A pilot endorsement is a signed statement an authorized instructor writes in your logbook to certify that you completed specific training, are proficient to operate a certain kind of airplane, or are prepared for a test. After the private pilot certificate, the endorsements most pilots add are the ones in 14 CFR 61.31 for complex, high-performance, tailwheel and pressurized (high-altitude) airplanes, plus the recurring sign-offs for a flight review and an instrument proficiency check. The FAA’s recommended wording for each one is in Appendix A of AC 61-65K.
Part of our Learn to Fly library. Student solo and checkride endorsements are covered step by step in our pilot logbook guide.
What an endorsement is, and what it is not
The endorsements on this page come from an authorized instructor. Under 14 CFR 61.1 that means a flight instructor working within the privileges and limits of their certificate, a ground instructor for ground training, or a person the FAA has authorized to train under Parts 61, 121, 135 or 142. Instructors may not endorse themselves (61.195(i)), and every flight instructor must sign the logbook of each person they train (61.189(a)).
AC 61-65K says each endorsement must be legible and include the instructor’s signature, the date, the instructor’s certificate number, and either their recent experience end date or their certificate expiration date, whichever applies.
An endorsement is not a rating. Ratings, such as airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, a type rating or the instrument rating, are listed in 14 CFR 61.5 and are placed on your pilot certificate. Complex, high-performance and tailwheel endorsements never appear on your certificate.
The additional training endorsements in 14 CFR 61.31
Section 61.31 names aircraft that demand more than your category and class rating before you can act as pilot in command (PIC). Each requires training from an authorized instructor and a logbook endorsement. None requires an FAA knowledge test or checkride.
| Endorsement | Needed to act as PIC of | Rule | AC 61-65K sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complex | An airplane with retractable landing gear, flaps and a controllable-pitch propeller (or a FADEC engine control); a seaplane with flaps and a controllable-pitch propeller | 61.31(e) | A.72 |
| High-performance | An airplane with an engine of more than 200 horsepower | 61.31(f) | A.73 |
| Pressurized (high-altitude) | A pressurized aircraft whose service ceiling or maximum operating altitude, whichever is lower, is above 25,000 feet MSL | 61.31(g) | A.74 |
| Tailwheel | A tailwheel airplane | 61.31(i) | A.75 |
Complex and high-performance are separate endorsements, and some airplanes need both. Our complex and high-performance endorsement guide explains the definitions with real airplanes, and the tailwheel endorsement guide covers the training 61.31(i) spells out. If the propeller control is new to you, start with how a constant-speed propeller works.
Each rule exempts some experienced pilots, such as those who logged PIC time in a complex or high-performance airplane before August 4, 1997, or in a tailwheel airplane before April 15, 1991. Section 61.31 also covers type-specific training (61.31(h)), glider launch methods (61.31(j)), night vision goggles (61.31(k)) and aircraft with a simplified flight controls designation (61.31(l)). Read the full text of 14 CFR 61.31 on eCFR.
Flight review and IPC endorsements
Flight review (14 CFR 61.56)
To act as PIC, you need a flight review completed since the beginning of the 24th calendar month before the month of the flight, endorsed by the authorized instructor who gave it. The review is at least 1 hour of flight training and 1 hour of ground training, covering the Part 91 rules and the maneuvers the instructor decides you need to demonstrate. The AC 61-65K sample is A.69, and no logbook entry is required for an unsatisfactory review. A pilot proficiency check or practical test for a pilot certificate, rating or operating privilege given by an examiner, an approved pilot check airman or a U.S. Armed Force also satisfies the requirement, as does completing a phase of the FAA’s WINGS pilot proficiency program (A.70).
Instrument proficiency check (14 CFR 61.57(d))
If you fail to meet the instrument experience requirements of 61.57(c) for more than six calendar months, the only way to reestablish instrument currency is an instrument proficiency check (IPC). It covers the areas of operation in the instrument Airman Certification Standards and may be given by an examiner, an authorized instructor or the other persons the rule lists (sample A.71). See our instrument currency and IPC guide.
Student pilot and checkride endorsements
Before your first certificate, endorsements gate nearly every step, from pre-solo training and 90-day solo sign-offs to cross-country, Class B, knowledge test and practical test endorsements. Our logbook guide lists them in order with their AC 61-65K numbers, and the private pilot requirements page shows where each fits.
How to earn a 61.31 endorsement
- Find an instructor and the right airplane. Training must be in that kind of airplane or, for complex and high-performance, a representative full flight simulator or flight training device.
- Study first. Read the airplane’s operating handbook and the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook: Chapter 12 for complex and high-performance, Chapter 14 for tailwheel.
- Fly until you are proficient. Section 61.31 sets no minimum hours. Your instructor decides when you meet the standard.
- Check the entry. Confirm your name and certificate number, the regulation, the make and model, the date, and the instructor’s signature, certificate number and recent experience or expiration date.
Keep your logbook somewhere safe. Under 14 CFR 61.51(i) you must present it on reasonable request from the FAA, the NTSB or a law enforcement officer, and instructors are required to keep records only of the solo and test endorsements they give (61.189(b)), so your logbook may be the only record of a 61.31 endorsement.
What you'll need
A logbook to hold your endorsements, the regulations behind them, and the FAA handbook that teaches the transition training.
Frequently asked questions
What is an endorsement in aviation?
An endorsement is a signed logbook entry from an authorized instructor certifying that you completed specific training, are proficient in an operation, or are prepared for a test. The FAA’s sample wording is in Appendix A of AC 61-65K.
Do pilot endorsements expire?
The complex and high-performance endorsements are one-time endorsements under 14 CFR 61.31, and the rule sets no expiration for the tailwheel or pressurized endorsements either. Recurring requirements are separate: a flight review is due every 24 calendar months, and a student pilot’s solo endorsement must be renewed every 90 days.
Is a tailwheel or complex endorsement a rating?
No. Ratings are listed in 14 CFR 61.5 and placed on your pilot certificate. The 61.31 endorsements are logbook entries from an instructor and do not change your certificate.
Who can give a pilot endorsement?
For the endorsements on this page, an authorized instructor as defined in 14 CFR 61.1, which for flight training usually means a flight instructor acting within the privileges of their certificate. A flight instructor may not endorse themselves for a certificate, rating, flight review, authorization, operating privilege or test (14 CFR 61.195(i)).
Where can I find the official endorsement wording?
In Appendix A of AC 61-65K, Certification: Pilots and Flight and Ground Instructors, issued November 14, 2025. Complex is A.72, high-performance A.73, pressurized A.74, tailwheel A.75, flight review A.69 and the instrument proficiency check A.71.