Happy Holidays from All of Us at FSANA! | |
As the last few days of 2025 tick down, and no matter what holidays you and your family are celebrating, we at FSANA sincerely hope the year has been a good one for you, your family, friends, staff, and customers.
Holiday seasons are special for many of us, and it makes us at FSANA also reflect not only on our families, but also our aviation families with whom we spend so much time throughout the year. Our colleagues and co-workers are a key part of our lives.
Ar FSANA, we appreciate your input, your camaraderie, and your trust in us as an association to help represent you in this industry. We hope we can continue to do it well for many more years to come and will continue to diligently advocate on your behalf as a flight training industry. Without your efforts, we would not meet the pilot supply demands of the transport and travel industry.
Our next communications to you will be as we kick off 2026, a year that is shaping up to be busy and pivotal in the Ab Initio flight training sector. We look forward to engaging with you in 2026!
| | FAA Administrator Provides First Testimony to Congress | |
On December 17, 2025, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford appeared before the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on "The State of American Aviation." This was the new FAA Administrator's first public testimony since being confirmed on July 9, 2025.
Representatives pressed Administrator Bedford on topics relating to the DC airspace, ATC modernization, FAA staffing levels, and much more.
When questioned directly about his feelings about any reductions in pilot experience requirements related to the "1500-hour rule," he deflected and provided no definitive answer. FSANA remains engaged with any discussions regarding efforts to reduce pilot experience requirements to enter into service in airline flying.
FSANA believes 2026 will be a critical year in aviation in the United States and will continue to provide input and engagement with the FAA and legislative processes on behalf of the aviation training industry members as appropriate and whenever possible.
Bedford's full testimony
| | Flight School Operators Conference Not Far Off | |
The FSANA 17th Annual Flight School Operators Conference & Trade Show will be in San Diego at the Loews Hotel in Coronado Bay, February 25-27, 2026.
Plan to join your peers, friends, and exhibitors at the 2026 Flight School Operators Conference & Trade Show. Come learn, network, and meet government officials, supply chain partners, and others who interface with your industry. Nearly 20 professional sessions to choose from. Don’t miss out on the most important days of the year for your business.
New Tracks Added = More Sessions
There are now 4 tracks and 7 more educational track sessions over last year -- 19 sessions altogether. Attend a mix of sessions from the following track themes:
- SAFETY
- VENDOR SHOWCASE
- BUSINESS OF FLIGHT TRAINING
- CFI/STUDENT FOCUS
This is the annual event that has been having a huge impact on businesses like yours. The FSANA conference experience is about learning how to:
- Increase profits
- Engage in growth strategies and new business opportunities
- Adapt to the latest trends and technology
- Manage costs and be more efficient
Learn more about the conference and start making your travel plans today!
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Registration Now Open!
Registration includes:
- Entry to professional sessions and workshops
- Admission to exhibition hall with over 50 exhibitors
- Reception
- Dinner and entertainment
- 2 luncheons
- Coffee breaks with exhibitors
Register online
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Room Reservations
FSANA is pleased to be hosting its 2026 Conference & Trade Show at the beautiful Loews Coronado Bay Resort. Be sure to book your hotel room soon.
Make your room reservation now
| | FAA Updates Guidance Documents after MOSAIC Implementation | |
Updating policy guidance after the implementation of the recent MOSAIC regulatory changes, the FAA has updated a series of documents and provided a MOSAIC fact sheet for industry reference.
Flight training providers are encouraged to review the following documents:
Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) Fact Sheet
View
AC 61-65K - Certification: Pilots and Flight and Ground Instructors
View
AC 61-146 - Pilot Certification and Operations for Sport Pilots, Flight Instructors with a Sport Pilot Rating, and Simplified Flight Control
View
AC 65-32B - Certification of Repairmen (Light-Sport)
View
| | FAA NPRM on Sport Pilot Practical Test Standards Issued | |
The FAA continues its efforts to update documents and guidance related to MOSAIC regulation changes earlier this year.
The FAA has recently published the Sport Pilot Practical Test Standards Alignment NPRM. Give it a read and if you see things that can be improved before a final testing standards documents are made, submit your comments.
Comments are due by January 7, 2026
Click here to see the draft document and provide feedback
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FAA Draft FAA Order 8000.95D, Change 1
Out for Public Review
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The FAA has recently published for review Draft FAA Order 8000.95D, Change 1, Regarding Individual Designee Management Policy.
Draft FAA Order 8000.95D, Change 1, Designee Management Policy (Draft Change 1) would transition from the Designee Registration System to the Designee Management System (DMS) and would align the Order 8000.95 with the DMS tool workflows. The draft would revise several procedural descriptions to better match DMS workflows, including updates to digital signatures and automation for registering, enrolling, tracking, and recording designee training completions. The draft would also change the algorithm for the frequency of direct observation oversight intervals required of Flight Standards managing specialists and would update email addresses and website links.
Click here to see the draft document and provide feedback
| | Potential for Un-Commanded Engine Shutdowns Lycoming IO-360 and AVStar Fuel Servos | |
The FAA has requested that FSANA advise flight school operators, managers, chief flight instructors, and all others who operate aircraft with Lycoming engines and AVStar fuel servos that there are reports coming in that there are un-commanded engine shutdowns taking place. The primary affected aircraft are C-172 models.
FAA Airworthiness Concerns Sheet (ACS)
The FAA has prepared an ACS on this potential safety issue and is interested in gathering data to assist the FAA identify what corrective actions to take. The FAA appreciates any and all feedback on this matter.
View ACS Sheet here
| | Another Airport [Falcon Field in Arizona] Expected to Implement New Landing Fees - Flight Training Operations Under Fire | | |
FSANA continues to monitor trends and interact around the country where some airports are attempting to implement new "landing fee" policies that may affect flight training providers.
A recent article in AVweb highlighted the concerns at Arizona's Falcon Field (Falcon Field Plan Sparks Fee Fight). These fees are proposed to include landing fees for all aircraft, with even based aircraft only being exempted for a limited number of allotted "monthly landings" before even they get charged.
These proposals continue to raise concerns of airport access (especially for airports that are receiving federal funds - such as this one) and the potential effects on operational costs for flight training and safety.
Efforts at airports such as this to "drive away training aircraft" to limit noise and operational activity levels leaves flight training providers with limited choices of where they can help train the next generation of pilots. Some are complaining that all the training aircraft are causing them to "waste too much time being able to get on and off the runway because of the plug-up of all the [training] flights."
FSANA believes that equal opportunity and access to airport facilities is critical to the continuation of flight training operations in our national airspace system. Limiting them is a hindrance to our ability to continue to train the next generation of pilots we need. FSANA will continue to monitor the efforts here and at other locations where this trend continues to develop and work to counteract it to the best of the ability of the association.
In the meantime, you might choose to learn more about the effort at the Change.org petition that has been started to Stop Landing Fees at Falcon Field (FFZ).
| | TSA Offers Flight Training Security Program (FTSP) Monthly Flight Training Provider Webinars | | |
The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Flight Training Security Program (FTSP) is offering opportunities for flight training providers to attend FTSP Monthly Flight Training Provider Webinars in the upcoming months. These webinars will provide an overview of any updates with FTSP Portal changes and answer any questions you may have.
If there are questions regarding specific training events or system functionality, please send your questions beforehand by sending them to: ftsp.policy@tsa.dhs.gov
January 13, 2026 Register for webinar
February 10, 2026 Register for webinar
March 10, 2026 Register for Webinar.
| | Tecnam Launches Comprehensive Leasing and Financing Options for U.S. Customers | |
Tecnam recently announced the expansion of its support for U.S. customers with new and enhanced leasing and financing solutions tailored for private owners, flight schools, and fleet operators in the United States.
Aircraft acquisition is often capital-intensive, and Tecnam’s new program is designed to make ownership and operation more accessible, allowing customers to scale faster, manage budgets more predictably, and optimize fleet utilization.
Key Highlights of the U.S. Leasing & Financing Program
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Leasing Partners: Tecnam has partnered with a select group of experienced U.S.-based leasing firms to offer operational leases and finance leases on its range of aircraft models. Participating firms include Nesher Aviation, Wings Leasing, AeroSpring Leasing, APM Leasing, VR-Leasing, and Gracen Jules.
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Financing Providers: For debt-based acquisition support, Tecnam has aligned with trusted aviation financiers including AOPA Finance, Airfleet Capital, V1 Capital Aircraft Financing, and Flying Finance.
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Tailored for Diverse Customers: Whether the customer is a flight school, a private pilot, or a commercial/fleet operator, Tecnam’s leasing and financing network offers customized structures matching operational needs, cash flow, tax considerations, and usage profiles.
Learn more
| | Quantum3D Releases MANTIS® 4.2.1, Expanding Capabilities for High-Fidelity Flight Simulators at I/ITSEC 2025 | |
Quantum3D, a Silicon Valley and Orlando based, leading provider of real-time image and sensor generator systems, has announced the release of MANTIS® 4.2.1, the latest upgrade to its flagship real-time visual simulation software suite.
The new version builds on the platform’s longstanding reputation for delivering high-quality, high-
performance imagery across mission-critical training applications in aerospace, defense, space, commercial aviation, eVTOL, search and rescue, aerial firefighting and air ambulance.
Renowned for delivering best-in-class visuals, MANTIS® offers a host of advanced features, including:
- Industry standard CIGI 2.0, 3.x and 4.0 Host Interface
- Native support for industry standard OGC CDB terrain format
- Support for up to 64 synchronized display channels, up to 120Hz
- Up to 8 channels on a single PC, larger systems can be distributed across multiple PC’s
- Worldwide background terrain with 15m imagery (10m for CONUS)
- High resolution (up to 10cm imagery) regional insets with support for airports meeting FAA Level-D requirements
- Advanced rendering capability for effects such as 3D volumetric clouds, 3D ocean, weather, water/ice/snow/sand on runway surface
- Particle effects for explosions, contrails, flares, small fires, large scale forest fires, etc.
- Support for automatic generation of over 30,000 airports worldwide
- Integrated support for several third-party projector warp/blend solutions
- Physics based sensor simulation for correlated SWIR, MWIR, LWIR, NVG or Day TV channels
- Support for RGB+IR projectors for NVG stimulation
Learn more
| | Call to Exhibit - 17th Annual International Flight School Operators Conference & Trade Show in 2026 | |
Thinking of becoming an exhibitor at the 2026 Conference & Trade Show fast approaching in February? Exhibit space is expected to sell out. Please contact FSANA soon to secure a booth. Contact at info@fsana.com or call our office at 610-791-4359. You can also use the link below to reserve immediately.
IMPORTANT: FSANA Annual Partners who intend to exhibit are required to submit a registration form to save their booth.
Learn more
| | 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
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D E V E L O P E R •• P A R T N E R S
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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 | | |
Established in 2009, the Flight School Association of North America (FSANA) is the first association of its kind dedicated solely to the flight training industry. FSANA represents flight schools, firms that provide products and services to the flight training or aviation industry, and other supporting partners.
The Mission of the Flight School Association 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.
fsana.com / 610-791-4359 / bob@fsana.com
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