Two American aviation training academies have been granted rare federal authority to administer their own pilot certification exams, a status that could cut waiting times for students and ease a nationwide shortage of qualified flight instructors.
McAir Aviation and Illinois Aviation Academy (IAA) have each received FAA Part 141 Examining Authority from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) — a designation reserved for training schools that meet exceptionally high standards for instructional quality, student performance, and operational consistency.
The accreditation allows eligible students to complete their certification practical tests entirely within the schools’ own FAA-approved programmes, rather than relying on external Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs) — a bottleneck that has long frustrated flight training organisations across the United States.
McAir Aviation Expands Its Accreditation to Instrument Rating
McAir Aviation, based in the United States, received FAA Examining Authority for its Instrument Rating course in March 2026, building on a previous approval for its Private Pilot course granted in October 2024.
The Instrument Rating qualification is a critical step on the path to professional aviation, enabling pilots to fly in low-visibility and cloudy conditions using cockpit instruments alone.
Terry DiManna, Director of Academic Operations at McAir Aviation, said the recognition reflected the hard work of the academy’s staff across every aspect of its training operations.
“Earning Examining Authority for the Instrument Rating course demonstrates the FAA’s confidence in the quality, consistency, and professionalism of our training environment,” he said.
Illinois Aviation Academy Achieves CFI Milestone After More Than a Decade of Work
For Illinois Aviation Academy, the achievement is the culmination of more than a decade of continuous improvement. The academy first gained FAA Part 141 certification in 2012, and earned its initial examining authority — for the Private Pilot course — in 2015.
Its latest approval, for the Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) course, now allows IAA to train and certify its own flight instructors from within a single, integrated programme.
The CFI qualification is among the most demanding in civilian aviation, as it requires candidates not only to demonstrate flying proficiency but also to prove their ability to teach others to fly safely.
IAA says it has maintained a first-time pass rate of approximately 90% with external FAA examiners across its Instrument and Commercial certification courses — a figure that contributed to its eligibility for the expanded authority.
Robert Werederich, IAA’s founder and Executive Vice President of Flight Operations, described the approval as the result of years of sustained commitment across every part of the organisation.
“Earning FAA Examining Authority for the CFI course reflects the strength of our instructional team, the discipline of our operational processes, and the high level of performance consistently demonstrated by our students,” he said.
What Is FAA Part 141 Examining Authority?
FAA Part 141 Examining Authority is granted only to flight schools that have demonstrated sustained excellence across a range of criteria, including training quality, oversight procedures, student performance outcomes, and consistently high pass rates with external examiners.
Schools must comply with rigorous FAA standards before the authorisation is approved, and the designation is subject to ongoing review.
The approval carries practical significance beyond prestige. Scheduling an external Designated Pilot Examiner has become an increasingly significant challenge for flight schools in recent years, with demand for DPE availability outstripping supply in many parts of the country.
By conducting tests in-house, accredited schools can offer students a more predictable and streamlined route to certification.