Build a Part 135 Check Airman Packet Around the Qualification Story

The packet should answer the question before it is asked

For a Director of Training or Director of Operations, a check airman packet is a management tool—not just a submission bundle. A reviewer should be able to open the packet and quickly understand the proposed role, the aircraft or flight simulation training device involved, the supporting qualifications, and the operator’s plan for standardization and oversight.

If the reviewer has to reconstruct that logic from disconnected résumés, certificates, training records, and emails, the packet is creating avoidable questions and delays. The objective is not maximum volume. It is a current, organized, and traceable qualification record.

What the qualification story needs to establish

Part 135 uses the term check pilot in the current regulation, although many operators still use check airman in everyday conversation. Section 135.337 distinguishes between a check pilot who conducts checks in an aircraft and a check pilot who conducts checks only in an FSTD.

For the aircraft type involved, the individual must hold the certificates and ratings required to serve as pilot in command, complete the applicable aircraft training and checking, complete the applicable check pilot training, and be approved by the Administrator for the duties involved. The completion of applicable training, recurrent training, and checking must be reflected in the operator’s training records.

The packet should therefore answer these practical questions:

• Is the individual qualified for the aircraft type or FSTD involved?
• Is the requested authority for aircraft checks, FSTD checks, or both?
• Is the individual current and qualified to serve as a pilot in command?
• Has the individual completed the required initial or transition check pilot training?
• Has the required observation check been completed and documented?
• Are the records current, traceable, and maintained by the certificate holder?

Build the packet in a logical order

A practical packet usually begins with a short management summary and then provides the evidence that supports the request.

Keep aircraft and FSTD qualifications clear

One common weakness is treating aircraft check airman authority and FSTD check airman authority as interchangeable. They are related, but the records supporting each authority should be easy to identify.

A check pilot conducting checks in an FSTD may also need to show the applicable recent flight segments or an approved line-observation program before performing FSTD check duties. Those records should be current and clearly labeled rather than buried in a general qualification file.

The packet should also identify whether the individual will serve as a required flightcrew member while performing check pilot duties and how the operator will ensure the applicable duty-position requirements are met.

The operator owns the qualification story

Part 135 allows qualifying Part 142 training center personnel to conduct training, testing, and checking under contract or another arrangement. That can be an efficient way to support an operation, but it does not remove the need for operator ownership and oversight.

The operator should be able to explain who selected the individual, who verified the qualifications, who provided or accepted standardization, who maintains the records, and who manages limitations or changes in authority. A contract training provider may supply records, but the operator should not rely on the provider to create the complete approval package or to explain how the individual fits into the operator’s program.

The packet should show how the check airman’s work is controlled within the company’s training and checking system, including how inconsistent checking, unsatisfactory performance, or changes to the operation are handled.

Common packet problems

The same weaknesses appear repeatedly in check airman packages:

• A résumé is provided without a qualification summary.
• Documents are individually current but inconsistent as a set.
• Aircraft types, designators, or equipment references do not match.
• Training dates or recurrent requirements are unclear.
• The observation check is missing or difficult to verify.
• FSTD recency is not addressed when FSTD duties are requested.
• The contract or shared check airman relationship is not explained.
• Manual and approved-program references are missing.
• The packet contains a large volume of information but no index or decision path.

These problems are usually preventable. The solution is not always more paperwork. It is better organization, clearer ownership, and a review against the actual role being requested.

How Easy Star Aviation Intelligence can help

Easy Star Aviation Intelligence helps Part 135 operators organize check airman packages around the qualification decision—not simply assemble documents that happen to be available.

• Define the requested check airman authority and applicable aircraft or FSTD.
• Build a qualification matrix and review the supporting evidence.
• Identify missing, expired, or conflicting documentation.
• Review certificates, training records, checking records, observation checks, and recency.
• Reconcile the packet with the operator’s manuals, training program, and approved operating framework.
• Clarify contract, shared, or Part 142 training center responsibilities.
• Assemble a review-ready packet with an index and cross-references.
• Prepare management for questions from the POI or certification team.
• Conduct a readiness review before the packet is submitted or renewed.

The result is a packet that is easier for management to maintain, easier for the FAA to review, and more useful when the qualification needs to be renewed, expanded, or defended later.

Start with the packet you have

If your current packet is a collection of documents without a clear story, do not start by adding more documents. Start by identifying the authority being requested and testing whether the existing records prove each part of the qualification.

Easy Star Aviation Intelligence can help you identify where the packet is strong, where it breaks down, and what needs to be done before the request reaches the FAA. The goal is a qualification package that tells the story clearly from the first page through the final record.