Separate required instructor records from useful school records, and organize endorsements, test results and instructor recent-experience dates.
Published by Aloft360, an aircraft management software provider. Editorial standards and corrections
A student changes instructors halfway through training. The new CFI needs to know what was taught, which endorsements were issued and what still needs work. A useful school record answers those questions without confusing progress notes with a signed logbook endorsement.
There are two jobs here: meet the instructor’s recordkeeping obligations and preserve enough detail for the next lesson. They overlap, but they are not identical.
14 CFR 61.189 requires an instructor to sign the logbook of each person given flight or ground training. It also requires a retained record of solo endorsements and knowledge- or practical-test endorsements, including the specified names, dates and test information. The retention period for those required records is at least three years.
That is different from a blanket requirement under this section to keep a separate three-year file for every lesson. Schools may choose broader retention policies, and other applicable requirements may add obligations.
Build a small endorsement register with the student’s name, endorsement purpose, date, instructor and supporting copy. For test endorsements, include the kind of test and result. Assign someone to follow up when a result has not yet been recorded.
Solo and solo cross-country authorizations have different conditions. Before issuing one, check the applicable section and current FAA endorsement guidance. Avoid treating one general training endorsement as authority for every later route or flight.
For example, 61.93 contains specific provisions for solo cross-country flights as well as particular repeated-flight arrangements. The correct endorsement depends on the situation. Preserve the instructor’s limitations alongside the endorsement so another instructor can understand its scope.
Use the FAA’s AC 61-65J as a reference, checking for a superseding revision before issuing endorsements. A completed task in a training app does not replace the required endorsement.
“Practiced landings” tells the next instructor very little. A more useful entry might read:
Practiced crosswind approaches. Student maintained the centerline with verbal reminders but needed help recognizing drift in the flare. Next lesson: repeat in suitable conditions and reassess before solo authorization.
This is an illustrative note, not a student record. It states the task, the assistance needed and the next step without claiming that a lesson automatically establishes proficiency.
Record the date, instructor, aircraft or device, training covered and follow-up. Keep supporting documents in a place that authorized instructors can find. Restrict access to sensitive student information and preserve copies outside a departing instructor’s personal account.
Do not rely on the old statement that every CFI certificate expires after 24 months. The FAA changed the certificate framework effective December 1, 2024. Schools need to verify the instructor’s authority and applicable recent-experience requirements, including transitional situations, rather than looking only for an expiration date printed on a certificate.
The FAA’s implementation clarification explains the change. Keep evidence supporting the instructor’s current privileges and a date for the next review. Give the instructor enough notice to complete the applicable process.
Before relying on a new system, select a current student, a student who changed instructors and a recent test applicant. Check whether you can retrieve the lesson history, endorsements, supporting documents and test outcome. Then test the export and access-removal process for an instructor leaving the school.
Aloft360’s training module helps organize student progress and endorsements. Use it alongside the required records and your school’s review process. The software migration checklist explains how to preserve existing files during a switch.