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255 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 121.915 

who ensure the safe operation of, a par-
ticular make, model, and series air-
craft (or variant). 

(2) A list of and text describing the 

knowledge requirements, subject mate-
rials, job skills, and qualification 
standards of each procedure and pro-
ficiency objective to be trained and 
evaluated. 

(3) A list of and text describing eval-

uation/remediation strategies, stand-
ardization policies and recency require-
ments. 

§ 121.915 Continuing qualification cur-

riculum. 

Each continuing qualification cur-

riculum must contain training and 
evaluation activities, as applicable for 
specific positions subject to the AQP, 
as follows: 

(a) 

Continuing qualification cycle. 

continuing qualification cycle that en-
sures that during each cycle each per-
son qualified under an AQP, including 
instructors and evaluators, will receive 
a mix that will ensure training and 
evaluation on all events and subjects 
necessary to ensure that each person 
maintains proficiency in knowledge, 
technical skills, and cognitive skills 
required for initial qualification in ac-
cordance with the approved continuing 
qualification AQP, evaluation/remedi-
ation strategies, and provisions for spe-
cial tracking. Each continuing quali-
fication cycle must include at least the 
following: 

(1) 

Evaluation period. 

Initially the 

continuing qualification cycle is com-
prised of two or more evaluation peri-
ods of equal duration. Each person 
qualified under an AQP must receive 
ground training and flight training, as 
appropriate, and an evaluation of pro-
ficiency during each evaluation period 
at a training facility. The number and 
frequency of training sessions must be 
approved by the FAA. 

(2) 

Training. 

Continuing qualification 

must include training in all tasks, pro-
cedures and subjects required in ac-
cordance with the approved program 
documentation, as follows: 

(i) For pilots in command, seconds in 

command, and flight engineers, First 
Look in accordance with the certifi-
cate holder’s FAA-approved program 
documentation. 

(ii) For pilots in command, seconds 

in command, flight engineers, flight at-
tendants, instructors and evaluators: 
Ground training including a general re-
view of knowledge and skills covered in 
qualification training, updated infor-
mation on newly developed procedures, 
and safety information. 

(iii) For crewmembers, instructors, 

evaluators, and other operational per-
sonnel who conduct their duties in 
flight: Proficiency training in an air-
craft, flight training device, flight sim-
ulator, or other equipment, as appro-
priate, on normal, abnormal, and emer-
gency flight procedures and maneuvers. 

(iv) For dispatchers and other oper-

ational personnel who do not conduct 
their duties in flight: ground training 
including a general review of knowl-
edge and skills covered in qualification 
training, updated information on newly 
developed procedures, safety related in-
formation, and, if applicable, a line ob-
servation program. 

(v) For instructors and evaluators: 

Proficiency training in the type flight 
training device or the type flight simu-
lator, as appropriate, regarding train-
ing equipment operation. For instruc-
tors and evaluators who are limited to 
conducting their duties in flight sim-
ulators or flight training devices: 
Training in operational flight proce-
dures and maneuvers (normal, abnor-
mal, and emergency). 

(b) 

Evaluation of performance. 

Con-

tinuing qualification must include 
evaluation of performance on a sample 
of those events and major subjects 
identified as diagnostic of competence 
and approved for that purpose by the 
FAA. The following evaluation require-
ments apply: 

(1) Evaluation of proficiency as fol-

lows: 

(i) For pilots in command, seconds in 

command, and flight engineers: An 
evaluation of proficiency, portions of 
which may be conducted in an aircraft, 
flight simulator, or flight training de-
vice as approved in the certificate 
holder’s curriculum that must be com-
pleted during each evaluation period. 

(ii) For any other persons covered by 

an AQP, a means to evaluate their pro-
ficiency in the performance of their du-
ties in their assigned tasks in an oper-
ational setting. 

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256 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 121.917 

(2) Line checks as follows: 
(i) Except as provided in paragraph 

(b)(2)(ii) of this section, for pilots in 
command: A line check conducted in 
an aircraft during actual flight oper-
ations under part 121 or part 135 of this 
chapter or during operationally (line) 
oriented flights, such as ferry flights or 
proving flights. A line check must be 
completed in the calendar month at 
the midpoint of the evaluation period. 

(ii) With the FAA’s approval, a no- 

notice line check strategy may be used 
in lieu of the line check required by 
paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section. The 
certificate holder who elects to exer-
cise this option must ensure the ‘‘no- 
notice’’ line checks are administered so 
the flight crewmembers are not noti-
fied before the evaluation. In addition, 
the AQP certificate holder must ensure 
that each pilot in command receives at 
least one ‘‘no-notice’’ line check every 
24 months. As a minimum, the number 
of ‘‘no-notice’’ line checks adminis-
tered each calendar year must equal at 
least 50% of the certificate holder’s 
pilot-in-command workforce in accord-
ance with a strategy approved by the 
FAA for that purpose. In addition, the 
line checks to be conducted under this 
paragraph must be conducted over all 
geographic areas flown by the certifi-
cate holder in accordance with a sam-
pling methodology approved by the 
FAA for that purpose. 

(iii) During the line checks required 

under paragraph (b)(2)(i) and (ii) of this 
section, each person performing duties 
as a pilot in command, second in com-
mand, or flight engineer for that flight, 
must be individually evaluated to de-
termine whether the person remains 
adequately trained and currently pro-
ficient with respect to the particular 
aircraft, crew position, and type of op-
eration in which he or she serves; and 
the person has sufficient knowledge 
and skills to operate effectively as part 
of a crew. The evaluator must be a 
check airman, an APD, or an FAA in-
spector and must hold the certificates 
and ratings required of the pilot in 
command. 

(c) 

Recency of experience. 

For pilots in 

command, seconds in command, flight 
engineers, aircraft dispatchers, instruc-
tors, evaluators, and flight attendants, 

approved recency of experience require-
ments appropriate to the duty position. 

(d) 

Duration of cycles and periods. 

Ini-

tially, the continuing qualification 
cycle approved for an AQP must not 
exceed 24 calendar months in duration, 
and must include two or more evalua-
tion periods of equal duration. After 
that, upon demonstration by a certifi-
cate holder that an extension is war-
ranted, the FAA may approve an exten-
sion of the continuing qualification 
cycle to a maximum of 36 calendar 
months in duration. 

(e) 

Requalification. 

Each continuing 

qualification curriculum must include 
a curriculum segment that covers the 
requirements for requalifying a crew-
member, aircraft dispatcher, other op-
erations personnel, instructor, or eval-
uator who has not maintained con-
tinuing qualification. 

§ 121.917 Other requirements. 

In addition to the requirements of 

§§ 121.913 and 121.915, each AQP quali-
fication and continuing qualification 
curriculum must include the following 
requirements: 

(a) Integrated Crew Resource Man-

agement (CRM) or Dispatcher Resource 
Management (DRM) ground and if ap-
propriate flight training applicable to 
each position for which training is pro-
vided under an AQP. 

(b) Approved training on and evalua-

tion of skills and proficiency of each 
person being trained under AQP to use 
his or her resource management skills 
and his or her technical (piloting or 
other) skills in an actual or simulated 
operations scenario. For flight crew-
members this training and evaluation 
must be conducted in an approved 
flight training device, flight simulator, 
or, if approved under this subpart, in 
an aircraft. 

(c) Data collection and analysis proc-

esses acceptable to the FAA that will 
ensure the certificate holder provides 
performance information on its crew-
members, dispatchers, instructors, 
evaluators, and other operations per-
sonnel that will enable the certificate 
holder and the FAA to determine 
whether the form and content of train-
ing and evaluation activities are satis-
factorily accomplishing the overall ob-
jectives of the curriculum.