FAA Part 141 listening tour continues

The agency announced the effort in 2024, noting that FAR Part 141, which governs professional flight training schools, has not been updated in decades.

“Although the FAA has spot revised certain regulatory requirements pertaining to pilot schools, part 141 still has many foundational ties to the Civil Air Regulations … part 50, which was implemented in the 1940s,” the agency explained in a December announcement.

Following the first public meeting held in April (and a secondary virtual meeting in early May), the regulatory docket has logged more than 250 comments from flight training providers and members of the public. While most are on point, the tally includes at least a couple of entreaties to reduce the noise created by training aircraft. The agency noted in December that the National Flight Training Alliance, an organization of flight schools and industry stakeholders, “has graciously volunteered to champion stakeholder engagement during the process as our industry lead.”

NFTA and software vendor Flight Schedule Pro announced a partnership on April 30, naming Flight Schedule Pro CEO Nick Wegner to the NFTA board, where he will represent the company’s 1,400 flight school clients and more than 60,000 student users in the ongoing effort to provide the FAA with ideas on how to modernize Part 141.

“NFTA is proud to welcome leaders like Nick Wegner who understand that supporting flight schools means supporting the future of aviation,” said NFTA CEO Lee Collins, in a news release. “By aligning advocacy with data and experience, we’re building a training ecosystem that’s smarter, more sustainable, and more inclusive—for instructors, operators, and students alike.”

The public meetings continue June 10 and 11 at Bridgewater State University with a May 27 deadline to register for in-person attendance. Those who attend virtually can register up to the day of the meeting. Additional meetings (including both in-person and virtual sessions) are tentatively scheduled in July, October, November, and December.

While the 2025 listening tour is a precursor to actual revision of regulations through a formal rulemaking process, AOPA staff are participating in the meetings and monitoring input the FAA receives as it prepares to revise the rules.