Definition
A set of professional standards, not codified in regulation, that aviation instructors are expected to follow in their conduct toward students, the public, the aviation industry, and the profession itself. It covers responsibilities such as honesty, safety, fairness, respect for the student, accurate record-keeping, professional appearance and behavior, and a commitment to ongoing self-improvement.
Plain English
An unwritten but widely accepted set of rules about how an aviation instructor should behave on the job — honest, safe, fair, professional, and always working in the student's best interest.
Context Anchor
Seen in the Aviation Instructor's Handbook when discussing the professional responsibilities of flight and ground instructors.
Derivation
Ethics' comes from the Greek 'ethos,' meaning character or custom. A code of ethics is a written or accepted set of rules describing the character expected of someone in a particular profession.
Why Pilots Care
Following these standards protects students, maintains training quality, and supports safe flying practices across the aviation community.
Intuition Check
Do not read Code of Ethics as just a polite suggestion or a legal checklist. In this FAA context, it means the professional standard an aviation instructor is expected to live by while teaching and evaluating learners.
Example Sentence 1
The CFI declined to sign off the student for a checkride until the weak crosswind landings improved, citing the instructor's code of ethics as the reason.
Example Sentence 2
The code reminded the instructor to always put safety and honesty first during every lesson.