Who Can Be an Instructor on DPE Waitlist

Any user who holds a current Certified Flight Instructor certificate can use instructor features on their DPE Waitlist account. This includes CFI, CFII, and MEI certificate holders. You do not need a separate account or a special invitation — instructor capabilities are built into every account and activate automatically when the platform detects your instructor certificate.

How Instructor Features Activate

Instructor features activate automatically. The platform pulls your certificate information from the FAA airman database and detects whether you hold an instructor certificate. When it does, a Students tab appears in your sidebar alongside your existing applicant features. There is no toggle or manual setup — the platform handles it for you.

If you recently obtained your instructor certificate and do not see the Students tab yet:

  1. Verify that your instructor certificate is showing in the FAA airman database.
  2. Once it appears there, go to your profile on DPE Waitlist and click the Existing Certificates link to refresh your certificate data.
  3. The Students tab will appear once the platform has pulled your updated certificate information.
You do not need to create a new account to use instructor features. Instructor capabilities are part of your existing account, so all your applicant data, checkrides, and waitlist entries remain exactly as they are.

Instructor and Applicant Features Coexist

DPE Waitlist is designed so that many CFIs are also active pilots pursuing their own ratings and checkrides. When instructor features are active on your account:

  • Your applicant features (waitlists, scheduled checkrides, your own checklists, endorsements) continue to function normally in their existing tabs.
  • The Students tab appears in your sidebar as an additional section.
  • There is no mode switching or role toggling — both sets of features are always accessible from the same account and the same sidebar.

For example, a CFII who is also working toward a Commercial Multi-Engine rating can manage their students' endorsements and then check their own checkride readiness, all without switching between accounts or modes.

Overview of Instructor Features

With instructor features active, you have access to:

  • Student Management — Students send you authorization requests for specific checkride categories. Authorizations are accepted automatically, and the student is added to your roster. You can remove an authorization from a student's detail view if it was sent in error or the relationship has ended.
  • Digital Endorsements — Create Part 61 endorsements digitally, sign them with your digital signature, and have them automatically linked to your students' checkride checklists.
  • Checkride Prep — Create a pre-checkride checklist for a student to track documents, endorsements, and other requirements before a checkride. The student works through the checklist while you monitor progress and provide the necessary endorsements.