FSAI Part 141 Report Update | |
FSAI continues in the writing stage of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 141 Report. The report will be shared with the FAA along with other governmental bodies that have made this request. The report is estimated to be 25-50 pages.
The FSAI report has come about after discussions with the FAA, Congress and other governmental bodies regarding the 471 page report that was submitted by the NFTA.
| | 4th Annual DPE Symposium Next Month | |
The 4th annual DPE Symposium is scheduled for September 23-25, 2026, in Dallas, Texas.
The Symposium brings together DPEs, future DPEs, flight school operators, chief flight instructors and anyone serious about becoming a DPE.
The goal of the symposium continues to be an effort to bring DPEs together to help enhance standardization and help individuals who are interested in becoming DPEs learn more about the process and potential, and bring FAA staff together with attendees to share information about FAA efforts, DPE practices, and currency.
The yearly event is an in-person opportunity to share information and to allow DPE attendees to better communicate and standardize practical testing throughout our training system.
Register or Learn More
Symposium Agenda
Wednesday, September 23
6:00 Reception and dinner
Thursday, September 24
8:00 Registration Opens
8:30 Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:00 FAA Designee Program Update
10:00 FAA Orders: 8000.95 and 8900.1 — Critical Content for a DPE
11:00 Airman Practical Testing Programs Update
Noon Lunch
1:30 Standardization of Discrepancies in the Practical Testing Landscape
2:30 Break
3:00 Working with Training Providers to Best Develop Understanding of What It Takes to Deliver a Good Quality Applicant
4:00 Plans of Action Development and Management [Concurrent session]
How to Become a DPE [Concurrent session]
5:00 Adjourn for the day
Friday, September 25
7:30 Registration Opens
8:00 Documenting Checkrides: Proper Disapproval Notice Practices
9:00 Break
9:15 IACRA and DMS Best Practices, Tips & Tricks
10:15 Break
11:00 What MOSAIC Means for DPEs
Noon Lunch
1:15 Awkward, Challenging, and Contentious Situations for DPEs and How to Handle Them
3:00 DPE Due Process Denied: Briefing on the National Class Action Lawsuit Challenging FAA Designee Terminations
4:30 Adjourn
Room Reservations
Book by September 2 to receive the group's special rate of $199.00 plus tax. After this date, rates may be higher or rooms may be unavailable.
The DPE Symposium will be held at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Marriott. The newly renovated hotel is just a short drive from premier shopping, dining, and entertainment at Grapevine Mills Mall, Southlake Town Square, and Downtown Dallas. Located next door to DFW International Airport, the hotel provides complimentary shuttle service to and from the transportation hub.
Book Your Hotel Room
| | Exhibitor/Sponsor Registration & Hotel Room Reservations Now Open for the 18th Annual International Flight School Operators Conference & Trade Show | |
FSAI is pleased to host its 2027 Conference & Trade Show at Hyatt Regency New Orleans. Located next to the Caesars Superdome and Smoothie King Center, Hyatt Regency offers spacious accommodations, an outdoor rooftop pool, an on-site Starbucks and FedEx Office, and multiple dining options—all within walking distance of the South Market District.
To become an Exhibitor, Sponsor of the 2027 conference in New Orleans and/or an annual "Partner", FSAI has packages available. Exhibit space will be sold out prior to the 2027 conference in February, so act now to secure your spot. Contact FSAI soon to secure your spot. info@fsai.org or 610-791-4359. All annual "Partners" are required to submit exhibitor registrations for 2027.
EXHIBITOR INFO
Learn more about exhibitor and sponsor information by clicking here.
HOTEL INFO AND ROOM RESERVATIONS
Room reservations are open. Plan today and secure your rooms now.
Access discounted room reservations by clicking here.
| | AviationStart and FSAI Announce Partnership to Connect Students with $20 Million in Aviation Scholarships | |
AviationStart, the free online platform connecting aspiring aviation professionals with scholarships, training resources, and career pathways, and Flight School Association International (FSAI), the world’s leading trade association for flight training organizations, today announced a formal partnership designed to help flight school students discover and win the funding they need to start — and finish — their aviation training.
Through the partnership, FSAI is recommending AviationStart to its more than 950 members worldwide as a free resource for their students and prospective students. FSAI member schools will be featured in AviationStart’s national flight school database, AviationStart will be integrated into FSAI’s members-only Benefit Hub, and the two organizations will collaborate on education and outreach initiatives, including at FSAI’s annual International Flight School Operators Conference & Trade Show.
Solving Flight Training’s Biggest Barrier: Funding
The single greatest obstacle between an aspiring pilot and a completed certificate is cost — and most students have no idea how much scholarship money is available to them. AviationStart’s AI-powered Scholarship Finder aggregates opportunities from more than 1,700 aviation organizations, representing approximately $20 million in scholarships ranging from $1,000 awards to life-changing $100,000 flight training scholarships.
For FSAI members, the math is simple: every student who finds funding is a student who can enroll, continue, and complete training. By sharing AviationStart with prospects and current students at no cost, flight schools strengthen their communities while expanding their own enrollment pipelines.
The results are already real. Hundreds of students — who have dreamed of flying have used the platform to find funding opportunities, and including awards as high as $100,000 flight training scholarships.
“Flight schools are where aviation dreams either take off or stall out, and too often the difference is nothing more than money the student never knew existed,” said Jamail Larkins, Founder of AviationStart and the FAA’s Ambassador for Aviation & Space Education. “FSAI has spent nearly two decades championing the flight training industry, and we’re honored to partner with the leading voice for flight schools worldwide. Together, we can make sure that when a student walks through the door of an FSAI member school, funding is never the reason they walk back out.”
“AviationStart is one of the best things to happen to this industry,” said Robert Rockmaker, President & CEO of FSAI. “Our members work hard every day to train the next generation of pilots, and the biggest challenge their students face is paying for training. AviationStart puts a free, powerful funding tool directly in their hands. We encourage every FSAI member to make it part of how they welcome new students into aviation.”
A Proven, Trusted Platform
AviationStart has quickly become one of the industry’s most trusted gateways into aviation careers:
- More than 27,000 registered aspiring aviation professionals, growing by over 2,000 new members every month
- An AI-powered Scholarship Finder covering 1,700+ aviation organizations and approximately $20 million in available funding
- Backed by leading industry partners including Tempest Aero Group, AeroShell, Bose Aviation, Signature Aviation, and McFarlane Aviation.
- Official state partnerships with aviation agencies in multiple states.
- Powered by the DreamLaunch Tour — 20+ years, 1,100+ events, and more than 68,000 students reached nationwide with events averaging 300–400 attendees.
AviationStart was founded by Jamail Larkins, who became the youngest American to solo a powered aircraft at age 14 — after writing to more than 100 aviation companies to fund his own training. Larkins serves as the FAA’s first Ambassador for Aviation & Space Education and has been recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30, named Inc. Magazine’s #1 Entrepreneur Under 30 in the U.S., and has been featured by the White House for his work in aviation.
What the Partnership Includes
- FSAI recommends AviationStart to its member flight schools as a free student resource
- FSAI member schools featured in AviationStart’s national flight school database
- AviationStart integrated into FSAI’s members-only Benefit Hub
- Cross-promotion through FSAI’s newsletter and both organizations’ websites
- AviationStart participation at FSAI’s annual International Flight School Operators Conference & Trade Show in New Orleans
Flight schools and students can explore the platform today at www.aviationstart.org.
About AviationStart
AviationStart is a free online platform helping aspiring pilots, mechanics, and aviation professionals discover scholarships, training resources, and career pathways. Founded by Jamail Larkins, the FAA’s Ambassador for Aviation & Space Education, AviationStart serves a community of more than 27,000 members and features an AI-powered Scholarship Finder covering 1,700+ aviation organizations and approximately $20 million in funding opportunities. Learn more at www.aviationstart.org.
| | DA 42 Airplanes AD 2026-14-08 | |
On July 17, 2026 the FAA issued Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2026-14-08 for Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH DA 42 airplanes. This AD was prompted by occurrences of uncommanded rudder deflection caused by a cracked nose landing gear (NLG) hydraulic actuator rod end, which could lead to failure of the NLG actuator and interference with the rudder control system, forcing the rudder into left-hand deflection. This AD requires repetitive inspections of the affected part, and, for certain airplanes, a prohibition of touch and go takeoffs and landings, pending accomplishment of the initial inspection. The AD is published in the Federal Register here.
| | What Flight Schools Need to Know About the FAA's New AASI PATH for Anxiety and Depression | |
By Shannon Torres, M.Ed., Founder of Aviation Conversations
On July 29, 2026, the FAA released updated guidance on the Assisted Special Issuance (AASI) PATH for Anxiety, Depression, and Related Conditions. It's worth every flight school owner, chief flight instructor, and DPE understanding what changed, because this "PATH"-way could shape how your students and instructors handle mental health for years.
Here's the short version: Once a pilot's initial Special Issuance has been granted and the AASI PATH has been approved, their Aviation Medical Examiner can re-issue that pilot's medical certificate directly, without routing the case back through Oklahoma City every single time. For anyone who has watched a student or a fellow CFI get stuck in that waiting period, wondering if or when they'd be back in the airplane, that's a real shift. Anxiety and depression diagnoses have historically meant a slower, less predictable road back to the cockpit. The FAA is catching up to the reality that with proper monitoring, most of these pilots can keep flying safely.
AASI PATH at a Glance
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Why this matters at the flight school level
You're often the first person a student or working pilot talks to when something feels off, long before it ever becomes an FAA conversation. A student managing anxiety on their own, or a CFI hesitant to bring up their own mental health for fear of losing their certificate, needs to know this pathway exists and that using it doesn't have to mean the end of their flying. The more your instructors and staff understand AASI PATH, the more confidently they can point a pilot toward the right resources instead of letting fear keep someone quiet.
Silence is the riskier outcome for everyone
in the training environment.
Three things worth clarifying:
A lot of confusion floats around these points. Here's what's actually confirmed.
Does the AME have to be HIMS-trained?
No, not for this pathway. A standard AME can walk an eligible pilot through it; the FAA's Fast Track guidance doesn't list a HIMS-trained AME as a requirement here. That requirement applies to a separate, longer-standing antidepressant certification protocol.
What if medication or dosage changes mid-protocol?
It isn't an automatic disqualifier, but the FAA is explicit that the pilot shouldn't fly until it's reassessed, per the self-disclosure duty in 14 CFR 61.53.
Notification timeline.
The exact timeline for notifying a pilot when they're placed into the protocol isn't clearly documented yet. Worth confirming with your AME network as guidance continues to get finalized.
Not sure where to start? Feel free to reach out!
I don't manage the regulatory mechanics of AASI PATH, but I can help point pilots, CFIs, and schools toward the right resources when they're not sure where to start. My coaching practice focuses on what sits underneath moments like this, the stress, the anxiety, and the fear of speaking up, and it's confidential and medically non-reportable. Learn more at aviationconversations.com.
Shannon Torres, M.Ed. is the founder of Aviation Conversations, offering confidential, medically non-reportable stress management, communication, and performance coaching for pilots and aviation professionals nationwide. She also volunteers on the medical committee for the Pilot Mental Health Campaign.
| | Piper Aircraft and ATP Flight School Sign Fleet Agreement for Six Aircraft, with Options for 25 More | | |
Piper Aircraft, Inc. and ATP Flight School have entered into a firm fleet order for six new training aircraft, with options for 25 additional aircraft in 2027. Delivery of three newly produced Piper Archer TX aircraft will take place within 30 days, followed by three Piper Seminoles in 2027. ATP remains the world’s largest Piper training fleet operator.
“ATP’s unmatched investment in aircraft and fleet growth not only provides a safety-focused environment for students, but accelerates their training with increased aircraft availability,” said Michael Arnold, Vice President of Marketing, ATP Flight School. “With a 3:1 student-to-aircraft ratio, ATP’s increased aircraft availability has, in part, allowed us to reduce the training timeline of the Airline Career Pilot Program by 25%, solidifying ATP as the most efficient path to an airline pilot career.”
ATP utilizes the Archer TX for single-engine training and the Seminole for multi-engine training within its Airline Career Pilot Program, providing students with a dependable transition between aircraft. Across ATP’s 85-plus nationwide training centers, Piper’s 24/7 technical support and parts availability, together with ATP’s predictive maintenance systems and airline-oriented Safety Management System, support aircraft availability, dispatch reliability, and operational safety.
“This fleet agreement is a representation of Piper Aircraft and ATP’s ongoing relationship, and our shared commitment to pursuing flight training excellence,” said Piper President and CEO John Calcagno. “Our training aircraft continue to bring unbeatable value to flight schools, students, and instructors, equipped to deliver unmatched performance for countless hours of flight training. We look forward to seeing the continued success at ATP through the acquisition of these new aircraft.”
Learn more about this deal for Piper by clicking here.
| | FAA Releases Plan for Transitioning General Aviation Aircraft to Unleaded Gas | |
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently released its Transition Plan for Unleaded Aviation Gasoline, which provides a roadmap to safely integrate unleaded fuel into the general aviation fleet.
The plan uses a phased approach to address fuel testing and authorization, gather market experience, execute the national transition and manage the unique transition in Alaska.
“The transition to unleaded fuel is a positive step forward for general aviation community and people who live and work near general aviation airports,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “Our move to safely integrate unleaded fuels is a collaborative effort that involves everyone from aircraft manufacturers and fuel suppliers to airports and the pilots in the cockpit.”
The plan fulfills a provision of the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act requiring the agency to partner with the aviation industry to safely transition the piston-engine fleet to unleaded aviation gas by 2030. This partnership was through the Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) initiative. The FAA is testing three different fuels at the William J Hughes Technical Center as part of the first phase of the transition to address key questions concerning performance and compatibility. The FAA will update the plan after the first phase is complete.
In January 2026, the FAA published a draft of the transition plan and invited public comments. The agency used these comments to improve and clarify the final plan. The FAA will summarize the comments in a supplemental document that will publish in late 2026.
The FAA and partners in the aviation community launched the EAGLE initiative as the result of a Congressionally mandated report from the National Academies. The EAGLE team’s goal is to eliminate leaded aviation fuels in piston-engine aircraft safely by the end of 2030.
You can learn more about this plan by clicking here.
| | MOSAIC Explained What Your Flight School Can Actually Do Now by Right Rudder Marketing with DPE, Jason Blair | |
DPE and author Jason Blair breaks down what MOSAIC actually means for your flight school, not the hype version. He has been an examiner for nearly 20 years, was one of the first sport pilot examiners, and writes seven of ASA's oral exam guides.
In this episode, the discussion covers:
- The 59 knot clean stall speed rule and why your legacy 172s, Cherokees, Archers, and Warriors now qualify for sport pilot training in aircraft you already own. Jason explains why stall speed is judged as originally certificated, so a Horton STOL kit will not get you there, and why two Cessna 177 Cardinals of different model years can land on opposite sides of the line.
- The sport pilot only CFI trap. A CFI-S can train toward solo and toward a sport pilot certificate, but cannot provide the 61.129 dual cross country time your commercial applicants need. If your instructor logged it, your examiner cannot count it. Jason walks through exactly where the line sits, including the flight review and tailwheel endorsement quirks that limit a pilot to sport pilot privileges afterward.
- New endorsements and the medical catch. Night flying, retractable gear, and manual controllable pitch propellers each have their own endorsement now. A sport pilot flying at night still needs a medical. And a 16 year old with only a state ID cannot solo on a driver's license.
- Why the aircraft side is the real story. Manufacturers launched multi-engine and IFR approved MOSAIC compliant airplanes within days of Oshkosh. Jason talks price points in the $200,000 to $250,000 range against $600,000 to $700,000 legacy trainers, clean sheet three seat designs built for flight training, and one manufacturer targeting Amazon deliverable parts to cut your downtime.
- Plus the check ride conversation every owner needs to hear. Check rides went from about 67,000 a year in 2012 to 156,000 last year. Roughly 30 to 35 percent get sent back for broken airplanes, short cross countries, and missing endorsements. Jason explains how prepared schools get preferential scheduling, and gives his number one piece of advice for applicants.
Check out the episode by clicking here or the episode graphic.
| | ARTICLES OF INTEREST FROM THE INDUSTRY | |
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FSANA has been collecting DPE names who have expressed a willingness to travel to help flight training providers secure practical tests.
The latest List of Travel-Willing DPEs with contact information is available on the FSANA website. If you are a flight training provider who is finding a challenge of scheduling DPEs in your local area, feel free to reach out to these individuals. They may be able to serve some of your local testing needs.
If you are a DPE who is not on this list but would like to be, please let us know. Write us at info@fsana.com with your name, city, state, email and phone number and we will add you.
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Email Feedback Concerns about FAA Practical Tests to:
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Tell us what is important to you as a school owner, manager or chief flight instructor. We will share comments in an upcoming edition of Flight Training News. Send your thoughts to info@fsana.com.
| | | FSANA LEGISLATIVE ADVOCATES | | Legislative Advocates are flight schools, businesses and individuals who support FSANA’s efforts to advocate for public policy that benefits the flight training industry. | | FSANA SUPPORTING PARTNERS | | Annual Partners are flight schools, businesses and individuals who support FSANA’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the flight training industry. | | V I S I O N A R Y •• P A R T N E R S | | |
D E V E L O P E R •• P A R T N E R S
| | B U I L D E R •• P A R T N E R S | | L E A D E R •• P A R T N E R S | | |
Flight School Association International (FSAI), founded under the name Flight School Association of North America (FSANA) in 2009 is the first association of its kind dedicated solely to the flight training industry. FSAI represents flight schools, firms that provide products and services to the flight training or aviation industry, and other supporting partners.
The Mission of Flight School Association International is to support, promote and advocate for the business of flight training; to provide knowledge, programs and services that help its members thrive and better serve their customers and communities; to foster best business practices; to educate and inspire youth; to increase the global pilot population; to improve general aviation safety; and to work in alliance with the aviation and aerospace industry.
fsai.org / 610-791-4359 / bob@fsai.org
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