Part 61 vs. Part 141

As a student pilot you can train under the Part 61 set of Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) or under the Part 141 set. No matter which you choose you will still learn the same necessary set of knowledge and skills. Many students immediately jump to choosing a Part 141 program because there are slightly less hours required in order to achieve a pilot certificate. For example, to become a private pilot under Part 141 only 35 total hours minimum are required but under Part 61 you need 40 hours. However, I caution ALL students to learn more about the differences before choosing a Part 141 program. Because those that do... generally end up going with a Part 61 program, and for good reason. So let's discuss Part 61 vs. Part 141 pilot training:

Part 141 Pilot Training

One of the most significant differences to new student pilots is that only part 141 approved flight schools may issue a Visa to an international student. International students can only be trained by schools that are approved in part 141 from the FAA. The FAA keeps a keener eye on part 141 schools, likely after 9/11 occurred and reviews all aspects of the schools on a continuous basis. You can read more about how an international student can do flight training in the US here.

Part 141 schools also have to have their training course outline or TCO approved by the FAA. The TCO includes all rules, procedures and flight training material included in the syllabus of instruction for your training. An approved TCO is an extension of FAA regulations and therefore must always be followed for training at a Part 141 school.

Stage checks are required in Part 141 schools but not at Part 61 schools. This will add extra preparation flights as well as stage check flights. There are 3 stage checks for a Private Pilot License plus a check flight before your final FAA exam. This adds at the very least 4 flights to your training. Not to mention the stage checks are conducted with a different instructor and may take more than one flight if you mess up on any of the maneuvers. Then, if you do not pass the stage check, you are required go back to flying with your instructor to review what you missed until you are ready to try again.

A Part 141 school requires that you take their ground school lessons outlined in their TCO. Unfortunately, many Part 141 schools add many unnecessary ground lessons and requirements to make more money this way.

There are however positives to a Part 141 school. As mentioned above, a Part 141 program for Private Pilot requires a minimum of 35 total hours while Part 61 requires 40 total hours. This 5 hours can save you a bit of money IF AND ONLY IF you finish in the minimum amount of hours. The majority of student pilots in America DO NOT finish in the minimum amount of hours but instead take about 65 to 70 hours to finish their Private Pilot training. In order to complete the training in the minimum amount of hours you need to flight at least 3-4 days a week so that the training and skill building is consistent. The average student pilot simply does not have the time or money to fly this often.

BUT... if you have the time or money to fly 3-4 times per week or more and you are planning on continuing on with your pilot ratings to become a commercial pilot then a Part 141 is actually a great choice for you. In fact, for instrument and commercial pilot ratings a Part 141 program also requires less hours. There are schools dedicated to getting you through your ratings as quickly as possible. These schools are called accelerated flight training programs and they operate under Part 141. We will talk more about these programs in a future article.

Part 61 Pilot Training

Part 61 does not require an approved TCO. Because of this, there is flexibility given to the students following Part 61 training. This flexibility allows the student to make more cost-effective decisions, study what THEY believe is important to study, and train on the timeline of their choice. Under Part 61 student pilots can use an Online Ground School or even self-study. Students can also fly in a flying club or purchase their own aircraft as long as they have a certified flight instructor to train with. The flexibility in choosing your training can save students a lot of money in the long run.

Part 61 schools do not require stage checks. There is little FAA oversight. An instructor that owns a plane and stores it in his/her barn can complete their training under Part 61 as long as you meet the applicable requirements and pass the required exams to receive your license.

One downside of a Part 61 is that many times instructors can be too loose with their instruction when not following a TCO. This often leads to skipping over material and not being diligent enough in flight training. Therefore, it is up to Part 61 students to do their homework on what is required and what their instructor needs to teach them. There are more responsibilities added to a student pilot in a Part 61 program.

The Modern Student Pilot

Before we give you our recommendation for Part 61 or Part 141 I want to talk about today's student pilots. In today's world with high costs of living and rising inflation it is rare for someone to have an extra $20,000, $50,000 or $100,000 lying around for a Private, IFR or Commercial pilot journey.

If you have the money, power to you! But if you are like I was during my pilot training you are going to need to keep a full time job to not only keep a roof over your head but also make enough to fund your pilot training.

This is why I named our company "Part Time Pilot" and this is why we focus on finding efficient and effective ways to save students both time and money. Pilot training is already difficult and the flight training industry is NOT helping. I saw an opportunity to be a flight training company that took the side of the student and provided a mentorship role throughout the process.

As we have grown and continue to grow we are adding more and more ways to make flight training more attainable for the modern student pilot... scholarships, audio lessons, an app (coming soon) and short and succinct written and video lessons that get straight to the point!

So even if our paths never cross again and you never use a Part Time Pilot training program I want you to be knowledgeable about the flight training industry. I don't want to see you get taken advantage of for your money like I was. I want you to make it! And that is why we give out so much free and valuable content. If you ever have a question, don't hesitate to reach out and ask!

So what is better Part 61 vs. Part 141? 

One is not better than the other... it depends on your situation. I would say if you know you want to become a commercial pilot, if you have the money and if you are ready to study and flight train on a full time basis (5-6 days a week) then a Part 141 accelerated program is for you.

If you are like most of us and need to keep a job in order to finance your flight training then you probably wont have the time to train 5-6 days a week. In this case I highly recommend a Part 61 route for the flexibility.

No matter what route you choose it is important to note that both Part 61 and Part 141 will require you to learn the same skills and knowledge needed to be a pilot. Both Part 61 and Part 141 require you to pass the same Written Exam and the same Practical Checkride exam. The only differences are in how you get from A to B.

Furthermore, every school that is Part 141 certified can also accept Part 61 students. Unfortunately, many of them say that they cannot. This is not true, they just want students to be required to follow their curriculum because it makes things consistent for them and makes them more money (more requirements you must meet). With that said, I recommend any student first go through a ground school to get the required knowledge out the of the way first. Then, once you are done with ground school you will be more prepared for flight training.