Personnel Authorized to Issue the Logbook Endorsement Required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7) and Their Qualifications and Limitations

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION N 8900.753

NOTICE

FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION Effective Date: 9/23/25 National Policy Cancellation Date: 9/23/26 SUBJ: Personnel Authorized to Issue the Logbook Endorsement Required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7) and Their Qualifications and Limitations 1. Purpose of This Notice. This is a special-emphasis notice. This notice provides policy and guidance to aviation safety inspectors (ASI) concerning the Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 61 limitations for night vision goggles (NVG) instructors. It is the intent of this notice to clarify the limitations regarding the ability to issue the endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7). This notice will ensure uniform application of policy. This notice cancels and reissues policy published in Notice N 8900.714, Personnel Authorized to Issue the Logbook Endorsement Required by 14 CFR Part 61, § 61.195(k)(7) and Their Qualifications and Limitations, dated October 22, 2024.

2. Audience. The primary audience for this notice is personnel performing NVG operations and Flight Standards (FS) Safety Assurance and Safety Standards offices’ ASIs (Operations) with oversight responsibilities for pilot and flight instructor certification. The secondary audience includes Foundational Business offices.

3. Where You Can Find This Notice. You can find this notice on the MyFAA employee website at https://employees.faa.gov/tools_resources/orders_notices and the Dynamic Regulatory System (DRS) at https://drs.faa.gov . Operators and the public can find this notice on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) website at https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/orders_no tices and DRS.

4. Background.

a. On August 21, 2009, the FAA issued Final Rule (FR) 74 FR 42500, Pilot, Flight Instructor, and Pilot School Certification, which revised the training, qualification, certification, and operating requirements for pilots, flight instructors, ground instructors, and pilot schools.

The FR includes detailed requirements for NVG operations, including pilot and flight instructor training and qualifications. This FR can be downloaded from https://www.govinfo.gov/content/p kg/FR-2009-08-21/pdf/E9-19353.pdf .

b. On October 22, 2024, the FAA published N 8900.714. The 2024 notice clarified the limitations regarding the ability to issue the endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7).

That notice expires October 22, 2025. This new notice provides interim guidance about flight Distribution: Electronic Only Initiated By: AFS-800

9/23/25 N 8900.753 instructor endorsements, pending guidance publication in FAA Order 8900.1, Flight Standards Information Management System.

5. Guidance. The sample Letter of Authorization (LOA) B011 template in Appendix A, Sample LOA B011, Authorization to Issue the Logbook Endorsement Required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7): 14 CFR Part 61, applies to part 61. There are no changes to LOA B011. The sample is provided for reference purposes only.

6. Flight Instructor Requirements to Provide Training and Endorsement for Pilot in Command (PIC) NVG Qualifications. A flight instructor authorized to conduct NVG training, to conduct NVG proficiency checks, and to issue ground and flight training endorsements required by 14 CFR § 61.31(k) must meet the qualifications outlined in 14 CFR § 61.195(k). The logbook endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7) must state that the flight instructor is authorized to perform the NVG PIC qualification and recent flight experience requirements under 14 CFR §§ 61.31(k) and 61.57(f) and (g). This logbook endorsement must be provided by an FAA ASI (Operations) or a person who is authorized by the FAA to provide that logbook endorsement.

7. NVG Instructor Endorsement. The endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7) is an administrative function requiring only a logbook review to ensure the requirements of 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(1)–(6) have been met by the NVG instructor applicant. No further testing is required.

a. If Requirements of 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(1)–(6) Are Met. If the requirements have been met, the endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7) can be issued by the ASI (Operations) or a person who is authorized by the FAA to provide that logbook endorsement, as defined in subparagraph 8a.

b. Endorsement Authorizing an NVG Instructor. The FAA finds the following verbiage acceptable for the endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7). “Position,” as mentioned in the signature block of the endorsement, is the authority of the person issuing the endorsement as outlined in subparagraph 8a.

“I certify that Joe Pilot, 1234567CFI, meets the Night Vision Goggle Instructor requirements of 14 CFR section 61.195(k) and is authorized to perform the night vision goggle pilot in command qualification and recent flight experience requirements under sections 61.31(k) and 61.57(f) and (g). This endorsement does not provide the authority to endorse another flight instructor as a night vision goggle instructor.

[Date] Name, CFI number, and position” c. If Requirements of 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(1)–(6) Are Not Met. If the requirements have not been met, the person performing the logbook review should return the documentation to the applicant and not issue the endorsement.

9/23/25 N 8900.753 8. Authorization to Issue the NVG Instructor Endorsement Required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7). For a person other than an ASI (Operations) to provide the logbook endorsement for an NVG instructor, the FAA must specifically authorize that person to do so. The FAA authorizes the person to provide the endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7) in writing in the form of an LOA as described in this notice. A logbook endorsement is not sufficient authority for the person to provide the endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7).

Requirements that ASIs (Operations) must meet in order to issue the logbook endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7) are outlined in Order 8900.1, Volume 5, Chapter 2, Section 3, Flight Reviews and Competency Checks. FAA ASIs do not require the written authorization described in this section.

a. Person Who is Authorized by the FAA. For the purposes of 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7), the FAA considers “a person who is authorized by the FAA to provide that logbook endorsement” as a person who holds one of the following positions and meets the requirements of subparagraphs 8b and c. These FAA programs under which these individuals hold their positions are the means by which the FAA can maintain oversight of the authorized NVG endorsement function.

(1) A Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE).

(2) A chief instructor, assistant chief instructor, or check instructor operating in an approved 14 CFR part 141 NVG course, when properly qualified in that course.

Note: Because 14 CFR § 61.195 addresses the limitations and qualifications of certificated flight instructors (CFI) under 14 CFR part 61, check pilots under 14 CFR part 135 and Training Center Evaluators (TCE) under 14 CFR part 142 will not be authorized to provide the endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7). These individuals, if properly authorized, may still be considered authorized instructors for the purpose of providing NVG training and endorsements required by 14 CFR § 61.31(k)(1) or (2).

b. Qualifications for a Person Who is Authorized by the FAA to Issue the Logbook Endorsement Required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7).

(1) Personnel must be able to show that they meet the requirements of 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(1)–(6) in order to initially receive authorization to issue the logbook endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7), and must continue to meet these requirements in order to maintain authorization.

(2) Personnel must meet the requirements of subparagraph 8a of this notice.

(3) Personnel must be authorized in writing by the Administrator, as outlined below, in order to issue the logbook endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7).

c. Authorization in Writing. The authorization to issue the logbook endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7) must be accomplished by the method described below. Only the Administrator can issue the authorization to give the endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7). The LOA will be issued using the Safety Assurance System (SAS) when issuing 9/23/25 N 8900.753 an FAA authorization to an individual to issue the pilot logbook endorsements required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7), provided they meet the requirements of this notice. Appendix A has an example of the LOA that will be generated in SAS.

(1) To grant authorization to issue the endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7), LOAs A001, Issuance and Applicability; A004, Summary of Authorizations; and B011 must be issued through SAS.

(2) The approval process is mostly the same process as issuing a 14 CFR part 91 LOA, except for the following steps, which are specific to a person who is authorized by the FAA to issue the logbook endorsements required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7).

(a) When adding the authorized individual to SAS, you must first create a designator by selecting “Create Non-Cert Designator” after navigating to “Non-Certificated” under “Configuration [Module 1]” of the SAS menu and enter the following information: 1. Office code.

2. Operator name.

3. CFR part 61 4. Last character of the designator code (Q).

5. First three characters of the Designator Code—Begin typing the first two characters of your choice. Select the first three characters of the designator code from the available drop-down list.

6. Identification number. The last four characters of the operator’s identification number can be used to reference the responsible Flight Standards office code. Enter your office code in the “Identification Number.” 7. Optional, enter comments.

8. Click the “Save” button.

Note: You must remember the designator code you created. You will not be able to retrieve it after leaving that screen.

(b) The newly created designator code for the “Non-Certificated” operator needs to be added to the “Office” drop-down list in “Non-Certificated” under the “Configuration [Module 1]” of the SAS menu. After navigating to “Non-Certificated” in the “Configuration [Module 1]” of the SAS menu, select “Add New” and enter the following information: 1. Office code.

2. Airport.

3. Type of activity (AH-Authorization Holder).

9/23/25 N 8900.753 4. Location name.

5. Designator code. The first four characters of the new designator code.

6. Identification number should auto populate with the selection you created earlier.

7. Select “OK.” 8. This will take you to the “Details” tab. Populate the fields, as indicated by the red asterisks.

9. Select the “Save” button.

10. You will see a green confirmation message, “Non-certificated saved successfully.” 11. The operator is now available under “Location Name” with the appropriate “Office” selected under “Non-certificated,” “Configuration [Module 1]” in the SAS menu. Once the non-certificated operator is selected, LOA paragraphs A001, A004, and B011 can be maintained under the “Maintain Authorizing Documents (WebOPSS). The non-certificated operator details can be managed under the “Details” tab.

Note: See SAS Quick Reference Card (Q-Card) Q14-07 Maintain and Authorizing Documents – How to Create Non-Certificated Operators and How to Edit, Sign, and Issue Operations Specifications (OPSS), for more information.

(3) The LOA will expire when a person leaves a position outlined in subparagraph 8a above. This includes leaving one position to move to the same position with a different operator.

In this situation, the LOA should be surrendered to the managing Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) immediately.

9. Flight Instructor Limitations. In addition to the flight instructor limitations outlined in 14 CFR § 61.195, the following limitations apply to NVG instructors.

a. Improperly Endorsed NVG Instructors. Those NVG instructors who have received the NVG instructor endorsement from a source other than an FAA ASI (Operations) or a person authorized by the FAA to provide that logbook endorsement, as described in paragraph 8, are no longer authorized to act as NVG instructors. Those instructors who are no longer authorized to give NVG instruction must follow the process outlined in this notice to obtain the NVG instructor endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7) in order to resume giving instruction in NVG operations.

Note: It would be impractical to validate whether or not the large number of endorsements given to satisfy the requirements of 14 CFR § 61.31(k)(1) and (2) were given by instructors who were properly endorsed. Additionally, these endorsements present a low level of risk when analyzed. Due to this, any training conducted prior to August 21, 2015 (the date of the original Notice N 8900.320,

9/23/25 N 8900.753 Personnel Authorized to Issue the Logbook Endorsement Required by 14 CFR Part 61, § 61.195(k)(7) and Their Qualifications and Limitations), to satisfy the requirements of 14 CFR § 61.31(k)(1) or (2) is to be considered valid. After August 21, 2015, the training required by 14 CFR § 61.31(k)(1) or (2) may only be accomplished by a properly qualified and endorsed instructor in accordance with 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7) and this notice.

b. Additional Regulatory Requirements to Meet Before Providing NVG Instruction.

NVGs are defined in 14 CFR § 61.1(b) as “an appliance worn by a pilot that enhances the pilot’s ability to maintain visual surface reference at night.” With this definition in mind, the authorization to provide instruction utilizing NVGs is not specific to category, class, or type.

(1) The endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7) is a one-time endorsement, which is not category-, class-, or type-specific.

(2) Title 14 CFR § 61.195(k) requires the instructor to ensure that they meet the requirements of 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(1), (2), and (5), as required, if they wish to provide instruction in an additional category, class, or type (if appropriate) of aircraft. This is much like the requirement outlined in 14 CFR § 61.195(f).

(3) Each instructor must individually meet the currency requirements of 14 CFR § 61.57(f) or (g) before conducting training for NVG operations.

10. Disposition. FS will incorporate the information in this notice into Order 8900.1 before this notice expires. In addition, FS is in the process of publishing additional guidance regarding the certification of airmen wishing to utilize NVGs. This will include an advisory circular (AC) and an update to Order 8900.1. Direct questions and comments concerning the information in this notice to the General Aviation and Commercial Division’s Training and Certification Group (AFS-810) at 202-267-1100 or via email at 9-AFS-800-Correspondence@faa.gov.

Robert Reckert for Lawrence Fields Executive Director, Flight Standards Service

9/23/25 N 8900.753 Appendix A Appendix A. Sample LOA B011, Authorization to Issue the Logbook Endorsement Required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7): 14 CFR Part 61 1. [Label] is authorized to issue the logbook endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7).

2. Personnel Qualifications and Limitations.

a. Unless sooner recalled, this Letter of Authorization (LOA) becomes invalid if the individual named in subparagraph 1 no longer serves in the position of [drop-down list of positions from subparagraph 8a of this notice].

b. This person is prohibited from issuing the logbook endorsement required by 14 CFR § 61.195(k)(7) if he or she no longer meets the requirements of § 61.195(k)(1)–(6) until the time that he or she meets these requirements.

3. NVG Instructor Endorsement. The logbook endorsement required by § 61.195(k)(7) must state: I certify that Joe Pilot, 1234567CFI, meets the Night Vision Goggle Instructor requirements of 14 CFR section 61.195(k) and is authorized to perform the night vision goggle pilot in command qualification and recent flight experience requirements under sections 61.31(k) and 61.57(f) and (g). This endorsement does not provide the authority to endorse another flight instructor as a night vision goggle instructor.

[Date] Name, CFI number, and position 4. Additional Regulatory Requirements Before Providing NVG Instruction.

a. The endorsement required by § 61.195(k)(7) is a one-time endorsement which is not category, class, or type specific.

b. The person issuing the endorsement required by § 61.195(k)(7) should advise the applicant that § 61.195(k) requires the instructor to ensure that he or she meets the requirements of § 61.195(k)(1), (2), and (5) as required, if wishing to provide instruction in an additional category, class, or type (if appropriate) of aircraft.

c. The person issuing the endorsement required by § 61.195(k)(7) should advise the applicant that each instructor must individually meet the currency requirements of § 61.57(f) or (g) before conducting training for NVG operations.

5. This LOA must be carried in the personal possession of the person when exercising the privileges authorized and will expire 24 calendar months from the date of issuance or upon being surrendered. Additionally, this LOA will expire when a person leaves the position outlined in subparagraph 2a above. This includes leaving one position to move to the same position with a different operator. In this situation the LOA should be surrendered to the managing Flight Standards District Office immediately. The FAA may amend, suspend, or rescind this authorization as necessary.

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