# Check someone out on an aircraft

> Approve a student or renter from the aircraft or from their profile. With the approved-resources rule on, that checkout is also what lets them book it.

Source: https://www.aerscheduler.com/docs/getting-started/approve-a-member-on-an-aircraft
Section: Getting started. For: Owners, Admins.

`Aircraft → the tail's ⋯ menu → Approve members` (web console), or open the
person under People and flip the switches on `Compliance → Approved aircraft` (web console). Each switch saves the moment you touch it. Students and renters both
appear. This is not people groups.

**Who can do this:** Owners, Admins

## Check somebody out from the aircraft

1. **Open Aircraft**

   Or open the tail's own record. **Approve members** is on both.

2. **Open the ⋯ menu on the tail and choose Approve members**

   A sheet lists every student and renter. Instructors are not on this list because they
   are never held to it.

3. **Flip the switch beside each person**

   There is no Save button. Each switch writes immediately and confirms with a toast.

## Check somebody out from their profile

1. **Open People and the person**

   Anyone with the student or renter role can be approved. Instructors can still have a
   checkout recorded, it just does not restrict what they book.

2. **Open Compliance**

   The **Approved aircraft** card lists every tail and simulator.

3. **Flip the switch beside each aircraft**

   Same write as the aircraft sheet. Use this when you are already on the person's record
   after a checkout flight.

> **Note:** People groups (Settings → School → Groups) scope currency rules such as medicals and
> flight reviews. They do not grant or refuse a checkout. An empty Groups tab is normal
> and unrelated.

## What the approval actually restricts

That depends on one organization setting, **Members can only book approved resources**, on
`Settings → School → Booking preferences` (web console).

| Setting           | What students and renters can book                                                          |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Off (the default) | Any aircraft. The approvals are a record of who is checked out, and nothing is blocked      |
| On                | Only the aircraft they are approved on, on every surface, checked when the booking is saved |

With the setting on:

- **Students and renters** are held to the aircraft they are approved on.
- **Instructors are not.** A CFI is never checked against the approved list, so turning
  this on cannot ground your dual bookings.
- Owners, admins and dispatchers can still assign anybody to any resource. The restriction
  applies to a student or renter booking for themselves.
- Guest flights and classrooms are unaffected. Simulators are not: a simulator is
  checked against the approved list just like an aircraft.

> **Note:** Turning the rule on at a school that has never used it will stop students and renters
> booking. Work through the fleet (or through people's profiles) and approve them first,
> then switch it on.

## If somebody cannot book a tail

Approvals are one of several reasons a booking is refused. The others include grounding,
the aircraft itself being grounded, a required card on file, and student-instructor
pairing. See [Why was my booking refused?](https://www.aerscheduler.com/docs/scheduling/why-was-my-booking-refused).

## Common questions

**Approve members only lists renters. Where are the students?**

The sheet lists students and renters. If someone is missing, they do not have either role yet. Grant one from People → their ⋯ menu → Edit roles. Instructors are left off on purpose, they are never held to the approved list.

**Can I approve someone from their profile?**

Yes. Open People → the person → Compliance. The Approved aircraft card has a switch per tail. That is the same checkout as Aircraft → Approve members.

**Is this people groups?**

No. Groups (Settings → School → Groups) scope currency rules such as medicals and flight reviews. Checkouts are per person, per tail.