Certification: Pilots and Flight and Ground Instructors (AC 61-65K)
Advisory Circular 61-65K, Certification: Pilots and Flight and Ground Instructors, is a free FAA advisory circular that provides guidance for pilot and instructor applicants, pilots, flight instructors, ground instructors, and examiners on certification standards, knowledge test procedures, and other requirements in 14 CFR part 61. Appendix A contains sample endorsements. It replaced AC 61-65J.
Why This Document Matters
AC 61-65K is the reference flight instructors reach for when writing a logbook endorsement. Its primary audience is flight instructors, ground instructors, and Designated Pilot Examiners, and it also serves applicants for every pilot and instructor certificate. The body of the AC explains knowledge test eligibility and evidence of ground training, identity, age, and English language verification, practical test prerequisites, student pilot certification and pre-solo requirements, and certification guidance for sport, recreational, private, commercial, and ATP pilots. It also covers flight instructor and ground instructor certification, flight instructor recent experience and reinstatement of privileges, and additional ratings. Appendix A provides sample endorsements, each tied to the regulation it satisfies. Revision K updates the sport pilot guidance and adds sample endorsements to conform with the MOSAIC final rule.
Study This Document in One Loop
What is the Study Loop?A 30-60 minute scenario-first session that replaces hours of passive reading.
Scenario
Decision
Targeted Learning
Open only these sections of the AC 61-65K:
- Paragraph 20, Pre-Solo Requirements and Privileges
- Appendix A, pre-solo aeronautical knowledge and pre-solo flight training endorsements (14 CFR 61.87)
- Appendix A, solo flight endorsement for the first 90-calendar-day period (14 CFR 61.87(n))
- Paragraph 20.9, Class B, C, and D Airspace (which student pilots need a 14 CFR 61.94 endorsement)
Debrief
Compare your Decision to what the handbook says:
- ?Did you list every endorsement before the flight, or did you find one missing at the airplane?
- ?For each endorsement, can you name the regulation it satisfies?
- ?What changes if the solo is at night, or at another airport within 25 nautical miles? What if your student were seeking a sport pilot certificate?
- ?How will you track the 90-calendar-day period for the solo endorsement?
Reinforcement
Turn your biggest miss into fast-recall rules:
- Every endorsement certifies something specific under a specific regulation.
- Appendix A is a starting point. Adapt each sample to the actual training given.
- Check the current edition of AC 61-65 before relying on a sample endorsement.
What Order to Read the AC 61-65K
Don't read by chapter number. Work the four phases. Start with whichever you're weakest in.
Survival Thinking
“What can hurt me?”
- •Pre-solo and solo endorsements: a missing endorsement means the student cannot legally fly solo
Interpretation
“What am I looking at?”
- •Matching each sample endorsement to its regulation in 14 CFR part 61
Prediction
“What will happen?”
- •Planning the endorsements a student will need at each stage of training
Checkride Mode
“Can I explain it under pressure?”
- •CFI applicants: expect questions on student pilot privileges and limitations and on the endorsements you will give
Chapter-by-Chapter Guide
What each section covers and the key topics to study
1Knowledge Tests and Ground Training (Paragraphs 8-11)
Knowledge test administration and eligibility, accepted evidence of completing ground training or a home-study curriculum, and verification of identity, address, age, and the English language standard.
Knowledge Tests and Ground Training (Paragraphs 8-11)
Knowledge test administration and eligibility, accepted evidence of completing ground training or a home-study curriculum, and verification of identity, address, age, and the English language standard.
Key Topics
2Practical Tests (Paragraphs 12-14)
Practical test guidance, single-seat aircraft for sport pilot applicants, and the prerequisites an applicant must meet before a practical test.
Practical Tests (Paragraphs 12-14)
Practical test guidance, single-seat aircraft for sport pilot applicants, and the prerequisites an applicant must meet before a practical test.
Key Topics
3Student Pilot Certification and Pre-Solo (Paragraphs 15-20)
How to apply for a student pilot certificate through IACRA or on paper, eligibility, and the pre-solo requirements and privileges for solo, night, cross-country, and Class B, C, and D airspace operations.
Student Pilot Certification and Pre-Solo (Paragraphs 15-20)
How to apply for a student pilot certificate through IACRA or on paper, eligibility, and the pre-solo requirements and privileges for solo, night, cross-country, and Class B, C, and D airspace operations.
Key Topics
4Pilot Certificates (Paragraphs 21-25)
Certification guidance for sport, recreational, private, commercial, and airline transport pilot certificates.
Pilot Certificates (Paragraphs 21-25)
Certification guidance for sport, recreational, private, commercial, and airline transport pilot certificates.
Key Topics
5Flight and Ground Instructors (Paragraphs 26-37)
Flight instructor certification, Gold Seal certificates, flight instructor recent experience, reinstatement of flight instructor privileges, ground instructor certification, and authorized instructors. Also covers the instrument rating and additional aircraft ratings.
Flight and Ground Instructors (Paragraphs 26-37)
Flight instructor certification, Gold Seal certificates, flight instructor recent experience, reinstatement of flight instructor privileges, ground instructor certification, and authorized instructors. Also covers the instrument rating and additional aircraft ratings.
Key Topics
6Appendix A: Sample Endorsements
Sample logbook endorsements, each tied to the regulation it satisfies, from practical test prerequisites and student pilot solo endorsements through knowledge and practical test endorsements, flight reviews, instrument proficiency checks, and additional training such as complex, high-performance, and tailwheel.
Appendix A: Sample Endorsements
Sample logbook endorsements, each tied to the regulation it satisfies, from practical test prerequisites and student pilot solo endorsements through knowledge and practical test endorsements, flight reviews, instrument proficiency checks, and additional training such as complex, high-performance, and tailwheel.
Key Topics
Study Tips
- CFI applicants: be ready to find and explain the correct endorsement in Appendix A for common scenarios such as first solo, solo cross-country, and practical test sign-offs.
- Use the regulation cited with each sample endorsement. Reading the rule behind the endorsement is how you learn what the endorsement certifies.
- Students: read the student pilot and pre-solo paragraphs before your first solo so you know which endorsements your instructor must give you.
- Flight instructors: the recent experience and reinstatement paragraphs explain every method for keeping your privileges current.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is AC 61-65K used for?
It provides guidance on certification standards, knowledge test procedures, and other requirements in 14 CFR part 61 for pilot and instructor applicants, pilots, flight instructors, ground instructors, and examiners. Flight instructors use its Appendix A as a source of sample endorsements.
Where are the sample endorsements in AC 61-65K?
Appendix A, Sample Endorsements. Each sample lists the regulation it addresses, such as 14 CFR 61.87 for pre-solo training and solo flight or 14 CFR 61.56 for completing a flight review.
What changed in revision K?
Appendix B summarizes the changes. They include updating the sport pilot guidance to conform with the MOSAIC final rule, adding sample endorsements for sport pilot night, controllable pitch propeller, and retractable landing gear privileges, and adding guidance and sample endorsements for simplified flight controls.
Is AC 61-65K legally binding?
No. The AC states that it is a guidance document and that its content is not legally binding in its own right. The requirements themselves are in 14 CFR part 61.
Quick Facts
- Document ID
- AC 61-65K
- Last Updated
- November 14, 2025
- Cost
- Free
- Publisher
- FAA
Applies To
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Certification: Pilots and Flight and Ground Instructors (AC 61-65K) is an official FAA publication available at FAA.gov
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