FAR 141.53 — Training Course Approval
FAR 141.53 explains how Part 141 pilot schools get FAA approval for training course outlines, including 30-day filing rules and internet-based course requirements.
In Plain English
FAR 141.53 sets the rules a Part 141 pilot school must follow to get the FAA's blessing on a training course outline — the document that defines what and how the school teaches. Without an approved outline, the school can't run the course or earn its certificate or rating.
Key requirements:
- Approval required: Every training course (and any amendment) needs Administrator approval before training begins.
- Where to file: Submit the application in duplicate to the responsible Flight Standards office for the area where the school is based. Amendments need two copies of the change.
- When to file: At least 30 days before training under the new or amended course is scheduled to start.
- What courses qualify: Applicants may seek approval for any training course listed in § 141.11(b).
- Internet-based courses: Amendments must be identified by page, date, and screen; the school must give the FAA a way to log in remotely and bypass attendee restrictions for monitoring; and the courseware must protect integrity, identification/authentication, confidentiality, availability, and access control.
Why it matters: this is the regulatory backbone that keeps Part 141 training standardized and inspectable — a major reason 141 schools can offer reduced minimum hours.
Regulation Text
14 CFR § 141.53§ 141.53 Approval procedures for a training course: General.
(a)An applicant for a pilot school certificate or provisional pilot school certificate must obtain the Administrator's approval of the outline of each training course for which certification and rating is sought.
(b)(1) An application for the approval of an initial or amended training course must be submitted in duplicate to the responsible Flight Standards office for the area where the school is based.
(2) An application for the approval of an initial or amended training course must be submitted at least 30 days before any training under that course, or any amendment thereto, is scheduled to begin.
(3) An application for amending a training course must be accompanied by two copies of the amendment.
(c)An applicant for a pilot school certificate or provisional pilot school certificate may request approval for the training courses specified under § 141.11(b).
(d)An application for an initial or amended training course offered through an internet based medium must comply with the following:
(1) All amendments must be identified numerically by page, date, and screen. Minor editorial and typographical changes do not require FAA approval, provided the school notifies the FAA within 30 days of their insertion.
(2) For monitoring purposes, the school must provide the FAA an acceptable means to log-in and log-off from a remote location to review all elements of the course as viewed by attendees and to by-pass the normal attendee restrictions.
(3) The school must incorporate adequate security measures into its internet-based courseware information system and into its operating and maintenance procedures to ensure the following fundamental areas of security and protection:
(i) Integrity.
(ii) Identification/Authentication.
(iii) Confidentiality.
(iv) Availability.
(v) Access control.
[Docket 25910, 62 FR 16347, Apr. 4, 1997; Amdt. 141-9, 62 FR 40908, July 30, 1997; Amdt. 141-12, 74 FR 42563, Aug. 21, 2009; Amdt. 141-15, 76 FR 54107, Aug. 31, 2011, as amended by Docket FAA-2018-0119, Amdt. 141-19, 83 FR 9175, Mar. 5, 2018]
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Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1How does a Part 141 school get a training course approved by the FAA?
Per FAR 141.53, the school must submit the training course outline in duplicate to the responsible Flight Standards office for the school's area and obtain the Administrator's approval before training begins.
Q2How far in advance must an application for a new or amended training course be submitted?
FAR 141.53(b)(2) requires the application to be submitted at least 30 days before any training under that course, or any amendment to it, is scheduled to begin.
Q3What special requirements apply to a Part 141 training course delivered over the internet?
Under FAR 141.53(d), amendments must be identified by page, date, and screen; the school must give the FAA a remote log-in to review the course and bypass attendee restrictions; and the system must ensure integrity, identification/authentication, confidentiality, availability, and access control.
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