Market Intelligence: -Flight School

Washington D.C., USA – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a public meeting and request for comments on the modernization of pilot schools under Part 141 regulations. The initiative aims to update training regulations to align with modern technological advancements and evolving industry needs.

• The FAA is initiating public engagement on the modernization of Part 141 regulations through a series of meetings, beginning with a virtual session on March 6, 2025.
• The initiative seeks to address outdated training regulations that have roots in early pilot training practices and the Civil Air Regulations.
• The FAA emphasizes that updates should support 21st-century challenges related to technology, safety, and advancements in training methodologies.
• The National Flight Training Alliance (NFTA) has been named co-chair of the initiative, raising industry discussions about the potential influence of large-scale training providers in shaping the regulatory updates.
• The Flight School Association of North America (FSANA) has urged all flight training stakeholders to participate in the process to ensure that all perspectives are considered.
• The FAA is requesting written comments on the proposed modernization efforts, with a submission deadline of March 21, 2025.

The FAA said: “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 would address challenges pertaining to certification, certification management, examining authority, and evolving technology and learning methods. The FAA’s objective of modernizing part 141 is to increase safety and create a foundation for a more structured training environment to aid in the reduction of general aviation accidents and fatalities.

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 and submitted comments. Collaboration within the industry 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.”

See the FAA announcement here.

Source: FAA