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VOLUME 5 AIRMAN CERTIFICATION

CHAPTER 12 TITLE 14 CFR PART 141 PILOT SCHOOL

Section 4 Examining Authority

5-1846 REPORTING SYSTEM(S). Use Safety Assurance System (SAS) Activity Recording
(AR) and use the following activity codes, as appropriate:

A. Original Issuance: 1558.

B. Additional Issuance: 1558.

C. Flight Test Examining Authority: 1558.

5-1847 OBJECTIVE. Determine whether a pilot school applying for flight test examining
authority meets the requirements outlined in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations
(14 CFR) part 141 subpart D. Successful completion of this task results in either issuance or
denial of examining authority to that pilot school.

5-1848 GENERAL. A pilot school may request flight test examining authority for a course of
training. Part 141, § 141.65 states that a pilot school holding examining authority may
recommend a person who graduated from its course for the appropriate pilot, flight instructor, or
ground instructor certificate or rating without taking the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
certification test. If a school does not hold flight test examining authority, final pilot certification
is conducted by an FAA aviation safety inspector (ASI) or a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE).

5-1849 ELIGIBILITY. Only the holder of an Air Agency Certificate for a pilot school (not a
provisional pilot school) is eligible for an examining authority. In addition to meeting the
requirements of part 141 subparts A through C, a pilot school must meet the provisions of
§ 141.63 within the preceding 24 calendar-months.

A. Title 14 CFR Requirements for Initial Approval. A pilot school must meet the
following prerequisites to receive initial approval for examining authority:

1) The school must complete the application for examining authority on a form and
in a manner prescribed by the Administrator.

2) The school must hold a pilot school certificate and rating issued under part 141.

3) The school must have held the rating in which examining authority is sought for
at least 24 consecutive calendar-months preceding the month of application for examining
authority.

4) The training course for which examining authority is requested may not be a
course that is approved without meeting the minimum ground and flight training time
requirements of part 141.

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5) Within 24 calendar-months before the date of application for examining authority,

that school must meet the following requirements:

a) The school must have trained at least 10 students in the training course for
which examining authority is sought, and recommended those students for a pilot, flight
instructor, or ground instructor certificate or rating.

b) At least 90 percent of those students must have passed the required practical
or knowledge test, or any combination thereof, for the pilot, flight instructor, or ground instructor
certificate or rating on the first attempt; and that test must have been given by an ASI or an
examiner who is not an employee of the school.

B. Title 14 CFR Requirements for Renewal. To retain approval of its examining

authority, a pilot school must meet the following requirements:

1) The school must complete the application for renewal of its examining authority
on a form and in a manner prescribed by the Administrator.

2) The school must hold a pilot school certificate and rating issued under part 141.

3) The school must have held the rating for which examining authority is sought for
at least 24 calendar-months preceding the month of application for renewal of its examining
authority.

4) The training course for which examining authority is requested may not be a
course that is approved without meeting the minimum ground and flight training time
requirements of part 141.

C. Expiration of Authority. Examining authority expires concurrently with the Air

Agency Certificate on which it is issued; that is, examining authority expires at the end of the
24th calendar-month after the month in which it was issued. Reapplication must be made at least
30 days before the expiration date. Examining authority is routinely renewed at the same time as
the pilot school’s certificate is renewed, provided the school meets the requirements of part 141
subpart D.

5-1850 INITIATION.

A. Application. Application for examining authority is made in duplicate on FAA

Form 8420-8, Application for Pilot School Certification, and is sent to the responsible Flight
Standards District Office (FSDO). The ASI accepts or denies an application on the basis of
eligibility, completeness, or accuracy.

NOTE: When the applicant requests examining authority for flight testing
privileges only, the applicant must place the words “Flight Only” on the
application immediately after the title of the course(s).

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B. Role of the FSDO.

1) When a pilot school notifies the FAA that it intends to apply for an examining
authority for one or more of its approved courses, the responsible FSDO should closely monitor
those courses.

2) After receipt of the application, the FSDO should conduct the FAA practical test
for at least 50 percent of the graduates of the course for which the school applied for examining
authority. The rest of the tests may be conducted by a DPE who is not an employee of the school.
The FSDO should accomplish these tests in a timely and practical manner to expedite the
issuance of examining authority.

5-1851 INSPECTION. After receiving a correctly completed application for examining

authority, the ASI will conduct an inspection of the school to determine if the school continues to
meet the requirements for the privilege(s) it already holds. In addition, inspections for specific
examining authorities are noted later in this task.

5-1852 EFFECT OF EXAMINING AUTHORITY ON THE STUDENT. Holders of

examining authority must be advised that certification stage (end of course) tests must not be
conducted until all other requirements for the pilot certificate or rating have been met, including
the passing of the required knowledge examination within the preceding 24 calendar-months.

A. FAA Form 8710-1. A student completing the approved course applies for a
certificate or rating by using FAA Form 8710-1, Airman Certificate and/or Rating Application.
After the final flight test, the chief instructor for the examining authority course must enter a
recommendation on the reverse side of the application, indicating the name and number of the
agency involved and the course completed.

B. Document Submission. The school forwards the student’s FAA Form 8710-1,
complete training record, and FAA Form 8060-4, Temporary Airman Certificate, to the
responsible Flight Standards office. The training record must include documentation of the
student’s knowledge test score.

C. Responsible Flight Standards Office Review. The responsible Flight Standards

office reviews the student’s file and evaluates the training record to determine if the required
training has been accomplished. The student’s FAA Form 8710-1 must be clearly marked
“Certificated” as a graduate of examining authority. After examining and approving all the
documents in the file, the responsible Flight Standards office should forward FAA Form 8710-1,
knowledge test score documentation, and FAA Form 8060-4 to the Airmen Certification Branch
(AFB-720) for issuance of a pilot certificate or rating. The student’s training record is returned to
the school. If the ASI has doubts concerning the student’s training record (i.e., falsification), the
matter should be investigated in accordance with Volume 14.

D. The Airman Certification Representative (ACR). Some pilot schools have ACRs
who issue airman certificates under specific circumstances (see Volume 5, Chapter 12,
Section 3). The ACR prepares and issues the Temporary Airman Certificate to the graduate of a
course with examining authority and forwards the student’s file to the FSDO for review.

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5-1853 PREREQUISITES AND COORDINATION REQUIREMENTS.

A. Prerequisites. This task requires knowledge of the regulatory requirements of

part 141 and FAA policies; and qualification as an ASI (Operations).

B. Coordination. This task requires coordination with the Principal Operations

Inspector (POI) and Airman Testing Standards Branch (AFS-630).

5-1854 REFERENCES, FORMS, AND JOB AIDS.

A. References (current editions):

• Parts 1, 61, 91, 141, and other applicable regulations.

• Advisory Circular (AC) 141-1, Part 141 Pilot Schools, Application, Certification,
and Compliance.
• FAA Order 8900.2, General Aviation Airman Designee Handbook.
• Appropriate practical test standards (PTS).
• Training course outline (TCO) for each course for which examining authority is
requested.

B. Forms:

• FAA Form 8000-4, Air Agency Certificate (Figure 5-212).

• FAA Form 8420-8, Application for Pilot School Certification (Figure 5-210).

C. Job Aids:

• Sample letters and figures.

• Job Task Analyses (JTA): 2.4.2 (OP), 3.4.10 (OP), and 3.4.11 (OP).

5-1855 GENERAL PROCEDURES.

A. Respond to Initial Inquiry.

1) Advise the school to apply for examining authority by completing FAA

Form 8420-8. Give the applicant two copies of FAA Form 8420-8 (see Figure 5-210).

2) Inform the applicant that both copies of FAA Form 8420-8 must be filled out and
signed by the appropriate school officials (see Volume 2, Chapter 9, Section 1).

3) Explain the requirements of flight test examining authority.

B. Open SAS AR Record.

C. Review Application. Upon receipt of the completed FAA Form 8420-8 application,
examine it for completeness and accuracy.

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1) When the school requests examining authority for flight testing privileges,
confirm that the words “Flight Test Only” are on the application immediately after the title of the
course(s).

2) When the school requests examining authority, verify that an “X” is in the
appropriate box, beside the title of the course. No other wording is necessary.

3) If the application is inaccurate or incomplete, inform the applicant of the

deficiencies. On both copies of FAA Form 8420-8, mark the “Disapproved” box on the front of
the application and indicate in the “Remarks” box on the reverse side the specific areas that need
correction.

a) Return one copy of the original application to the applicant, and place one
copy in the FSDO file on the school.

b) If necessary, provide additional blank applications for resubmission.

4) If the application is acceptable, review the applicant’s qualifications.

D. Review Inspection History. Review the FSDO file for information from past
inspections. Note any unsatisfactory items that might affect issuance of examining authority.

E. Review Accident/Incident History. Using office procedures, query the Enforcement

Information System (EIS)/Accident Incident Data System (AIDS) and note any problems that
might affect issuance of flight test examining authority.

F. Examine Qualifications. Based on the information provided in the application, the

FSDO file, and the accident/incident history, determine if the applicant meets the requirements
of part 141 subpart D.

1) If the applicant is not qualified, inform the applicant of the deficiencies. On both
copies of FAA Form 8420-8, mark the “Disapproved” box on the front of the application and
indicate in the “Remarks” box on the reverse side the specific areas that need correction.

a) Return one copy of the original application to the applicant, and place one
copy in the FSDO file on the school.

b) If necessary, provide additional blank applications for resubmission.

2) If the applicant is qualified, discuss the privileges and limitations of examining

authority.

G. Discuss Privileges and Limitations of Examining Authority. Discuss with the

applicant the proposed procedure for complying with part 61, § 61.71(a) and § 141.67 and/or the
procedure for use of an ACR.

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H. Schedule Inspection. When the application is complete and accurate and the
applicant meets the appropriate qualifications, schedule the inspection for a flight test examining
authority.

5-1856 FLIGHT TEST EXAMINING AUTHORITY PROCEDURES.

A. Flight Test Examining Authority. Use the following procedures for the flight test
examining authority inspection:

1) Verify the qualifications of the chief instructor, the assistant chief instructor (if
applicable), and/or the check instructor (if applicable). Refer to §§ 141.35 and 141.36, and/or
141.37 (as appropriate) to ensure the person who will be conducting the final test is appropriately
qualified.

2) Inspect training aids, simulators, aircraft, pilot briefing areas, and other facilities
for compliance with the school’s TCO.

3) Verify that the school has current copies of appropriate PTS.

4) Evaluate the student records to determine if qualifications and standards have

been satisfactory and that the syllabus has been followed. Refer to §§ 141.67, 141.77, 141.85,
141.93, 141.95, and 141.101.

5) When observing the chief, assistant chief, or check instructors conduct the final
phase check for a certificate/rating for which examining authority is requested, make sure that
final phase check is equal in scope and content to the practical test as established by the
appropriate PTS.

B. Inspection Satisfactory.

1) If the inspections are satisfactory, prepare and issue the new Air Agency
Certificate and list of approved courses.

2) If applicable, designate an ACR. See Volume 5, Chapter 12.

C. Inspection Unsatisfactory. If the applicant does not meet all or any of the required
items, advise the applicant in writing of the disapproval and what corrective action the applicant
may want to pursue (see Figure 5-211).

1) On FAA Form 8420-8, in the section labeled “For FAA Use Only,” mark the
“Disapproved” box.

2) On the reverse side of the application, make any necessary comments and sign.

3) Return one copy of the application and all documents to the applicant. Place one
copy of the application in the FSDO file on the school.

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5-1857 ISSUING EXAMINING AUTHORITY.

A. Air Agency Certificate. Use the procedures found in Volume 2, Chapter 9,

Section 1, Paragraph 2-1082, Certification Phase Procedures, to prepare and issue the Air
Agency Certificate.

NOTE: For flight examining authority, place the words “Examining Authority
Flight Test Only” immediately after the course title.

B. List of Approved Courses. Prepare a new list of approved courses, showing all
courses the school is approved to conduct, including the courses with examining authority.

C. Application. On the reverse side of the application, check the “Approved” box. File
one copy in the FSDO file.

NOTE: File a copy of each of the documents included in the application package
in the FSDO file.

D. Close SAS AR Record.

E. Enhanced Vital Information Database (eVID). Update the air agency eVID file.

5-1858 TASK OUTCOMES. Completion of this task results in one or more of the following
actions:

• Issuance of a new Air Agency Certificate with examining authority and a new list of
approved courses.
• A letter denying examining authority.
• A letter confirming voluntary termination of the authorization process.

5-1859 FUTURE ACTIVITIES.

• Conduct surveillance or inspections at appropriate intervals.

• Possibly designate an ACR.

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Figure 5-210. Sample FAA Form 8420-8, Application for Pilot School Certification

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Figure 5-211. Sample Letter Denying Examining Authority

FAA Letterhead

[Date]

[Name and Address of School]

Dear [Name]:

This letter is to inform you that your application for [knowledge] [flight] examining authority is
denied because of the following:

[List specific discrepancies that were reasons for denial of the application.]

Should you wish to reapply for this examining authority or discuss this matter, please contact this
office at [telephone number].

[FSDO manager’s signature]

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Figure 5-212. FAA Form 8000-4, Air Agency Certificate Showing Flight Test Examining
Authority

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Figure 5-213. Sample Knowledge Test Approval Form

(SCHOOL LOGO)

Federal Aviation Air Agency Certificate Number: ____________

This certifies that:

[Name]
[Address]
[City, State, and Zip Code]

has satisfactorily completed each required stage and the tests for those stages in the program of
study as prescribed in part 141 subpart D, Examining Authority. The applicant is issued this
document as evidence of meeting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) knowledge test
requirements for pilot certification.

FINAL EXAMINATION RESULTS:

[Name of Test]
[Date of Test]
[Expiration Date]
[Take Number]
[Grade]

Subject matter knowledge codes for questions that were answered incorrectly. A code may
represent more than one incorrect response.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

[Signature]_________________________________

[Printed Name],
Chief Instructor
SEAL
School address
Telephone number

RESERVED. Paragraphs 5-1860 through 5-1880.

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