FAA Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI)Planning Instructional Activity and Instructor ResponsibilitiesHard
A student pilot asks a flight instructor to sign an endorsement for a stage of training that the student has not actually completed to the applicable standard, hoping to save time before an upcoming checkride. The instructor should...
- Arefuse to sign until the student demonstrates satisfactory performance to the applicable standard
- Bhave another instructor who did not observe the training sign it instead
- Csign the endorsement but verbally tell the examiner about the concern
- Dsign the endorsement because the student is confident in their own abilities
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. refuse to sign until the student demonstrates satisfactory performance to the applicable standard
Endorsements are legal certifications that a specific standard has actually been met; an instructor who signs an endorsement without verifying satisfactory performance is falsifying a record and violating both regulatory and ethical instructor responsibilities. The correct action is to withhold the endorsement until the standard is met.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Having an uninvolved instructor sign does not resolve the underlying lack of proficiency.
- C. Signing while privately expressing doubt is still a falsified endorsement.
- D. Student confidence does not substitute for actual demonstrated proficiency.
Integrity of Endorsements
An instructor may only sign a required endorsement after verifying the student has actually met the applicable standard; endorsements are legal certifications, not formalities.
- Signing without verification is a form of record falsification
- Endorsements are traceable to the specific instructor who signs them
- Instructor integrity is a core professional and legal responsibility
Memory trick: Your signature is your word—never sign a check the student hasn't cashed in performance.