Special Curricula

FAR 141.57 — Special Curricula

FAR 141.57 lets Part 141 pilot schools seek FAA approval for special training courses not listed in the appendixes if proficiency is equivalent.

In Plain English

FAR 141.57 gives Part 141 pilot schools (and applicants for a school certificate) a way to teach a course that isn't already laid out in the appendixes of Part 141. Normally, a Part 141 school must follow one of the FAA's pre-written curriculum templates — for example, the Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, or Commercial Pilot appendixes. This section creates an exception.

Under 141.57, a school may apply to the FAA for approval of a special course of airman training when:

The course covers training not prescribed in the Part 141 appendixes, and
The applicant can show that the course's features will produce pilot proficiency equivalent to what a student would gain from an appendix-based Part 141 course or from training under Part 61.

Operationally, this matters because it lets schools innovate — building courses for specialized aircraft, mission profiles, or new training technologies — while still holding graduates to the same proficiency standard the FAA expects from any certificated pilot.

Regulation Text

14 CFR § 141.57

§ 141.57 Special curricula. An applicant for a pilot school certificate or provisional pilot school certificate may apply for approval to conduct a special course of airman training for which a curriculum is not prescribed in the appendixes of this part, if the applicant shows that the training course contains features that could achieve a level of pilot proficiency equivalent to that achieved by a training course prescribed in the appendixes of this part or the requirements of part 61 of this chapter.

Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask

Q1What does FAR 141.57 allow a Part 141 pilot school to do?

Per FAR 141.57, a school (or applicant) may apply for FAA approval to conduct a special course of airman training that isn't prescribed in the Part 141 appendixes.

Q2What must an applicant demonstrate to get a special curriculum approved under FAR 141.57?

Under FAR 141.57, the applicant must show that the proposed course contains features capable of achieving a level of pilot proficiency equivalent to a curriculum in the Part 141 appendixes or to the requirements of Part 61.

Q3If a curriculum already exists in the Part 141 appendixes, does FAR 141.57 apply?

No. FAR 141.57 specifically addresses courses for which a curriculum is not prescribed in the appendixes of Part 141; if one exists, the school uses that prescribed curriculum instead.

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Related Sections in Part 141

§ 141.1

Part 141 Applicability

§ 141.101

Part 141 Training Records