SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 141 (Pilot Schools) prescribes the requirements for issuing pilot school air agency certificates, provisional pilot school air agency certificates, and associated ratings, and the general operating rules applicable to a holder of a certificate or rating issued under part 141. Through a part 141 pilot school, a student may obtain equivalent levels of aeronautical experience in fewer hours than required by 14 CFR part 61 (Certification: Pilots, Flight Instructors, and Ground Instructors). Part 141 schools are required to have FAA certification and supplementary oversight. Specifically, part 141 includes curricula standards for training and procedures to ensure a training course used by a school is adequate, appropriate, and administered by qualified personnel.

The process of licensing or certification of pilot schools in the United States is approaching 100 years of existence. Although the FAA has revised certain regulatory requirements pertaining to pilot schools during this time, part 141 still has many foundational ties to Civil Air Regulations (CAR) part 50, which was implemented in the 1940s. Regulations for pilot schools are typically promulgated to improve safety, reduce aircraft accidents, and embrace changes such as advances in technology and the need for data collection and analysis. Modernizing part 141 is essential for addressing challenges pertaining to certification, certification management, examining authority, and evolving technology and learning methods. The objective of modernizing part 141 is to increase safety and create a foundation for a more structured and robust training environment to aid in the reduction of general aviation fatal accidents.

Therefore, part 141 must be analyzed to determine how it can evolve with the changing aviation industry. Over the course of the project, the FAA is seeking engagement from the flight training industry through participation in public meetings. Collaboration is encouraged to stimulate the innovation of a modern part 141 that will serve the needs of current and future pilot schools, as well as provide a robust and safe training environment that instills the necessary knowledge, skills, critical thinking, and aeronautical decision making in its pilots to create a safer national airspace system.

Public Meetings

Information concerning the public meetings, including topics and meeting times will be posted at the following website: https://www.faa.gov/​about/​office_​org/​headquarters_​offices/​avs/​offices/​afx/​afs/​afs800/​afs810/​modernization_​of_​part-141_​initiative.

Each meeting will be open to the public for virtual or in-person attendance on a first-come, first-served basis, as there is limited space. Please confirm your attendance with the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section and provide the following information: full legal name and name of your industry association or applicable affiliation. If you wish to attend the meetings in-person, you must register before the scheduled deadline in the DATES section. We will not have on-site registration. The FAA will email registrants the meeting access information in a timely manner prior to the start of the meetings.

DOT is committed to providing equal access to these meetings for all participants. If you require an alternative version of files provided or alternative accommodations, such as sign language, interpretation, or other ancillary aids, please contact the Part 141 Modernization Initiative Team, at 9-AFS-Modernization-Part141-Comments@faa.gov no later than September 23, 2025.

Comments Encouraged

The FAA encourages the public to submit comments to www.regulations.gov, Docket No.: FAA- ( printed page 37816) 2024-2531. Comments that the FAA would find helpful include validated data and reports, unique discussion topics or scenarios, and/or feedback specific to modernizing part 141. The public is encouraged to provide feedback regarding innovative ideas; methods; solutions; products; and/or services that have, or could have, a significant impact on pilot school training. We encourage you to submit comments during these public meetings or electronically to Docket No.: FAA-2024-2531. If you submit your comments electronically, it is not necessary to also submit a hard copy.

The submission of public comments is encouraged but not required for meeting participation. The FAA will consider public feedback to determine the need for future considerations to the CFR. The FAA will review comments that are post-marked, or submitted electronically, on or before the comment closing date of September 30, 2025. Comments made after the closing date may be reviewed as time and resources permit.

90 FR 37815