Pilot School Ratings

FAR 141.11 — Pilot School Ratings

FAR 141.11 lists the ratings and training courses a Part 141 pilot school or provisional school may be authorized to conduct, from private pilot to ATP.

In Plain English

FAR 141.11 identifies which course ratings the FAA can issue to a Part 141 pilot school or provisional pilot school. To get these ratings, the school must meet the certification requirements in § 141.5 (pilot school) or § 141.7 (provisional pilot school).

Once certificated, a school may be approved to conduct courses drawn from the appendixes to Part 141:

Appendixes A–J courses: recreational pilot, private pilot, commercial pilot, instrument rating, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight instructor instrument, ground instructor, additional category/class rating, and aircraft type rating courses.
Appendix K courses: pilot refresher, flight/ground instructor refresher, agricultural aircraft operations, rotorcraft external-load, special operations, test pilot, ATP certification training program, and flight instructor enhanced qualification training program.
Appendix L and Appendix M courses.

This matters operationally because a Part 141 school can only train students under courses it is specifically rated to conduct — and those approved courses are what allow students to use the reduced minimum flight hours Part 141 offers compared to Part 61.

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Regulation Text

14 CFR § 141.11

§ 141.11 Pilot school ratings. (a) The ratings listed in paragraph (b) of this section may be issued to an applicant for: (1) A pilot school certificate, provided the applicant meets the requirements of § 141.5 of this part; or (2) A provisional pilot school certificate, provided the applicant meets the requirements of § 141.7 of this part. (b) An applicant may be authorized to conduct the following courses: (1)(Appendixes A through J). (i) Recreational pilot course. (ii) Private pilot course. (iii) Commercial pilot course. (iv) Instrument rating course. (v) Airline transport pilot course. (vi) Flight instructor course. (vii) Flight instructor instrument course. (viii) Ground instructor course. (ix) Additional aircraft category or class rating course. (x) Aircraft type rating course. (2)(Appendix K). (i) Pilot refresher course. (ii) Flight instructor refresher course. (iii) Ground instructor refresher course. (iv) Agricultural aircraft operations course. (v) Rotorcraft external-load operations course. (vi) Special operations course. (vii) Test pilot course. (viii) Airline transport pilot certification training program. (ix) Flight instructor enhanced qualification training program. (3)(Appendix L). (4)(Appendix M). [Docket 25910, 62 FR 16347, Apr. 4, 1997, as amended by Amdt. 141-17, 78 FR 42379, July 15, 2013; Amdt. 141-17A, 78 FR 53026, Aug. 28, 2013; Docket FAA-2023-0825, Amdt. 141-25, 89 FR 80054, Oct. 1, 2024]

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Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask

Q1What types of pilot school certificates can be issued ratings under Part 141, and what regulations govern eligibility?

Per FAR 141.11, ratings may be issued to an applicant for either a pilot school certificate (meeting § 141.5) or a provisional pilot school certificate (meeting § 141.7).

Q2Name several courses a Part 141 school can be authorized to conduct under Appendixes A through J.

Under FAR 141.11(b)(1), Appendix A–J courses include the recreational, private, commercial, instrument, ATP, flight instructor, flight instructor instrument, ground instructor, additional category/class, and aircraft type rating courses.

Q3Where in Part 141 would you find the special-purpose courses like agricultural aircraft operations or test pilot training?

FAR 141.11(b)(2) lists these under Appendix K, which also covers refresher courses, rotorcraft external-load operations, special operations, the ATP certification training program, and the flight instructor enhanced qualification training program.

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