Keep endorsements and training records complete

Identify the exact privilege or test

Before writing an endorsement, identify what it authorizes or certifies. A record of instruction, a solo authorization and a recommendation for a practical test serve different purposes. Start with the applicable regulation and the learner’s actual circumstances, including category, class, prior qualifications and the training you personally provided.

As checked in October 2026, AC 61-65K is the FAA’s current endorsement guidance. Its sample language should be read with the underlying rule. Do not select a template solely because its heading resembles the request, or assume one practical-test endorsement covers every prerequisite.

Use a deliberate signing check

This editorial checklist is a workflow aid, not substitute endorsement wording. Use the current FAA sample and resolve any uncertainty before signing.

• Confirm your own authority, ratings, recent experience and any additional qualifications needed for this instruction or endorsement.
• Identify every applicable prerequisite and locate the evidence supporting it in the learner’s records.
• Check the relevant dates, aircraft details, limitations and other case-specific information against the actual training.
• Ensure the completed text accurately states what you can certify; leave no template placeholders.
• Follow AC 61-65K’s signature guidance, including the date, instructor certificate number and recent-experience end date or certificate expiration date, as applicable.
• Have the learner read the entry and explain any limits or next steps in their own words.

Maintain the learner record and your own record

Under §61.51(h), a training entry includes a description and duration of the instruction, a legible instructor endorsement and the required instructor identification and date information. A scheduling entry or payment receipt is not a substitute for the required training record.

Section 61.189 separately requires instructors to sign the logbooks of people receiving flight or ground training. It also requires a record of solo endorsements and of knowledge-test or practical-test endorsements, including the specified names, dates, test kind and results. Retain the records required by that section for at least three years. School or other applicable requirements may add obligations; distinguish those from this particular regulatory minimum.

Build a follow-up habit

For example, after recommending a learner for a practical test, enter a pending-result item in your administrative list. When the result is available, update the required record instead of assuming the examiner or school database will complete your personal recordkeeping. This makes a later review much easier.

At the end of each week, look for missing signatures, unresolved test results and inconsistencies between lesson notes and completed endorsements. Keep corrections transparent and preserve an understandable history rather than silently rewriting an old entry. Restrict access to student information, maintain a usable backup and make arrangements for record access if you change schools. When an unusual endorsement case remains unclear, consult the current FAA guidance and the appropriate FAA office before proceeding.