The FAA, along with its meetings focused on potential modifications and changes to the FAA 141 training process, is taking public comments regarding proposed and suggested changes. FSANA has been working with its members to provide comments and concerns regarding this effort. Debbie Sparks, FSANA vice president, is the primary representative for FSANA in the Part 141 Modernization project. Debbie can be reached at debbie@fsana.com

An initial deadline for starting comments was set as April 24, 2025. FSANA collected several comments into a document that was submitted on behalf of the organization and its members.

Specific focus related to a desire to have the FAA establish a stand-alone, centralized Part 141 office to better serve the flight training community efficiently, improvement of testing resource availability, improvement to the examining authority process, and a focus on ensuring competency is developed and maintained in the airmen that are generated from our pilot training system.

The work to modernize the 141 process is important and stands to potentially improve the throughput and the quality of airmen in our system if it is done with those mutual intents. FSANA believes that this can and must be done without decreasing pilot training development and competency.

The Part 141 Modernization project is open to all interested parties.

The project is being broken into four (4) core working areas for which there are subcommittee groups as follows:

• Initial Certification
• Data Collection and Analysis
• Certification Management
• Operations

FSANA is engaged in the ongoing meetings, which will continue through December 2025. FSANA will continue to provide feedback on behalf of the membership to the process in person and on the federal register as additional opportunities are given.

View FSANA's comments that were submitted here.

View all the comments on the public record here.

The next set of meetings on the Public Engagement for the Modernization of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Part 141 Pilot Schools are on May 6-8.

Click here to register and find out more information.

The International Aerospace Accrediting Commission (IAAC) submitted comments regarding the FAA's Modernization of Part 141 Pilot Training Schools with some specific areas of concern. Those areas specifically focused on in the response related to accreditation, concerns related to self-examining authority and ODA, and increased utilization of modern simulation and proper provision of testing (DPE) resources.

Click here to see the IAAC's Comments that were submitted.

You can also see all the comments on the public record by clicking here.

Tecnam and US Aviation Academy, a leading professional flight training institution, are pleased to announce the expansion of its training fleet with the acquisition of 38 aircraft, consisting of the P2010 powered by the Lycoming IO-360 and the P2006T MKII powered by the Rotax 912S3, to be delivered from now until Q1/2026, with an option for 52 additional aircraft for 2026 and 2027. This strategic investment underscores the Academy’s commitment to providing on-time and on-budget training for its students and supporting various training contracts.

Established in 2006, US Aviation Academy has grown into a world-class aviation training center, offering professional pilot, aircraft technician, and aircraft dispatcher training. With pathways to major airlines such as Delta, United, and Southwest Airlines, the academy operates a fleet of approximately 175 aircraft across multiple bases, with 1500 students (A&P and flight).

US Aviation Academy continues to lead in aviation education by investing in advanced aircraft and technologies, ensuring that its graduates are well-prepared to meet the evolving demands of the aviation industry

“At US Aviation Academy, we are committed to providing our students with the best training experience possible, and the addition of these new Tecnam aircraft to our fleet is a testament to that commitment,” said Scott Sykes, director of US Aviation Academy. “The Tecnam P2010 and P2006T MKII are exceptional training aircraft that offer advanced avionics, reliability, and the performance required for a comprehensive pilot training program.”

“We are proud to partner with US Aviation Academy in its mission to train the next generation of pilots with the most advanced and reliable aircraft available,” said Giovanni Pascale Langer, Tecnam’s managing director. “The selection of the Tecnam P2010 and P2006T MKII aircraft underscores the academy’s dedication to excellence in flight training. These aircraft offer state-of-the-art avionics, exceptional performance, and operational efficiency, making them ideal for student pilots preparing for their future careers. We look forward to supporting US Aviation Academy as they continue to grow and innovate in aviation education.”

Learn more about this deal and Tecnam and US Aviation by clicking here.

Hold the date!

The 17th Annual International Flight School Operators Conference will be in San Diego County at Loews Coronado Bay Resort, February 25-27, 2026.

The conference will again bring together flight training providers, industry professionals, government officials, and product providers for the flight training industry.

More information coming soon including booking information for rooms and event details as the date approaches. In the the meantime, set the date in your calendar and plan to join your friends, peers and supply chain for this annual event.

Bringing DPEs together for the fourth time, FSANA is again going to be hosting a DPE conference. This year's DPE Symposium will be held in Dallas on November 12, 13, and 14.

The goal of the Symposium is to bring DPEs together to help improve standardization and related processes involved with airman practical testing.

The event provides individuals who might be interested in becoming DPEs learn more about the process. FAA staff joins with attendees to share information about FAA efforts, DPE practices, and currency.

A change to this year's conference: the last day of the conference is being crafted with the help of the FAA to be an event that will meet 24-month DPE currency requirements that are otherwise completed in an online training session. A goal of the FSANA DPE conference each year is to make each event, an in-person opportunity to share information and at the same time allow attendees to meet their every-other-year training requirements from the FAA for examiner currency.

FSANA looks forward to providing more information as the schedule is finalized and the hotel details become available. For now, if you are a DPE, keep November 12-15, 2025, open in your calendar and plan on joining FSANA and your fellow DPEs from around the country in Dallas.

Learn to Fly Month is the largest national/international campaign FSANA has ever launched. Taking place annually May 1-31 Learn to Fly Month puts the diverse and growing aviation and aerospace industry in front of the public eye. Nationwide, there will be festivities and aviation learning experiences throughout the month particularly on weekends.

Families and individuals can celebrate Learn to Fly Month by attending free open houses and other public events at their local flight school, airport, or heliport during May. Expect giveaways and plane rides. Even those who have never considered flying can enjoy the excitement of being out at the airfield. No one has to feel left out.

If festivities are scarce in your locale, families and individuals can still pick a day in May and enjoy a fun visit to the local airport or check out a nearby flight school facility.

World-famous race car driver Mario Andretti, as honorary chairman and spokesperson of Learn to Fly Month, encourages everyone this May to get a little closer to the sky and maybe even take a plane ride. He also urges young people, whether male or female, to really look at the potential that there is out there for a career in flying.

Learn to Fly Month is intended to engage non-aviators to explore the wonders of flight along with the aviation and aerospace industry and help increase the US civil pilot population through public awareness.

Learn to Fly Month, Ideas for Flight Schools

FSANA reminds all flight schools around the country to open their facilities to their communities for special events during the month. Learn to Fly Month is your most important marketing opportunity of the year. Let us point you in the right direction with these tips & tools for flight schools.

CFIs and the flight training operations at which they work should pay attention to the pass rates of their students. Because the FAA is going to in the 2025 Fiscal Year.

The FAA Safety Team each year has a National Performance Plan (NPP) that highlights target areas for improvement in safety throughout the national airspace system (NAS). This year, that includes a focus on CFI Pass/Fail rate and reaching out to CFIs who have a sub-standard performance of their students in practical tests.

The NPP notes that "FPMs will monitor CFI Pass/Fail rates, thru data collection, and review associated records within their District. This may include simple review from the DMS data found with the CFI Pass/Fail Analysis Tool (CIPAT), the CFI Failure Analysis Tool, or may include other airman certification data sources..."

The FAA also notes that "FPMs (FAA Safety Team Program Managers - FAA staff) will utilize the FAASTeam to monitor and review the records for practical test applicants recommended by each CFI within their District."

Non-performing CFIs may have additional action required, including:

• Counseling by the FPM
• Participation in the CFI/DPE Forum Program
• Mentoring by a FAASTeam Representative or DPE
• Voluntary remedial training

The goal of this effort is for the FAA to "...discover relationships, find patterns, understand results, and summarize findings regarding a CFI’s performance."

How good our CFIs are doing training our next generation of airmen is of critical importance to overall safety in our NAS. It is important that flight training providers track their CFIs performance and if there are challenges, address them with staff. If you don't, it might be an FAA staff member who will need to do so.

Focusing on establishing and maintaining a stabilized approach and landing is a great way to avoid experiencing a loss of control. A stabilized approach is one in which the pilot establishes and maintains a constant angle glidepath towards a predetermined point on the landing runway. It is based on the pilot’s judgment of certain visual clues, and depends on the maintenance of a constant final descent airspeed and configuration.

Maintain a Stabilized Approach

Have you heard these words before? Well, it’s not just a buzz term in aviation safety. It’s a critical lifesaving way to approach every flight. A pilot is flying a stabilized approach when he or she establishes and maintains a constant angle glidepath towards a predetermined point on the landing runway. Every runway is unique, but a commonly referenced optimum glidepath follows the 3:1 principle. The principle, also seen as a descent ratio, means that for every 3 nautical miles (nm) flown over the ground, the aircraft should descend 1,000 feet. This flightpath profile simulates a 3° glideslope.

The Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) program, a collaborative government and industry initiative, recently completed a high-energy approach analysis by comparing actual stable and unstable approaches of business aviation operators to the common “3:1” descent ratio. The study looked at this relationship from four distinct distances from the runway: 20, 15, 10 and 5 nautical miles from touchdown. The study highlights the importance of being aware of how you manage the aircraft’s total energy — kinetic (velocity) plus potential (altitude) — as you begin to fly the approach. Flights that were above the 3:1 descent ratio, and not stable, often had high rates of descent and high approach speeds.

Read more from this article by clicking here or the graphic below.

As the exclusive partner of Tecnam, Southern Cross Aviation has announced it is to provide genuine parts and products developed specifically for Tecnam aircraft. Southern Cross offers service focused on fast delivery to ensure parts supply for Tecnam owners and operators. Flight training providers who use Tecnam aircraft may want to reach out to Southern Cross Aviation a potential supplier of parts in their fleet maintenance operations.

Learn more Tecnam aircraft parts availability with Southern Cross Aviation clicking here.

DeltaHawk Engines is excited recently announced that it is developing a new Supplemental Type Certificate(STC) for the Cessna 172 and 182, marking a major step forward in bringing advanced Jet-A engine technology to two of the world’s most popular aircraft.

The Cessna 172, the backbone of the flight training industry, and the workhorse 182 will soon benefit from DeltaHawk’s powerful innovation—providing owners and operators with a forward-thinking solution that future-proofs their airframe and removes all uncertainty surrounding the future of AVGAS. By upgrading to a Jet-A-powered DeltaHawk engine, pilots can take advantage of globally available fuel while significantly lowering operating costs. With a 40% reduction in total cost of ownership—including improved fuel efficiency and simplified maintenance—this upgrade future-proofs airframes and redefines expectations for general aviation.

Designed for easy operation and lower operating costs, the DeltaHawk engine eliminates many of the complexities found in traditional piston engines. With no mixture control, no risk of shock cooling, and single-lever power management, pilots can focus more on flying and less on engine management. The engine’s turbocharged and supercharged design delivers exceptional altitude performance, maintaining power at higher elevations.

Burning Jet Fuel and SAF, the engine ensures worldwide fuel availability while supporting the industry's push toward carbon-neutral aviation. Engineered with 40% fewer parts than comparable engines, it minimizes maintenance, boosts reliability, and enhances safety. With its proven efficiency—offering 35-40% lower fuel consumption than traditional AVGAS engines—this new powerplant STC redefines expectations for general aviation, providing a cost-effective, high-performance alternative to legacy powerplants.

Click here to see more about this work.

The FAA plans to remove the FAA-P-8740-66 (Flying Light Twins Safely, FAA-P-8740-66) pamphlet from the task reference section of the Private Pilot for Airplane Category ACS; Commercial Pilot for Airplane Category ACS; and the Flight Instructor for Airplane Category ACS during the next ACS revision.

The FAA determined that the information regarding factors affecting VMC in FAA-P-8740-66 may not be consistent with the multiengine airplane information found in the Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), revised in 2021. The FAA also removed Flying Light Twins Safely, FAA-P-8740-66 (2008) from the FAASTeam website. Airmen should reference the multiengine airplane operations information contained in the Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), in preparation of multiengine airplane training and practical tests.

You can view more information from the FAA in the February Airman Testing Community Advisory.

In accordance with 49 USC § 44114(b), the FAA is implementing a new process for requesting the withholding of aircraft owner information—such as name and address—from public dissemination, such as the publicly available FAA Registry website. This change may impact how we handle and process aircraft ownership data.

You can view the FAA notice for more information by clicking here.