[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 88 (Thursday, May 8, 2025)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 19432-19433]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-08025]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 141
[Docket No.: FAA-2024-2531]
Notice of Public Meetings and Request for Comment on the
Modernization of Pilot Schools
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of
Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of public meetings for proposed rulemaking; request for
comment.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces public
meetings to solicit input on the modernization of pilot school
regulations.
DATES: The FAA will hold a hybrid of virtual and in-person public
meetings on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, and Wednesday, June 11, 2025, from
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Eastern Time. The FAA must receive requests to attend the
hybrid in-person meeting no later than May 27, 2025.
ADDRESSES: The in-person meetings will be held at Bridgewater State
University, Moakley Auditorium, 100 Burrill Ave., Bridgewater, MA
02324, and virtually on Zoom. See website for registration information
link for both virtual and in-person meetings: https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/afx/afs/afs800/afs810/modernization_of_part-141_initiative.
Comments: Written comments are requested no later than June 3,
2025.
[[Page 19433]]
Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2024-2531 using any
of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov and
follow the online instructions for sending your comments
electronically.
Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30; U.S.
Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room
W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket
Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251.
Privacy: DOT solicits comments from the public to better inform its
process. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any personal
information the commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as
described in the system of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can
be reviewed at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2008-01-17/pdf/E8-785.pdf.
Docket: Comments received may be read at www.regulations.gov at any
time. Follow the online instructions for accessing the docket or go to
the Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor
at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9:00 a.m. and
5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions concerning this action,
contact Lyndsay Carlson with the Part 141 Modernization Initiative
Team, Office of Safety Standards, General Aviation and Commercial
Division, Training and Certification Group (AFS-810): Email: [email protected]. Phone: 202-267-1100.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (14
CFR) part 141 (Pilot Schools) prescribes the requirements for issuing
pilot school air agency certificates, provisional pilot school air
agency certificates, and associated ratings, and the general operating
rules applicable to a holder of a certificate or rating issued under
part 141. Through a part 141 pilot school, a student may obtain
equivalent levels of aeronautical experience in fewer hours than
required by 14 CFR part 61 (Certification: Pilots, Flight Instructors,
and Ground Instructors). Part 141 schools are required to have FAA
certification and supplementary oversight. Specifically, part 141
includes curricula standards for training and procedures to ensure a
training course used by a school is adequate, appropriate, and
administered by qualified personnel.
The process of licensing or certification of pilot schools in the
United States is approaching 100 years of existence. Although the FAA
has revised certain regulatory requirements pertaining to pilot schools
during this time, part 141 still has many foundational ties to Civil
Air Regulations (CAR) part 50, which was implemented in the 1940s.
Regulations for pilot schools are typically promulgated to improve
safety, reduce aircraft accidents, and embrace changes such as advances
in technology and the need for data collection and analysis.
Modernizing part 141 is essential for addressing challenges pertaining
to certification, certification management, examining authority, and
evolving technology and learning methods. The objective of modernizing
part 141 is to increase safety and create a foundation for a more
structured and robust training environment to aid in the reduction of
general aviation fatal accidents.
Therefore, part 141 must be analyzed to determine how it can evolve
with the changing aviation industry. Over the course of the project,
the FAA is seeking engagement from the flight training industry through
participation in public meetings. Collaboration is encouraged to
stimulate the innovation of a modern part 141 that will serve the needs
of current and future pilot schools, as well as provide a robust and
safe training environment that instills the necessary knowledge,
skills, critical thinking, and aeronautical decision making in its
pilots to create a safer national airspace system.
Public Meetings
Information concerning the public meetings, including topics and
meeting times will be posted at the following website: https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/afx/afs/afs800/afs810/modernization_of_part-141_initiative.
Each meeting will be open to the public for virtual or in-person
attendance on a first-come, first-served basis, as there is limited
space. Please confirm your attendance with the person listed in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section and provide the following
information: full legal name and name of your industry association or
applicable affiliation. If you wish to attend the meetings in-person,
you must register before the scheduled deadline in the DATES section.
We will not have on-site registration. The FAA will email registrants
the meeting access information in a timely manner prior to the start of
the meetings.
DOT is committed to providing equal access to these meetings for
all participants. If you require an alternative version of files
provided or alternative accommodations, such as sign language,
interpretation, or other ancillary aids, please contact the Part 141
Modernization Initiative Team, at [email protected] no later than May 27, 2025.
Comments Encouraged
The FAA encourages the public to submit comments to
www.regulations.gov, Docket No. FAA-2024-2531. Comments that the FAA
would find helpful include validated data and reports, unique
discussion topics or scenarios, and/or feedback specific to modernizing
part 141. The public is encouraged to provide feedback regarding
innovative ideas; methods; solutions; products; and/or services that
have, or could have, a significant impact on pilot school training. We
encourage you to submit comments during these public meetings or
electronically to Docket No. FAA-2024-2531. If you submit your comments
electronically, it is not necessary to also submit a hard copy.
The submission of public comments is encouraged but not required
for meeting participation. The FAA will consider public feedback to
determine the need for future considerations to the CFR. The FAA will
review comments that are post-marked, or submitted electronically, on
or before the comment closing date of June 3, 2025. Comments made after
the closing date may be reviewed as time and resources permit.
Issued in Washington, DC, on April 30, 2025.
Everette C. Rochon, Jr.,
Manager, Training and Certification Group, General Aviation and
Commercial Division, Office of Safety Standards, Flight Standards
Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-08025 Filed 5-7-25; 8:45 am]
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