Part 142 curriculum approval
Part 142 curriculum approval. Every Part 142 training curriculum is approved by the FAA before it can be delivered. Approval covers ground school content, simulator session profiles, evaluation standards, and check items. Changes to an approved curriculum require FAA re-approval before delivery.
Definition
The curriculum is the contract between the training center and the FAA. The center commits to deliver exactly what was approved; the FAA accepts the training credit on the basis of that commitment. Drift — even small drift — between the approved curriculum and the delivered curriculum is the single most common audit finding at Part 142 centers. Software that doesn't enforce the approved curriculum at delivery time invites drift.
Version control on curricula
An approved curriculum has a version. A revision that hasn't been approved is a draft. Software should track both states explicitly and prevent draft curricula from being scheduled for billable training. The version delivered to each student should be recorded on that student's training record.
Approval workflow
Most curriculum approvals flow through the FAA's Principal Operations Inspector (POI). Draft → POI review → revisions → POI approval → activation in the center's system. The software should reflect each state and gate delivery on "approved + active."
Common audit findings
Delivering a draft curriculum because "the approved version was missing a maneuver." Skipping a required ground topic because the simulator session was running long. Substituting a check item from a different curriculum version. All of these are software-preventable failures.
See also
- Part 142 training center — Part 142 ATO
- Check instructor (TCE/APD) — Check instructor
- FSTD (Flight Simulation Training Device) — FSTD
Roffik's take
The platform for FAA-approved Part 142 training centers — simulator scheduling, FAA compliance records, client-account billing, and SWIFT wire reconciliation. Learn more about AviationAlley.