FAR 141.39 — Part 141 Aircraft Requirements
FAR 141.39 sets aircraft requirements for Part 141 pilot schools: airworthiness, maintenance, dual pilot stations, and IFR equipment for instrument courses.
In Plain English
FAR 141.39 spells out what aircraft a Part 141 pilot school may use for flight training and solo flights. The rule splits into two scenarios — schools based in the U.S. and schools operating entirely outside the U.S. — but the core requirements are the same.
For a U.S.-based school, every training aircraft must:
- Be a civil aircraft of the United States.
- Hold a standard, primary, or light-sport (special) airworthiness certificate (the FAA can allow exceptions based on the course).
- Be maintained and inspected under Part 91, Subpart E standards for aircraft operated for hire (the stricter 100-hour inspection regime).
- Have two pilot stations with engine-power controls easily reachable and operable from both seats when used for dual flight training.
- Be equipped and maintained for IFR if the course includes IFR en route operations or instrument approaches. For basic attitude-instrument training, the aircraft only needs the equipment specified in the approved course.
Schools located and training outside the U.S. follow the same standards but may use foreign-registered civil aircraft with equivalent foreign airworthiness and maintenance certifications.
This matters operationally because it ensures the trainer you're flying is held to a higher inspection standard than a typical Part 91 aircraft and is properly equipped for the rating you're pursuing.
Regulation Text
14 CFR § 141.39§ 141.39 Aircraft.
(a) When the school's training facility is located within the U.S., an applicant for a pilot school certificate or provisional pilot school certificate must show that each aircraft used by the school for flight training and solo flights:
(1) Is a civil aircraft of the United States;
(2) Is certificated with a standard airworthiness certificate, a primary airworthiness certificate, or a special airworthiness certificate in the light-sport category unless the FAA determines otherwise because of the nature of the approved course;
(3) Is maintained and inspected in accordance with the requirements for aircraft operated for hire under part 91, subpart E, of this chapter;
(4) Has two pilot stations with engine-power controls that can be easily reached and operated in a normal manner from both pilot stations (for flight training); and
(5) Is equipped and maintained for IFR operations if used in a course involving IFR en route operations and instrument approaches. For training in the control and precision maneuvering of an aircraft by reference to instruments, the aircraft may be equipped as provided in the approved course of training.
(b) When the school's training facility is located outside the U.S. and the training will be conducted outside the U.S., an applicant for a pilot school certificate or provisional pilot school certificate must show that each aircraft used by the school for flight training and solo flights:
(1) Is either a civil aircraft of the United States or a civil aircraft of foreign registry;
(2) Is certificated with a standard or primary airworthiness certificate or an equivalent certification from the foreign aviation authority;
(3) Is maintained and inspected in accordance with the requirements for aircraft operated for hire under part 91, subpart E of this chapter, or in accordance with equivalent maintenance and inspection from the foreign aviation authority's requirements;
(4) Has two pilot stations with engine-power controls that can be easily reached and operated in a normal manner from both pilot stations (for flight training); and
(5) Is equipped and maintained for IFR operations if used in a course involving IFR en route operations and instrument approaches. For training in the control and precision maneuvering of an aircraft by reference to instruments, the aircraft may be equipped as provided in the approved course of training.
[Docket FAA-2006-26661, 74 FR 42563, Aug. 21, 2009, as amended by Amdt. 141-13, 75 FR 5223, Feb. 1, 2010]
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1What airworthiness and maintenance requirements apply to aircraft used by a U.S.-based Part 141 school?
Per FAR 141.39, the aircraft must be a U.S. civil aircraft with a standard, primary, or light-sport special airworthiness certificate, and it must be maintained and inspected under Part 91, Subpart E as an aircraft operated for hire.
Q2Does a Part 141 trainer need to be IFR-equipped?
Only if the approved course involves IFR en route operations or instrument approaches, per FAR 141.39(a)(5). For basic control and precision maneuvering by reference to instruments, the aircraft can be equipped as specified in the approved course.
Q3What are the pilot-station requirements for a Part 141 flight training aircraft?
FAR 141.39(a)(4) requires two pilot stations with engine-power controls that can be easily reached and operated in a normal manner from both stations whenever the aircraft is used for flight training.
Studying for a checkride?
Related Sections in Part 141