Notice of Public Meetings and Request for Comment on the Modernization of Pilot Schools, 9957-9958 [2025-02845]

Agencies

• Federal Aviation Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 33 (Thursday, February 20, 2025)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 9957-9958]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-02845]


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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: Written comments are requested no later than April 24, 2025.
    The FAA will hold a hybrid of virtual and in-person public meetings 
on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, and Thursday, 
April 3, 2025, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Eastern Time. The FAA must receive 
requests to attend this hybrid meeting no later than March 17, 2025.

ADDRESSES: The in-person meetings will be held at the FAA Southern 
Regional Office, 1701 Columbia Ave., College Park, GA 30337, 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: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2024-2531 
using any of the following methods:

[[Page 9958]]

     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 a.m. and 5 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 a.m. and 5 
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. 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, country of citizenship, and name of your 
industry association or applicable affiliation. If you wish to attend 
the meeting 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 March 17, 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 April 24, 2025. Comments made 
after the closing date may be reviewed as time and resources permit.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 14, 2025.
Everette C. Rochon, Jr.,
Manager, Training and Certification Group, General Aviation and 
Commercial Division, Office of Safety Standards, Flight Standards 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-02845 Filed 2-19-25; 8:45 am]
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