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FLT Academy
What is Examining Authority at FLT Academy?
Curious about Examining Authority and what it means for your flight training journey? Let’s explore this special FAA approval and the unique benefits it brings to students at FLT Academy.
FLT Academy Courses Offered Under Part 141
Resources
Understanding Part 141 Flight Schools
When you choose to train at a Part 141 flight school, like FLT Academy, you’re selecting a structured, FAA-approved program that ensures rigorous standards in both curriculum and instruction. Unlike Part 61 programs, which may offer more informal instruction, Part 141 schools provide a streamlined path to earning your certifications through FAA-approved training. One significant perk of Part 141 is that it often requires fewer flight hours to complete, as the structured curriculum has demonstrated a high standard of quality and efficiency.
What Makes Examining Authority Special?
Not every Part 141 school has the privilege of Examining Authority. This designation allows certain schools to conduct official flight evaluations and directly issue pilot certificates upon successful completion of a course. In most cases, if a school lacks Examining Authority, students must schedule and pass a final checkride with an external FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE). However, FLT Academy’s Examining Authority streamlines this process, allowing you to take your final assessment with our Chief or Assistant Chief Flight Instructors—saving weeks, or even months, of time and offering continuity with instructors you know.
How Does a Flight School Achieve Examining Authority?
The FAA grants Examining Authority only to schools that meet specific, high standards. Schools must operate as a Part 141 institution for at least two years and maintain a student pass rate of 90% or higher. At FLT Academy, we’ve demonstrated these standards consistently, enabling us to hold Examining Authority for our Commercial and Instrument courses.
Benefits of Examining Authority at FLT Academy
Faster Progression
For students, Examining Authority brings a significant advantage: faster progression through training. The current shortage of DPEs often leads to extended wait times—sometimes weeks or even months—to schedule a checkride. With Examining Authority at FLT Academy, this delay is removed, allowing you to earn your license without waiting for an external DPE, speeding up the completion of your training.
Smoother Testing Experience
When you train at a school with Examining Authority, you’ll complete your end-of-course flight as the final step to earn your certification. Once you pass, you’ll receive your temporary pilot certificate immediately. This process can make the experience feel less stressful since you’re assessed by an instructor you’ve already flown with, in an environment you’re familiar with.
Streamlined Pilot Certification
Additionally, Examining Authority can streamline your journey if you’re progressing through multiple ratings. You might find that while you’ll complete most ratings with our Examining Authority, some advanced ratings still require a DPE checkride, depending on the course approvals.
Why Choose FLT Academy?
At FLT Academy, we aim to be a step above the rest, providing not only a high-quality training program but also a faster, more personalized path to earning your certifications. Our Examining Authority approval is one of the many reasons students choose us, as it reduces wait times, minimizes stress, and provides a streamlined path to your aviation goals.
FLT Academy currently holds Examining Authority for Private Pilot Certificate, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot Certificate, and CFI courses—offering you even more streamlined training options as you advance through your aviation journey.
“Having Examining Authority has completely transformed my experience at FLT Academy. Like many others, I was once frustrated when I ended up waiting months just to secure my private pilot checkride date. When I finally got a date, the DPE canceled shortly before the exam, and I was stuck waiting again while the school scrambled to find a replacement. Thankfully, that’s no longer a concern. I was able to obtain my instrument rating through an in-house EOC, and I’m now scheduled for my Commercial evaluation the same way.
Taking the DPE out of the equation not only speeds up my training, but it also helps me maintain my budget without racking up unnecessary flight hours. I no longer need to fly just to stay proficient while I wait for a checkride that may be months away. Those flights add up and often feel inefficient due to the intention of them being more about maintaining proficiency than actually progressing.
As someone who was once overwhelmed with the process of picking the right school, it’s a relief to know I chose well. I’ve heard plenty of horror stories from friends at other schools who have had their progress delayed for months because of the DPE shortage. In this boom and bust industry where timing is everything, those kinds of setbacks can potentially derail your career plans for years. FLT Academy’s Examining Authority and structured program gives students a massive advantage. I truly believe FLT Academy has the best program in the state, and I’m grateful to be a part of it!”
-Bryson R.
Current FLT Academy Student
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Examining Authority.
Examining Authority is a special FAA approval that allows FLT Academy to conduct final flight evaluations and issue pilot certificates directly upon course completion. This means students can bypass the need to schedule a checkride with an external FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE), making the process faster and more efficient.
While all Part 141 schools follow a structured FAA-approved curriculum, not all have Examining Authority. Without it, students must wait for a DPE to conduct their final checkride, which can take weeks or even months due to the current DPE shortage. With FLT Academy’s Examining Authority, students can complete their certification faster by testing directly with our Chief or Assistant Chief Flight Instructor.
The FAA grants Examining Authority only to schools that meet strict criteria, such as maintaining a student pass rate of 90% or higher over at least two years. FLT Academy has consistently met these standards, which is why we hold Examining Authority for our Commercial Pilot courses.
FLT Academy currently holds Examining Authority for the Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, and Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) courses. Having Examining Authority in these major courses is a significant step toward streamlining your path to achieving your aviation goals.
With Examining Authority, a student’s flight training can be completed faster and more affordably. Currently, there is a national shortage of Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs) which can lead to weeks or even months of waiting by the student simply to be able to take their checkride and progress to the next stage of training. Additionally, when students are waiting for checkrides, they must still fly to remain proficient in their skills. These extra flights can add up quickly, and are necessary to remain in a position to pass a checkride. With Examining Authority, students may only need to wait a few days rather than weeks to take their test and progress to the next stage of training.
At FLT Academy, our Examining Authority allows you to move through your training more efficiently. We provide a high-quality, structured training environment with fewer delays, ensuring you achieve your certifications faster and with less stress. It’s just another reason why FLT Academy is a step above the rest.
All FLT Academy students training under FAA Part 141 are eligible for in-house examination.
The standards and requirements for certification are set by the FAA and are identical whether a student completes their practical test with an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) or with an approved FLT Academy in-house evaluator under examining authority.
A checkride is a term used in the aviation industry which refers to a students Practical Exam – essentially, it is the “final test” at each stage of training that a student must take in order to receive their pilot certificate and/or additional privileges of flying.
No, Examining Authority is only available to students training under FAA Part 141 programs. Students training under Part 61 will still need to schedule checkrides with an external DPE.
Yes, while FLT Academy students training under Part 141 are eligible for in-house checkrides, they can still choose to schedule their checkride with an external Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) if they wish.
Not at all. Pilot certificates issued through in-house exams hold the same validity as those issued by external DPEs. Airlines and employers recognize all FAA-issued pilot certificates equally, regardless of where the checkride was conducted.
The retest process for in-house checkrides follows standard FAA procedures. If a student does not meet the required standards during the initial exam, they will receive guidance on areas that need improvement and will have the opportunity to retake the checkride after additional training.
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