FAR 141.89 — Personnel & Facilities Maintenance
FAR 141.89 requires Part 141 pilot schools to maintain qualified instructors, approved aircraft, airports, and facilities before training enrolled students.
FAR 141.89 sets an ongoing standard for Part 141 pilot schools and provisional pilot schools: a school may not train an enrolled student in an approved course unless its people, places, and equipment continue to meet the standards listed in the school's approved training course outline (TCO) and the rest of Part 141.
Specifically, the school must ensure:
- Airports, aircraft, and facilities used for training meet the standards spelled out in the approved TCO and the applicable Part 141 requirements.
- Instructional personnel — including the chief instructor, assistant chief instructor, check instructor, and any instructor — meet the qualifications in the approved course and Part 141. The only exception is the temporary substitution allowance under § 141.87.
Why it matters operationally: a Part 141 certificate isn't a one-time approval. If an aircraft falls out of compliance, an airport no longer supports the maneuvers in the TCO, or a chief instructor leaves and isn't properly replaced, the school must stop training under that course until standards are restored. This is what protects the structured, FAA-approved quality that lets Part 141 students qualify for reduced minimum flight hours.