Aircraft requirements

Every aircraft used for flight training or solo flights at a Part 141 flight school must carry two specific items on board:

A pretakeoff and prelanding checklist – This ensures students and instructors have standardized procedures readily available for critical phases of flight.

The aircraft's operator's handbook (if the manufacturer provides one) – The original handbook must be in the aircraft, or if multiple students use the same aircraft, copies can be provided to each student instead of keeping the original on board.

These requirements ensure that essential operating information and procedures are always accessible during training flights. The regulation recognizes the practical challenge of multiple students sharing aircraft by allowing copies of the handbook to be distributed rather than requiring the original to remain in the plane. This is particularly important since the operator's handbook contains critical performance data, limitations, and emergency procedures specific to that aircraft model.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation and consult a CFI.*