Managing Instructor Qualification Records
Summary
FlightSense tracks FAA Part 141 instructor qualification records across four categories: certificates, proficiency records, course authorizations, and aircraft authorizations. The system automatically calculates expiration dates using FAA's 12-month calendar rule and alerts you when records need attention.
Who this is for
- Admins and Owners managing Part 141 compliance
- Chief Instructors overseeing instructor qualifications
- Assistant Chief Instructors managing subordinate instructor records
Before you begin
- The instructor must be an active member of your organization
- For course authorizations, at least one published course must exist
- For aircraft authorizations, aircraft must be added to your fleet
Qualification categories
Certificates (view-only)
Pilot certificates are entered by instructors in the mobile app and appear here for reference. These records cannot be edited in the Admin Portal.
Proficiency Records
Track FAA-required proficiency checks with four types:
| Type | Purpose | Expiration |
|---|---|---|
| Initial | First authorization for a course (FAA approval) | Does not expire |
| Recurrent | 12-month renewal | End of calendar month, 12 months later |
| FIRC | Flight Instructor Refresher Course | Satisfies recurrent for all courses |
| Other | Additional documentation | Based on date entered |
Course Authorizations
Specify which courses an instructor can teach and their role within each course:
| Course Role | Granted authorities |
|---|---|
| Chief Instructor | Stage checks, progress checks, annual checks |
| Asst. Chief Instructor | Stage checks, progress checks, annual checks |
| Instructor | None (teaching only) |
Aircraft Authorizations
Authorize instructors to use specific aircraft make/models. One authorization covers all aircraft of that make/model in your fleet (e.g., authorizing "Cessna 172" covers all 172s).
Steps
Viewing qualifications
- Go to Members in the Admin Portal
- Click on an instructor's name
- Select the Qualifications tab
- Review the four sections: Certificates, Proficiency Records, Authorized Courses, Authorized Aircraft
Adding a proficiency record
- Open the instructor's Qualifications tab
- In the Proficiency Records section, click Add Record
- Complete the form:
- Date: When the proficiency event occurred
- Type: Initial, Recurrent, FIRC, or Other
- Course: Optional. Associate with a specific course, or leave blank (common for FIRC which applies to all courses)
- Aircraft (M/M): Required for regular instructors; shows N/A for chiefs
- Administered By: Dropdown grouped by role—FAA option plus qualified personnel (Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs) from your organization
- Notes: Optional additional details
- Click Save
Authorizing an instructor for a course
- Open the instructor's Qualifications tab
- In Authorized Courses, click Add Course
- Select the course and role
- For Chief or Asst. Chief roles, configure granted authorities:
- Can perform stage checks
- Can perform progress checks
- Can perform annual proficiency checks
- Click Save
Authorizing an instructor for aircraft
- Open the instructor's Qualifications tab
- In Authorized Aircraft, click Add Aircraft
- Select the aircraft make/model from the dropdown
- Click Save
What happens next
The system continuously monitors qualification status:
- Active (green): More than 30 days until expiration
- Expiring Soon (yellow): Within 30 days of expiration
- Inactive (red): Expired or missing required records
- Pending (blue): Aircraft added but no courses assigned yet
Common issues
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| "Inactive" status on course authorization | Missing proficiency record | Add an Initial or Recurrent proficiency record for that course |
| Aircraft shows "Inactive" for instructor | Missing proficiency with aircraft | Add proficiency record that includes both the course and aircraft |
| Can't assign Chief Instructor course role | Instructor has org_instructor role | Change their organization role to Chief or Asst. Chief Instructor first |
| FIRC not clearing course expirations | FIRC missing from records | Add FIRC as proficiency type—it satisfies recurrent for all courses |
| Buttons disabled on qualifications | Instructor is inactive member | Reactivate the member before managing qualifications |
| Certificate data is wrong | Entered in mobile app | Instructor must correct certificate info in their mobile app |
How this works
FAA 12-month calendar rule
Proficiency expires at the end of the calendar month, 12 months after the proficiency date:
Proficiency Date: November 15, 2024
Expiration: November 30, 2025 (last day of the month)Initial proficiency records do not expire—only Recurrent checks follow the 12-month window.
Chief vs. instructor requirements
Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs (per FAA § 141.79(c)):
- Require Initial proficiency per course (FAA approval)
- Require Recurrent within 12 months (course-specific or FIRC)
- Aircraft field not required
Regular Instructors (per FAA § 141.79(d)):
- Require proficiency with both course AND aircraft specified
- Require Initial proficiency per aircraft make/model per course
- Recurrent within 12 months per course/aircraft combination
FIRC applies globally
A Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC) satisfies the recurrent requirement for all courses. When adding a FIRC record, the course field is optional—leaving it blank applies the FIRC to all course authorizations automatically.
Status calculation
The system determines status based on the most favorable applicable record:
- Checks for valid Initial record (required for all authorizations)
- Checks for valid Recurrent or FIRC within 12 months
- For regular instructors, verifies aircraft is included in proficiency
- Returns the appropriate status code