Inspection Authorization Training
Prepare for the FAA written test with our focused two-day weekend program, offering 16 hours of expert material review for qualified A&P mechanics.
Lone Star has offered weekly Inspection Authorization test-prep programs for qualified A&P mechanics. One of the biggest challenges many mechanics face is finding the time to attend. Most repair shops are focused on completing projects, making it difficult for mechanics to take a full week away from work to study, review, and test, sometimes without pay.
After 10 years of offering these programs, we are taking a new approach to IA test preparation. Our two-day weekend program includes 16 hours of material review to help you prepare for the FAA written test. Once you complete the program, you can schedule your exam within your 30-day authorization period with the PSI Talogy Test Center. This option reduces time away from the shop while still giving you the opportunity to earn your authorization.
The course is taught by Robert Cunningham, an FAA-certified A&P mechanic with Inspection Authorization and a certified aircraft dispatcher. He is also a former commercial single-engine and multi-engine pilot, Certified Flight Instructor and Instrument Instructor, ground instructor, and sUAS pilot with more than 10,000 flight hours.
01 Understand What an IA Does
Under 14 CFR § 65.91, an IA is not a separate certificate. It is an authorization issued to the holder of an existing Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic certificate. This authorization allows you to:
Perform annual inspections and approve aircraft for return to service.
Inspect and approve aircraft and related parts or appliances for return to service after major repairs or major alterations, subject to applicable limitations.
Perform or supervise progressive inspections.
These requirements help ensure that mechanics exercising IA privileges have the qualifications, experience, equipment, facilities, and inspection data needed to perform critical safety-related work.
02 Eligibility Requirements
Under 14 CFR § 65.91, to qualify, you must meet the following requirements:
Hold a current mechanic certificate with both Airframe and Powerplant ratings.
Have held both ratings for a total of at least three years.
Have been actively engaged, for at least the two-year period immediately before applying, in maintaining aircraft certificated and maintained under FAA regulations.
Maintain a fixed base of operations where you can be located in person or by telephone during a normal working week.
Have the equipment, facilities, and inspection data necessary to properly inspect airframes, powerplants, propellers, or related parts and appliances.
Pass the FAA Inspection Authorization knowledge test (test code IAR).
03 Scheduling and Program Cost
We offer the following:
A modern meeting room designed for learning, with seating for 4 to 10 students, coffee, and a small snack bar. Popular local restaurants and lodging are nearby in Cypress, Texas.
The course is held one weekend each month from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break. Scheduling and payments are completed online.
The cost of the two-day course is $890.00. All sales are final, and no refunds are available.
04 Additional Requirements
Note that while we do not need your FAA Form 8610-1, your PSI testing center will require an FAA Aviation Safety Inspector to endorse FAA Form 8610-1 after your eligibility is reviewed. The testing endorsement is valid for 30 days.
Please bring the following materials to the course:
ASA Inspection Authorization Test Prep (ASA-IA-8), Eighth Edition
ASA Inspection Authorization Test Prep Prepware download (PW-IA-8), installed on a Mac or PC. This also includes a 24-month Prepware Online subscription.
Pen or pencil, notebook, and paper
We are no longer a PSI testing center, so you may take the exam at a testing location near your home or jobsite when you are ready. The testing fee is $175.00.
We cannot guarantee a passing score. Your success depends on studying the material and understanding the questions. If you do not pass, you must wait 90 days before applying to retest and obtain a newly endorsed FAA Form 8610-1.
Course Registration
Meet Your Instructor: Robert Cunningham
Robert Cunningham, owner of Lone Star Aviation, brings decades of experience in aviation, maintenance, flight instruction, and airline operations to Lone Star’s IA test-prep program.
Robert is an FAA-certified Airframe and Powerplant mechanic with Inspection Authorization. His additional credentials include:
FAA Commercial Pilot with single-engine and multi-engine ratings
FAA Certified Flight Instructor and Instrument Instructor (CFI, CFII)
FAA Ground Instructor Certificate
FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate
FAA sUAS Remote Pilot Certificate
With more than 10,000 flight hours, primarily earned through flight instruction, Robert has built his career around one guiding principle: safety through knowledge. His teaching is practical, personalized, and focused on helping every student develop a strong understanding of the material.
Robert has also worked in flight operations for major airlines and aviation companies, including TWA, American Airlines, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, and Kitty Hawk Air Cargo. In operations, he managed domestic and international commercial flights, coordinated aircraft routing with the Air Traffic Control Command Center, and worked with the airlines' maintenance control.
A proud U.S. Air Force Reserve veteran, Robert served as a Staff Sergeant in Security Forces. He attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at Carswell Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
Robert has flown throughout the United States, including the Hawaiian Islands and the mountains of Colorado. His aviation experiences include landing at Telluride and Leadville, flying past the Gateway Arch, Mount Rushmore, and Devils Tower, and landing at Chicago’s former Meigs Field while traveling to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
He has received a Bronze Award through the FAA WINGS program as an Aviation Maintenance Technician. He was a 25-year member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). He was also a member of the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) and a former member of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA).
Since 2003, Robert has applied the best practices from his aviation career to develop training that is knowledgeable, flexible, affordable, and highly personalized. His goal is to give every student a strong foundation for success.
Questions? Click HERE to send Robert a message.