FAA Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA)Regulations (14 CFR 61/91)Medium
A flight instructor gave ground and flight training to several students last year. According to 14 CFR 61.189, for how long must the instructor retain a record of the endorsements and training given to those students?
- A1 year
- B2 years
- C3 years
- D5 years
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. 3 years
14 CFR 61.189(b) requires a flight instructor to maintain a record of training given, including the name, date, and type of training, and to retain that record for at least 3 years.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. One year is too short and does not match the regulatory requirement.
- B. Two years is incorrect; it is often confused with the flight review interval.
- D. Five years is longer than required and is not the correct retention period.
CFI Recordkeeping (61.189)
Flight instructors must sign each trainee's logbook and separately retain a record of all training and endorsements given for at least 3 years.
- Sign trainee's logbook for training given
- Maintain separate record of endorsements/training
- Retain records for at least 3 years
- Record must include name, address, and dates of training
Memory trick: Three years of paperwork proves the training happened.