BEAUROCRACY

• CFI Certificates no longer expire after 01 DEC 2024.

  • You now need to demonstrate recency experience (same methods as before, pretty much).

  • You can also renew completing one phase of WINGS and conducting 15 flight actives for 5 different pilots.

  • There is a 3 month grace period to complete your FIRC.

  • Renewals at the FSDO must be in person. 

• To endorse new CFI initial candidates there are new methods.

  • ​Complete a part 141 Flight Instructor Enhanced Qualification Training Program (FTEQTP)

  • In the past 2 years have endorsed at least 5 applicants with an 80% pass rate.

• Information for Operators for Sport Pilot CFIs (INFO 26006)

  • Published April 2026​

  • CFIs with sport pilot ratings - be specific with endorsements, especially flight reviews.

• Airmen Testing Community Advisory (FAA Knowledge Tests) - Aug 2026

  • ATP multi-engine test removed the Q400 as part 121 no longer uses turboprop aircraft​

  • All tests will have embedded images, so no need for test supplement with images (beware of plotting and angles, etc.).

    • IR and sUAS will have images that do not exist today in the supplement (i.e., new questions).

    • Effective October 2026

    • No news on when the physical supplement will be removed​

• Safety Alert for Operators on Runway Incursions (SAFO 26003)​

  • Published sep 2026

  • Parallel runways with acute taxiway angles​

  • KLAX 24L

  • See ref image below​

• Aircraft Model Designation​

  • I have noticed a general trend among regulatory updates and requests for comments where the FAA may be wanting more granularity in the aircraft models we fly. ​A Cessna 172A has different performance than a 172SP.

  • Recommend logging aircraft type clearly in pilot's logbook. E.g.,  Cessna C-172N vs. Cessna C-172 or Cirrus SR20 G6 vs. Cirrus SR20.

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SERVICES

• FAA Lesson Learned Library​

  • Always monitor FAA's library for lessons learned - recent updates with helicopters​

• FAA Directives and Advisory Circulars Website​​

  • Sunsetting soon​

  • Refer to Dynamic Regulatory System

  • Refer to Regulations and Policies Website

• AIRMETS​

  • Legacy AIRMETs (Zulu, Tango, Sierra) are no longer in existence​ since 2010

  • Replaced by G-AIRMETs (graphical AIRMETs) that provide directly all categories and subcategories (e.g., moderate nonconvective turbulence, nonconvective low-level wind shear (LLWS), and strong surface winds)

  • Updated every 3 hours and valid for 3 hr intervals up to 12 hrs (forecasts)

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REGULATORY

• MOSAIC - Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification - see factsheet

  • Applies to sport pilot and light sport aircraft​

  • FAA will remove "LSA" from the regulations

    • Takeoff weight limit is removed​

    • Max airspeed is now 250 KCAS

    • Max Stall speed now 61 KCAS (with flaps), 45 KCAS (gliders with flaps)

    • Sport pilots can fly bigger more capable aircraft, but still limited to one passenger​​

    • In essence, center regs on pilot and NOT the aircraft! That's why LSA no longer exists

  • Started OCT 2025, followups in JUL 2026

  • Expands sport pilot privileges to fly more aircraft with less restrictions

  • New aircraft type: Simplified Flight Controls (SFC)

    • Requires model specific training​

    • CFI must have the make/model endorsement before teaching in an SFC

    • Automation actually controls the airplane. Pilot just specifies what they want the plane to do.

    • See AC 61-146 for details.

• Aircraft Registration Expiration​​

  • Now valid for 7 years (starts 23 JAN 2023)​

  • Renewal grace period now 12 months

  • Airworthiness certificate becomes ineffective if registration is expired.

    • Still have 12 month grace period​​

• Commercial Balloon Pilot Medicals

  • For private use, no need for medical​

  • For compensation or hire (commercial), need a second class

  • As always there are exceptions (required crew not acting as PIC can be BasicMed), special medical flight test weirdness​

• Pilots under BasicMed can now be safety pilots as required crew members not acting as PIC​​

• Revised Advisory Circulars

  • AC 61-65K (the endorsement AC)

  • AC 61-146 (the sport pilot MOSAIC stuff, see above)

  • AC 61-97A (minimum equipment and inoperative stuff (read chapters 3-5)

  • AC 90-48E (Pilot's role in collision avoidance)

  • AC 90-66C (non-towered airport ops)

    • Back taxi​

    • Hotline complaint for safety stuff, violations, or other FAA problems

    • Joining the pattern from IAP in VMC conditions

  • AC 91-78A (EFBs)​

    • defines Electronic Flight Bag (EFB)

    • defines Portable Electronic Device (PED)

  • AC 61-98E (Currency Requirements)​

  • AC 120-78B (Electronic Signatures, Records, and Manuals)

• ​TSA Awareness Training

  • Required for CFI every two years​

  • TSA vetting of foreign nationals for 5 years (not training event)

• Powered Lift Vehicle definition​

  • To a count for eVTOLS and stuff and their integration in the NAS​

  • Switched helicopter to rotorcraft in various places

• Strong Emphasis on Commercial Operations

  • Too many PPLs doing illegal air charters​

  • Private Pilot Privileges

  • Commercial Pilot Privileges

  • Common Purpose AC

• Dry-Lease Agreements​

  • Aircraft but no crew​

  • Watch for illegal air charters - see this poster

• Currency to carry passengers Update to FAR 61.57

  • FAA replaced 'passengers' with 'persons' in 61.57.

  • Opens gray area for CFIs flying with students, who are persons and not passengers

  • Discussion with AOPA shows that it's always best to be current, especially as a CFI

  • Risks of 91.13, Reckless behavior.

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CHARTING

• Skeletonizing - Removal of international foreign data on American charts.

  • Foreign countries do not provide charting updates to the FAA fast enough, causing confusion and obsolescence.

  • Canadian, Caribbean, Mexican airspace will only show major airport, NAVAIDs, airways, etc.​

  • If you fly abroad, you cannot use FAA charts, but the country's specific publications.

  • Applies to both VFR and IFR charts

• Private Airfields on VFR Charts​

  • FAA will remove private airfields​ unless they are good landmarks for VFR flying.

  • Only applies to physical chart (PDF), not databases or moving maps.

  • Will take some time to implement.

• Preferred Single Direction Airways on IFR charts

  • FAA depicts with arrows routes that are preferred to be in a single direction.​

• Wind Turbine Farms on VFR Charts​

  • These are now depicted on the chart​

  • The highest obstacle elevation is posted in a box

  • Dotted blue outline and internal 45 deg cross hatched lines

  • See ref image below.

• Arrival Alert Notices (AAN)​

  • Airports that have confusing runways will now have depicted graphics and text in the chart supplement.​ Not all of them do, only some.

  • Available also on FAA website

  • AAN after the airport remarks

  • Will be in Special Notices of the chart supplement

  • See ref image below for DJT.

• Remote Communication Outlets​

  • Many have been decommissioned​ and removed from the sectionals

  • Look for nearest NAVAID with RCO to search for frequency

  • FAA provided coverage for 2,500 ft AGL and 5,000 ft AGL

• Weather Cameras​

  • Airports that have cameras now have a circled WX symbol near the airport data block. (e.g., E55)

  • See ref image below.

• Magnetic Variation​

  • Mag Var, along with the year and the annual change is now reported on airport diagrams​

  • See ref image below.​

• Takeoff Minimums Publication​

  • Updated with close-in obstacles distanced by DER.​

  • Other updates incoming

    • See Takeoff Minimums Article​

    • See ref image below.​​​