FAR 61.189 — Flight Instructor Records
FAR 61.189 explains what records a CFI must keep: logbook signatures, solo and test endorsements, and how long to retain them. Study guide for checkride prep.
In Plain English
FAR 61.189 spells out the recordkeeping duties every flight instructor (CFI) must follow when training students. These records protect both the student and the instructor, and they're a favorite checkride topic for CFI applicants.
The rule requires a CFI to:
- Sign the logbook of every person who receives flight training or ground training from that instructor.
- Keep a record — in a logbook or separate document — of:
- The name and date for each person endorsed for solo flight privileges.
- The name, kind of test, date, and results for each person endorsed for a knowledge test or practical test.
- Retain these records for at least 3 years.
Why it matters operationally: if a student fails a checkride or has an incident shortly after solo, the FAA can trace the training back to the endorsing instructor. Sloppy records can lead to certificate action against the CFI, so most instructors keep a dedicated endorsement logbook for their entire career.
Regulation Text
14 CFR § 61.189§ 61.189 Flight instructor records.
(a) A flight instructor must sign the logbook of each person to whom that instructor has given flight training or ground training.
(b) A flight instructor must maintain a record in a logbook or a separate document that contains the following:
(1) The name of each person whose logbook that instructor has endorsed for solo flight privileges, and the date of the endorsement; and
(2) The name of each person that instructor has endorsed for a knowledge test or practical test, and the record shall also indicate the kind of test, the date, and the results.
(c) Each flight instructor must retain the records required by this section for at least 3 years.
[Docket 25910, 62 FR 16298, Apr. 4, 1997, as amended by Docket FAA-2010-1127, Amdt. 61-135, 81 FR 1306, Jan. 12, 2016]
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1What records must a flight instructor maintain, and for how long?
Per FAR 61.189, a CFI must keep a record of every student endorsed for solo flight (name and date) and every student endorsed for a knowledge or practical test (name, kind of test, date, and results), and must retain those records for at least 3 years.
Q2Whose logbooks does a flight instructor have to sign?
Under FAR 61.189(a), a flight instructor must sign the logbook of each person to whom that instructor has given either flight training or ground training.
Q3If you endorse a student for a practical test, what specific information must your record show?
FAR 61.189(b)(2) requires the record to include the student's name, the kind of test, the date of the endorsement, and the results of the test.
Studying for a checkride?
Related Sections in Part 61