Flying Smart

Part 141 Or Part 61?

The sign on your neighborhood flight school says, "Safe Skies Flight Instruction - A Part 141 School." And you know a student pilot who has been heard to announce, "I'm going Part 61." What exactly do these terms - Part 141 and Part 61 - mean to a student pilot?

Put simply, these are the sections of the federal aviation regulations (FARs) that pertain to flight training requirements (Part 61) and certification of pilot schools (Part 141). All flight schools and instructors must follow the rules outlined under Part 61. But a flight school can also be certified under Part 141, which means that its training curriculum must be approved by the FAA, among other conditions.

There are some additional differences in terms of training time and requirements under these two sections of the FARs. For example, a student in a Part 61 program is required to have "logged ground instruction from an authorized instructor" or "satisfactorily completed a course of instruction or home study." The regs don't specify how much class time is needed and don't draw distinctions between the various home study courses available. Part 141-approved schools, however, must give "at least 35 hours of ground training," and they are required to have certain facilities to make training more productive. Training rooms, audio-visual aids, mockups, or other special equipment all have to be approved by the FAA flight standards district office.

A student enrolled in a Part 61 program needs at least 40 hours of flight instruction and solo time, whereas the student who is following a Part 141 curriculum theoretically could be ready for the checkride in as few as 35 hours. (Bear in mind, however, that the national average is closer to 60 to 75 hours of flight training, according to the FAA.) Part 141 schools are subject to FAA inspection, and they have to meet minimum performance levels for preparing students to take checkrides.

So which is right for you? Some schools offer both types of training programs under one roof. Don't choose a school solely on its certification status. Weigh other factors, such as cost, location, and scheduling flexibility, along with a school's status under Part 61 or 141.

For a more detailed discussion of the differences between Part 141 and Part 61 schools, see the explanation on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/members/files/topics/choose_school/recipe.html ).