Frequently Asked Questions (from AOPA)
General
Are introductory or "discovery" flights exempt from the requirements of the TSA rule?
Yes.
TSA has stated through correspondence with AOPA that introductory or
"discovery" flights are exempt from the requirements of the TSA rule.
What
is the definition of flight training as it pertains to this rule for
the purposes of needing to undergo citizenship verification?
The TSA has further interpreted the definition of "flight training"
for aircraft with a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 12,500
pounds or less to only apply to training for a recreational pilot,
sport pilot, or private pilot certificate; multiengine rating (at any
certificate level — i.e., does not apply to MEI); or instrument rating
(does not include recurrent training).
Do the requirements for citizenship verification apply for flight reviews, aircraft checkouts, or instrument proficiency checks?
No, TSA has interpreted the definition of "recurrent training"
to NOT include any flight review, proficiency check, or other check
required by 14 CFR § 61.57 or § 61.58 whose purpose is to review rules,
maneuvers, or procedures, or to demonstrate a pilot's existing skills.
The TSA has further interpreted the definition of "flight training"
for aircraft with a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 12,500
pounds or less to only apply to training for a recreational pilot,
sport pilot, or private pilot certificate; multiengine rating (at any
certificate level — i.e., does not apply to MEI); or instrument rating
(does not include recurrent training).
Do the requirements for citizenship verification apply to flight training in airships, balloons, or gliders?
No, TSA has granted an exemption for
those schools that provide, and individuals who apply for, instruction
in the operation of airships, balloons, or gliders. This exemption also
exempts schools that only provide instruction in airships, balloons,
and gliders from the security awareness training requirement.
I
was approved by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Flight Training
Candidate Checks Program (FTCCP); do I have to go through the TSA
background check?
The AFSP (Alien Flight Student Program)
requires candidates to submit a request for each instance of flight
training. Although some candidates have received final approval in the
past through the DOJ's Flight Training Candidate Checks Program
(FTCCP), they must submit a request for approval of new training
through the AFSP Web site.
Please note that any user ID and password that was created for the FTCCP Web site will work on the AFSP Web site; you do not need to create a new account if you already have one from the FTCCP.
Flight Schools and Instructors
How
do I submit an application for Category 4 (aliens who hold a pilot
certificate from a foreign country and would like to get an
unrestricted U.S. pilot certificate)?
Category 4 training
requests for applicants are submitted by the provider through the form
on the provider Web site. Flight school providers should click on the
"Category 4 Menu" folder and the "Submit New Category 4" link within
the flight school provider Web site. There is no processing fee for
Category 4 requests.
Are
flight instructors in the United States required to visit their local
FSDO in order to validate their TSA registration and personal
identification?
No, flight instructors in the United States are
not required to visit their FSDO for this. Once the flight instructor
submits his/her registration to TSA, a user name will be provided
immediately, and a password will later be sent from TSA via e-mail.
Are flight schools and flight instructors located outside the United States affected by this rule?
Yes.
The rule applies to any flight school or flight instructor certificated
under 14 CFR that provides instruction in the operation of any aircraft
or aircraft simulator toward the issuance of a U.S. airman certificate.
This includes any flight school or instructor located outside the
United States that provides such instruction.
I am an active flight instructor and an alien. Am I required to do anything different than instructors who are U.S. citizens?
No,
nothing special is required. The requirements of the rule for flight
schools and flight instructors still apply to you. This requires
registering with TSA if you are giving flight instruction to other
aliens, verifying citizenship for U.S. citizens, and completing initial
and recurrent TSA security awareness training.
How do flight training providers outside the United States verify their registration with TSA?
For
providers outside the United States, you will need to validate with an
international FSDO office (IFO). There are IFOs in New York, New York;
San Francisco, California; and Miami, Florida. Please contact the nearest IFO
to you and inquire whether that office can process your request for a
provider account on AFSP. If you use the New York IFO, please select
the New York IFO (EA29) as your FSDO option and "New York" for your
state location. If you use the San Francisco IFO, please select the San
Francisco IFO (WP03) as your FSDO option and "California" for your
state location. If you use the Miami IFO, please select the Miami IFO
(SO23) as your FSDO option and "Florida" for your state location. Once
the IFO validates your request, you will be sent a password via e-mail.
How do I upload and submit a candidate photograph?
Candidate
photographs must be taken when a candidate arrives for the first day of
flight training. The provider, through the "Photograph Upload" link,
should upload these photographs through the AFSP Web site. The
following TSA guidelines for taking photographs are provided on the
photograph upload page within the AFSP Web site.
I
am registered with a Part 141 (Part 142) school as a provider agent but
teach part-time as a CFI (Part 61) provider. Do I register as a
provider admin or agent?
Flight instructors who are registered
with a Part 141 or Part 142 school should be registered as a provider
agent for that school. The schools may have only one provider admin,
which is generally an administrator at the school. By registering as a
provider agent to the Part 141 or 142 school, flight instructors may
validate candidate requests for their students at the school.
CFIs or Part 61 providers who do not have FAA school certification numbers must sign up as individual flight training providers. In this case, each instructor would sign up as a provider admin. For instructors who teach within a Part 141 (Part 142) school and also teach separately as a CFI (Part 61) provider, the instructor should sign up as a provider agent within the Part 141 or 142 school AND as a provider admin for instruction on a CFI (Part 61) basis. The instructor will validate candidate requests for the Part 141 (142) school separately from the CFI (Part 61) instruction.
What is the flight training provider's responsibility if a candidate is denied?
The
flight training provider may not provide training to a candidate who
has been denied by the AFSP. If the flight training provider has
already initiated training for a candidate, and TSA notifies the flight
training provider that the candidate poses a threat to aviation or
national security, the flight training provider must stop the training
immediately. TSA will contact the flight training provider both
electronically (e-mail) and by telephone and provide further
instructions.
U.S. Citizens
It
is my understanding that the logbook endorsement requirement for U.S.
citizens should be done anytime an instructor/flight school is
presented with a new student who received a logbook endorsement from a
different school and/or location. But for students who remain at one
flight school throughout their training, and are known by all the
instructors, a recurring endorsement is not necessary. Is this correct?
Yes,
this is a correct interpretation. Think of the endorsement as a
replacement of the copy of the proof of citizenship. If you had a copy
of my birth certificate from private training, and now I want to do an
instrument rating, no need to run a new Xerox copy just because I'm
doing a new rating.
Aliens
I am pursuing a U.S. pilot certificate at a flight school located outside the United States. Do I need to comply with this rule?
Yes.
The rule applies to the issuance of a U.S. airman certificate at any
flight school located in or outside the United States that is providing
flight training under 14 CFR.
I am pursuing a U.S. pilot certificate based on my foreign license. Am I required to comply with the TSA rule?
No, TSA has clarified that getting a U.S. certificate based on a foreign license does not apply to the requirements of the rule.
Can an alien candidate register without a passport?
You
are generally required to have a passport, but there are some people
with very special circumstances who cannot obtain a passport. TSA will
handle these situations on a case-by-case basis.
Does the TSA have any international locations for processing fingerprints?
In
March 2005, TSA announced that certain international locations have
been selected to process fingerprints for alien candidates. A list of
participating airports is available at www.tsc-csc.com/printoffices/.
How long will it take to get an answer on my training request?
There are factors that affect the amount of time between training request submission and response, including:
- Response time of your flight training provider.
- Accuracy and completeness of your training request.
- Nature of the request.
- Category of the candidate.
What can I do if my request was returned for insufficient information?
If your training request contains insufficient information required to make a determination on your request, you will receive an e-mail notification. You may return to this Web site, select the training request for which you received the e-mail notification, and review the information you provided for its accuracy and completeness. Make any changes needed, and resubmit your training request. On a resubmission, the flight training provider DOES NOT need to validate your request again, and you DO NOT have to pay another $130 USD processing fee.What if I need to cancel my flight training request?
You may now cancel a training request that is in the Draft status by going to Step 7 of the request, clicking on the Edit link for that request, and clicking the "Delete Training Request" button.Security Awareness Training
Where can I go to get the Recurrent Security Awareness Training?
Active flight instructors, ground instructors, and flight school employees now have a means available to complete the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA's) recurrent security awareness training. TSA posted an online training module, "Recurrent Flight School Security Awareness Training," which can be used to fulfill the recurrent training requirements or to develop an alternate training program.I am having a problem printing TSA's security awareness training certificate after I completed their online course; what should I do?
You may obtain a certificate from AOPA [independent CFI (Word document | PDF document); CFI/employee of a flight school (Word document | PDF document)] and keep this for proof of complying with the security awareness training requirement. You may also elect to endorse your logbook or other permanent records with the wording provided on the certificate that applies to you.Is a flight instructor who is not actively instructing required to take the initial security awareness training, and then continually undertake the recurrent training if they remain inactive?
TSA has clarified the applicability of the security awareness training. Current and active instructors must take the training. However, current and inactive instructors are not required to take the training, but it is recommended. Expired instructors are not required to complete the training. The deadline for TSA's security awareness training was January 18, 2005. Compliance is still required for active instructors who have yet to complete this training.TSA's security awareness training document is required to have a distinct identification number and also indicate whether or not the training is initial or recurrent. Neither of these is provided on the TSA security awareness training certificate. What should I do?
- After rechecking the rule and with our Chief Counsel's Office, here's what we have regarding the identification number:
- Under 1552.25(a), a flight school must issue a document to each flight school employee each time the employee receives training (initial and recurrent). Paragraph (a)(1) requires the document to contain the employee's name and a distinct identification number.
- The purpose is for TSA auditors to be able to better track/identify employees who have received the training. TSA does not provide the identification number. The flight school should make up a numbering system for employees or use any employee numbering system that the school already uses to identify employees.
- The school is also free to note initial or recurrent training on the certificate for their record-keeping purposes.
