90 FR 149 pgs. 37816-37817 - Notification of Public Meetings and Request for Comment on the Modernization of Pilot Schools
Type: PRORULEVolume: 90Number: 149Pages: 37816 - 37817
Pages: 37816, 37817Docket number: [Docket No. FAA-2024-2531]
FR document: [FR Doc. 2025-14910 Filed 8-5-25; 8:45 am]
Agency: Transportation Department
Sub Agency: Federal Aviation Administration
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
[Docket No. FAA-2024-2531]
14 CFR Part 141
Notification of Public Meetings and Request for Comment on the Modernization of Pilot Schools
AGENCY:
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION:
Proposed rule; notification of public meetings; request for comment.
SUMMARY:
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces public meetings to solicit input on the modernization of pilot school regulations.
DATES:
The FAA will hold a hybrid of virtual and in-person public meetings on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, and Wednesday, November 5, 2025, from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Mountain Time. The FAA must receive requests to attend the in-person meeting no later than October 21, 2025.
ADDRESSES:
The in-person meetings will be held at the Salt Lake City Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), 1020 North Flyer Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, and virtually on Zoom. See website for registration information link for both virtual and in-person meetings: https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/afx/afs/afs800/afs810/modernization_of_part-141_initiative.
Comments: Written comments are requested no later than October 28, 2025. Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2024-2531 using any of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for sending your comments electronically.
• Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30; U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
• Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
• Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at (202) 493-2251.
Privacy: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information the commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2008-01-17/pdf/E8-785.pdf.
Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at www.regulations.gov at any time. Follow the online instructions for accessing the docket or go to the Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lyndsay Carlson with the Part 141 Modernization Initiative Team, Office of Safety Standards, General Aviation and Commercial Division, Training and Certification Group (AFS-810), Federal Aviation Administration; telephone (202) 267-1100; email 9-AFS-Modernization-Part141-Comments@faa.gov.
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
[top] Information concerning the public meetings, including topics and meeting
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 October 21, 2025.
Comments Encouraged
The FAA encourages the public to submit comments to www.regulations.gov, Docket No.: FAA-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 October 28, 2025. Comments made after the closing date may be reviewed as time and resources permit.
Issued in Washington, DC, on August 4, 2025.
Everette C. Rochon, Jr.,
Manager, Training and Certification Group, General Aviation and Commercial Division, Office of Safety Standards, Flight Standards Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-14910 Filed 8-5-25; 8:45 am]
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