Part 41 or 161??

[tbenson]

Hello All,

I've been lurking around this board for a couple of months now and have found it to be very informative (if not, very entertaining!).

I'm am looking into beginning my training to obtain my PPL (for now), and was wondering if anyone had any advice on whether to train under Part 61 or 141. Pros? Cons?

Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[bobbysamd]

The age-old training question

I trained under Part 61, but ended up wishing I had taken at least part of my training under Part 141. I instructed under both, but primarily under Part 141, so I think I can provide a perspective.

You have to think very carefully where your Private rating might lead, and rethink it. Many people start off thinking that all they want is their Private, and perhaps Instrument later, so they train part-time under Part 61. That was me, although I had getting my Commercial and CFI in mind so that flying could pay for itself. I trained under Part 61 with private instructors who owned their own airplanes and earned my ratings. I decided later to pursue aviation full time. When I went to work full-time in a 141 school I soon realized how little I knew as compared to the other instructors, and students. It also took me a while to hone my flying abilities as a Part 61 student. I became convinced that the discipline imposed by a 141 program turns out better pilots faster. I caught up, but I still had gaps in my knowlege that I'm sure would not have existed had I trained in a proper program.

Once more, I never considered professional aviation when I started flying. If you are sure that all you want is your Private, maybe Part 61 is all you need and will save you money. But if you think that eventually you will try for the career perhaps you should train for your Private under Part 141. Aside from the discipline and structure, you can transfer your 141-earned Private to another 141 school. You can't always do that with a Part 61 Private.

Plenty of people will argue that the instructor and not the program makes the difference. That is true - but notwithstanding an instructor's ability I feel the overall structure of a 141 program promotes better training.

Good luck with your plans.

 

[KickSave]

I would echo some of what Bobby said in his post... primarily that the big difference in 61 vs 141 is the number of hours it takes to get your commercial license - 190 vs 250. If becoming a commercial pilot and possibly a CFI is potentially in your plans, going 141 (for the entire training) will save you money and let you get there faster, so you can start earning money sooner. If professional flying is not in your plans, the cheaper method for just the private and instrument is usally pt 61. The biggest difference in the actual training requirements is that at a 141 school, you will be forced to have regular progress checks at certain stages of training to gauge your progress, and you will not advance to the next phase of flight until you have sufficiently learned the phase you are working on. Going pt 61, you are not required to have these stage checks, so your progress is less easy to track. 141 schools are required to use an approved syllabus, pt 61 is not. However, any professional private CFI or school using pt 61 SHOULD still use a good syllabus.

However, I am of a different opinion on the quality of 61 vs 141 training. I did all my training 141 at a flight school. I found that there were big differences in the quality of instruction among the various instructors at the school, just like there would be between various pt 61 private/independent instructors. I also found that I recieved excellent quality instruction from some pt 61, independent instructors. Ultimately I found that the quality and depth of the instruction I recieved was based on the professionalism of the instructor, not the sylabus or part(61/141) that the training was conducted under. The PTS, for which all training is based on, doesn't care either way, the same material needs to be covered. You can skim by learning the bare minimum to pass the check ride by going 61 or 141 just the same, and conversely a good instructor can provide excellent, in depth training under either format also. It really depends on the quality of the individual providing the instruction as to the quality of your training.

But as Bobby says, the primary decision should be based on your future goals. If you have no intention of becoming a commercial pilot and then a CFI, your decision should be based mainly on who you think will give you the most complete, in depth training. A pt 61 instructor can do very well, probably for less money in the short term, but he/she should use the same syllabus and cover the same material as the pt 141 schools do.

One other note. Pt 141 training is not very interchangable. If you decide you want to leave the pt 141 school, much of your training will have to be repeated to maintain your 141 status. Pt 61 training is almost universally transferable between schools and CFI's. If you complete 35 hours with a 141 school, then switch to another 141 school, you will not get credit for all those hours. If you went 61, you would get credit for them. However, some 141 schools have self examining authority (sounds kinky, eh ) which means they give your your final check ride and issue your actual license on their own. The benefit of this is that your are more likely to pass, and if you don't pass on the first try, it doesn't reflect poorly on your permanent flying record the way a pink slip from a designated examiner might, were you to fail a check ride after going pt 61. Ask your 141 school if they have self examining authority. It's a nice perk.


Good luck.


/Dave

 

[tbenson]

Thanks for the info!

If anyone has trained at Clearwater Aviation Academy, would you mind giving me your opinion of the school? You can send to [email protected].

Thanks!
Tim