Definition
A written and signed statement, typically a logbook endorsement, made by an authorized instructor certifying that a pilot has met the training, proficiency, or knowledge requirements for a specific privilege, checkout, transition, flight test, or solo activity.
Plain English
A signed note from your instructor, usually written in your logbook, saying you've been trained and are cleared to do something specific in an airplane.
Context Anchor
Seen during aircraft checkouts, transition training, flight school rental approvals, and instructor endorsements in a pilot’s logbook or training record.
Derivation
From the everyday phrase 'to sign off on something,' meaning to formally approve it with a signature. In aviation, the signature carries legal weight because the instructor is accepting responsibility for the pilot's readiness.
Why Pilots Care
A sign-off is legally required before operating an aircraft type for which the pilot has not previously been endorsed, ensuring regulatory compliance and safe transition to new equipment.
Intuition Check
Do not read sign-off as a casual “looks good.” In this context, it means a recorded approval for a specific training step, aircraft, or operation.
Example Sentence 1
Before her first solo, the student received a sign-off from her instructor in her logbook.
Example Sentence 2
Without the required sign-off, the pilot could not legally fly the new model during the transition training.