FAR 141.55 — Part 141 Course Contents
FAR 141.55 spells out what a Part 141 training course must contain: curriculum, facilities, aircraft, instructor qualifications, and a detailed syllabus.
In Plain English
FAR 141.55 lists everything a Part 141 pilot school must put into a training course before the FAA will approve it. The course has to follow the minimum curriculum and minimum ground and flight training times in the appropriate appendix of Part 141.
Each approved course must include:
- A description of every ground training room (size and student capacity), unless the course is internet-based
- A list of audiovisual aids, mockups, charts, and training aids
- A description of any flight simulators or flight training devices
- The airports used for training flights and the briefing facilities available
- The aircraft and special equipment used in each phase
- Minimum instructor qualifications and ratings
- A training syllabus with prerequisites, detailed lessons (objectives, standards, time), expected learning outcomes, stage standards, and stage checks/tests
The rule also lets an established school request initial approval (up to 24 months) or final approval for a course that does not meet the minimum training times, provided strict experience, pass-rate, and testing conditions are met. This is why Part 141 training is structured and predictable — every lesson, stage check, and facility is pre-approved by the FAA.
Regulation Text
14 CFR § 141.55§ 141.55 Training course: Contents.
(a) Each training course for which approval is requested must meet the minimum curriculum requirements in accordance with the appropriate appendix of this part.
(b) Except as provided in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, each training course for which approval is requested must meet the minimum ground and flight training time requirements in accordance with the appropriate appendix of this part.
(c) Each training course for which approval is requested must contain:
(1) A description of each room used for ground training, including the room's size and the maximum number of students that may be trained in the room at one time, unless the course is provided via an internet-based training medium;
(2) A description of each type of audiovisual aid, projector, tape recorder, mockup, chart, aircraft component, and other special training aids used for ground training;
(3) A description of each flight simulator or flight training device used for training;
(4) A listing of the airports at which training flights originate and a description of the facilities, including pilot briefing areas that are available for use by the school's students and personnel at each of those airports;
(5) A description of the type of aircraft including any special equipment used for each phase of training;
(6) The minimum qualifications and ratings for each instructor assigned to ground or flight training; and
(7) A training syllabus that includes the following information—
(i) The prerequisites for enrolling in the ground and flight portion of the course that include the pilot certificate and rating (if required by this part), training, pilot experience, and pilot knowledge;
(ii) A detailed description of each lesson, including the lesson's objectives, standards, and planned time for completion;
(iii) A description of what the course is expected to accomplish with regard to student learning;
(iv) The expected accomplishments and the standards for each stage of training; and
(v) A description of the checks and tests to be used to measure a student's accomplishments for each stage of training.
(d) A pilot school may request and receive initial approval for a period of not more than 24 calendar months for any training course under this part that does not meet the minimum ground and flight training time requirements, provided the following provisions are met:
(1) The school holds a pilot school certificate issued under this part and has held that certificate for a period of at least 24 consecutive calendar months preceding the month of the request;
(2) In addition to the information required by paragraph (c) of this section, the training course specifies planned ground and flight training time requirements for the course;
(3) The school does not request the training course to be approved for examining authority, nor may that school hold examining authority for that course; and
(4) The practical test or knowledge test for the course is to be given by—
(i) An FAA inspector; or
(ii) An examiner who is not an employee of the school.
(e) A pilot school may request and receive final approval for any training course under this part that does not meet the minimum ground and flight training time requirements, provided the following conditions are met:
(1) The school has held initial approval for that training course for at least 24 calendar months.
(2) The school has—
(i) Trained at least 10 students in that training course within the preceding 24 calendar months and recommended those students for a pilot, flight instructor, or ground instructor certificate or rating; and
(ii) At least 80 percent of those students passed the practical or knowledge test, as appropriate, on the first attempt, and that test was given by—
(A) An FAA inspector; or
(B) An examiner who is not an employee of the school.
(3) In addition to the information required by paragraph (c) of this section, the training course specifies planned ground and flight training time requirements for the course.
(4) The school does not request that the training course be approved for examining authority nor may that school hold examining authority for that course.
[Docket 25910, 62 FR 16347, Apr. 4, 1997, as amended by Amdt. 141-12, 74 FR 42563, Aug. 21, 2009; Amdt. 141-15, 76 FR 54107, Aug. 31, 2011]
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1What must a Part 141 training course contain to receive FAA approval?
Per FAR 141.55, the course must meet the appendix's minimum curriculum and training times and include descriptions of ground training rooms, training aids, simulators, training airports, aircraft, instructor qualifications, and a detailed syllabus.
Q2What specific items must the training syllabus include under FAR 141.55?
FAR 141.55(c)(7) requires the syllabus to list course prerequisites, a detailed description of each lesson with objectives, standards, and planned time, the expected learning outcomes, stage accomplishments and standards, and the checks and tests used to measure student progress.
Q3Can a Part 141 school get a course approved that doesn't meet the minimum training time requirements?
Yes. Under FAR 141.55(d) and (e), an established school can receive initial approval for up to 24 months, and later final approval, if at least 10 students were trained with an 80% first-attempt pass rate on tests given by an FAA inspector or non-employee examiner, and the school does not hold examining authority for that course.
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Related Sections in Part 141