personal preferences during a checkride.
Intuition Check
Do not think of the Pilot Examiner's Handbook as a student textbook. It is mainly a procedure guide for the examiner who conducts the test.
Example Sentence 1
The DPE follows the procedures in the Pilot Examiner's Handbook to ensure every checkride is conducted to the same standard.
Example Sentence 2
Applicants benefit from reviewing the Pilot Examiner's Handbook to understand what standards the examiner must apply.