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6 Answers

Inherited Student’s Endorsements

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FAA Regulations, Flight Instructor, Student Pilot

I recently inherited a student pilot who’s previous instructor left for the airlines. The student has recently soloed for the first time, prior to me taking them on. While reviewing their logbook for the first time I discover that their initial solo endorsements have no limitations on them. No weather or aircraft limitations, much less a date for the 90 day. Is it possible to invalidate or remove these? Can I give them a new endorsement that somehow supersedes the old one? How do I go about taking them on while protecting myself and moving them forward?

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6 Answers



  1. Bryan on Feb 22, 2022

    The old endorsements are on the instructor who left for the airlines, not you; so you don’t really “inherit” them. Any endorsement you issue is valid with whatever limitations you impose. If the student goes and does something beyond the limitations you outlined and argues to the FAA that s/he had endorsements to do it from the last instructor, the last instructor will be on the hook for it, not you.

    If it were me, I would have a very honest conversation with the student about it and if they balk at all at the idea of more limited student solo endorsements, they can find another instructor. If they accept it, here are your new endorsements and off we go.

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  2. Kris Kortokrax on Feb 22, 2022

    If the student is renting an aircraft from your fight school, there is not much of a problem. You control the aircraft.

    If the student owns his own aircraft, then you need to work things out concerning any flights.

    The endorsement will expire 90 days from when it was issued. No expiration date is necessary.

    If the most current endorsement does not show the date it was issued, then it is invalid.

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  3. Best Answer


    Russ Roslewski on Feb 22, 2022

    Like Kris says, it’s not required to put the expiration date in the endorsement, as the expiration is already covered by 61.87n.

    I’m curious about the “no aircraft limitations”. How does the endorsement read? While it’s not strictly required to word it as shown in AC 61-65H, endorsement A.6 includes the make/model in the text of the endorsement. Even if they’re using the pre-printed endorsements in the logbook, including the make and model goes back at least until 2005 when I stopped looking.

    But yes, just write a new endorsement with whatever limitations you find necessary, and you’re covered. Until you do, you haven’t endorsed anything, so you should be okay if something happens. However, I wouldn’t be willing to test that theory, so you should get your own in there promptly.

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  4. SkAviator87 on Feb 22, 2022

    Russ, its a preprinted endorsement in the logbook. Literally just has his name, date and instructors info. No aircraft, no weather, nothing in the limitations line. Crazy!
    Thanks for the insights. This is what I was thinking but I still do not like the idea of him having this open solo ticket in his book either way. Thanks again!

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  5. Kris Kortokrax on Feb 22, 2022

    Does the student’s logbook show an endorsement for the pre-solo knowledge check?
    Does it document that the student has received instruction in every maneuver listed in 61.87(d)?

    If not, then he doesn’t meet the requirements to solo.

    61.87(p)(4) requires the endorsement to include the specific make and model. If the endorsement does not contain that, then it is invalid.

    Read 61.87(p) carefully. You cannot just put an endorsement in the student’s logbook. You would need to give him instruction in all the required maneuvers, in order to determine that he is proficient in each maneuver.

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  6. Mark Kolber on Feb 22, 2022

    Unless it includes make and model it’s not a proper solo endorsement.

    61.87n) Limitations on student pilots operating an aircraft in solo flight. A student pilot may not operate an aircraft in solo flight unless that student pilot has received an endorsement in the student’s logbook **for the specific make and model aircraft** to be flown by an authorized instructor who gave the training within the 90 days preceding the date of the flight.

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