FAR 141.81 — Ground Training Instructors

FAR 141.81 sets the rules for who can teach ground training at a Part 141 pilot school and how that instruction must be supervised.

• Standard requirement: Each instructor assigned to a ground training course must hold a flight instructor certificate, a ground instructor certificate, or a commercial pilot certificate with a lighter-than-air rating — with the appropriate rating for the course being taught.
• Exception (uncertificated instructors): A person who doesn't meet the above can still teach ground training if:
  • The chief instructor for that course finds the person qualified to give the training, and
  • The training is conducted under the supervision of the chief instructor or assistant chief instructor, who must be present at the facility while the training is given.
• Briefing requirement: No instructor may be used in a ground training course until they have been briefed on the course objectives and standards by the chief instructor, assistant chief instructor, or check instructor.

This matters operationally because Part 141 schools earn their FAA approval by maintaining strict instructor standards — letting unqualified or unbriefed instructors teach can jeopardize the school's certification.