Part 61 Flight School

Dec 29

Aviation Can Be Intimidating!

Entering the world of aviation can be an overwhelming thing to do. Lingo, regulations, and unfamiliar territory stare you down when you take your first step!

Knowing the difference between a Part 61 and Part 141 flight school is one of those intimidating pieces of knowledge.

We’re going to try and simplify what they mean!

(Scroll to the bottom for a link to the FAA’s thoughts on the matter)

Part 61 vs Part 141

Starting with a broad stroke, the ‘Part’ is referring to the Federal Aviation Regulations that the school operates under.

Part 61 is typically your accelerated programs and ‘mom and pop’ schools. While Part 141 is typically your college programs and some accelerated programs.

A primary distinction between the two is the checks and balances employed by the FAA.

Part 61 is ‘checked’ by the FAA Designated Pilot Examiners who perform the check ride examinations. This ensures the quality of the program from a performance perspective. Is the student proficient when compared to FAA standards?

Part 141 is ‘checked’ by the FAA on the front end, the school must obtain approval for the specifics of the curriculum.

Part 141 still has check ride examinations but they are able to perform them “in-house” if they can maintain a certain pass rate.

The effect of this difference can be seen in the milder structure of the Part 61 programs, whereas Part 141 has a more rigid structure or curriculum it must follow.

As such, Part 141 is able to operate at lower minimums. For example a Private Pilot Checkride may occur at 35 hours under Part 141 instead of 40 hours under Part 61.

Both Part 61 and 141 can get you to the airlines, but there are pros and cons.

Big Deal?

At the end of the day, your experience through either program will be very similar. One may have more structure and the other more flexibility, but the FAA has a clear goal through both programs; to ensure safety and proficiency of the pilots being trained.

Which Part do you think is best for you? 61 or 141?

Here is what the FAA thinks about it all:

https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/training/pilot_schools/