PART 61 V. 141
When looking at flight schools to start your training you have probably seen schools that advertise as being a part 61 school, a part 141 school, or a part 61 and 141 school. This may, at some point, have brought up the question of what is the difference between a part 61 school and a part 141 school? Another question you may have come across is which school is better, part 61 or part 141? Both of these questions are common when trying to decipher the difference between part 61 and part 141. As such, Daedalus Aviation would like to take the mystery out of these questions prior to you making your decision as to which flight school you will be receiving your flight training from.
What is the difference between a part 61 and part 141 flight school?
To answer this question we will take a look at what it means to be a part 61 and 141 flight school. A part 141 flight school has been granted an Air Agency Certificate by the FAA. Part 141 schools meet prescribed FAA standards with respect to equipment, facilities, personnel, and curricula. Part 141 flight schools must adhere to several FAA regulations in order to maintain their Part 141 certification. Part 141 certification requires: an approved training syllabus, instructor standardization, stage checks and exams given by the Chief Flight Instructor or designated check airman, and regular FAA inspections of school facilities, records, aircraft, simulators and/or training devices.
Since flight schools certified under Part 141 must adhere to strict FAA regulations, their students are allowed to complete their training with fewer flight hours when compared to a part 61 flight school. For example, the requirement for a private pilot certificate is 40 flight hours in a part 61 school and 35 flight hours in a part 141 school. In addition, the flight hour requirement for a commercial pilot certificate under a part 61 school is 250 hours and under a part 141 school is 190 hours.
Part 61 flight schools offer training programs that have not been approved by the FAA but must still adhere to requirements outlined in the FARs (Federal Aviation Regulations). A benefit to this is that it provides flight schools and students with flexibility in how training is administered. For example ground training can occur via a ground school course, home-study program, and/or one on one instruction with a Certified Flight Instructor. This training must be adequate for the student to pass the appropriate knowledge and practical exams. Regulations governing a part 61 flight school are less strict than schools operating under part 141, and therefore require more minimum flight hours to obtain your certificate and/or rating.
Which Flight School is better: part 61 or part 141?
This is a question that, when given the facts regarding part 61 and part 141 flight schools, you will have to determine for yourself. As mentioned above part 141 flight schools tend to be more structured and must adhere to higher standards to obtain and retain their part 141 certification. Part 61 flight schools offer more flexibility when it comes to training and must still adhere to certain requirements as outlined in the FARs. Daedalus Aviation is part 61 and part 141 approved!
Our part 141 curriculum, as required by our part 141 certification, is approved by the FAA. Both our part 141 and part 61 curriculums use ground and flight training that imitates the training conducted by the commercial airlines; offering standardization through our Flight Standards Manual and utilizing training tools such as our cockpit procedural trainer (CPT) and FAA approved flight training device. As such, you can rest assured, at Daedalus Aviation, whether you choose to train under part 61 or part 141 our training standards are among the highest in the industry.
We hope that this helps spell out the differences between part 61 and part 141 flight schools and that given your newfound knowledge regarding these differences you can decide which program is more in line with your training goals. Once you have decided which program is best for you contact Daedalus Aviation at 303.261.4177 to schedule your first flight lesson!