The FAA is looking for public input as it modernizes Part 141 flight school regulations.
The agency will hold two public meetings to “solicit input,” as well as accepting comments on the modernization efforts. The virtual public meetings will be held March 10 and March 11, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time. To register for the Zoom meetings, go to FAA.gov.
Meanwhile, written comments will be accepted until April 10, 2026 at FederalRegister.gov.
The modernization effort was spurred by a provision in the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act, which called for modernizing Part 141 flight schools. To help do that, the FAA created the National Flight Training Alliance (NFTA), which has been working with FAA officials on the update.
The effort is long overdue, according to FAA officials, who note the last update was in 1997 when current technology, such as GPS, flight simulation, EFBs, and virtual classrooms did not exist.
In fact, FAA officials note that the current Part 141 regulations have “foundational ties” to Civil Air Regulations (CAR) Part 50, which was implemented in the 1940s.
“For example, private pilot certification required 35 hours of total flight time in 1940, which is still a regulatory requirement today,” officials noted.
“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,” agency officials continued. “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.”
The modernization efforts include analyzing Part 141 to determine how it can “evolve with the changing aviation industry.”
“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.”
Comments that FAA officials said they would find helpful include “validated data and reports, unique discussion topics or scenarios, and feedback specific to modernizing Part 141…that could have a significant impact on pilot school training.”
You can submit written comments until April 10, 2026, at FederalRegister.gov.
For more information on the modernization effort, check out this PowerPoint Presentation from the FAA.
Leave a Reply