Part 41 or Part 161?
Once you have obtained your medical certificate, the next thing you should worry about is the school you will go to. Private pilot flight training in the United States, as specified by the FAA, can be facilitated in one of two ways: Part 141 or Part 61. The question is, which one should you subscribe to? To answer your question, let’s differentiate the two Parts based on three criteria: curriculum, training, and expenses.
Curriculum
The biggest difference between the two is how the curriculum is structured. Part 141 is an academic approach to private pilot flight training. Because of this, you can expect it to follow a strict or predetermined flow of lessons. Even when you go to a school outside of aviation, any academic setting will pretty much follow the same formula.
On the other hand, Part 61 is more like a private instruction. The study plan is very flexible. Of course, in the beginning, you will start with the basics, as your CFI will guide you through the fundamentals of aviation and how you can handle the plane. However, as your training progresses, the CFI will begin to give you some leeway and allow you to learn at your own pace…under his supervision, of course.
Training
Training for Part 141 schools is done in a classroom setting in addition to the actual flight sessions. Studying under Part 141 gives you a competitive advantage, which can be advantageous when you’re trying to displace your classmates for the top spot. There is also the advantage of group study sessions. As for flight training, Part 141 generally employs scenario-based training.
Part 61, being more of a private instruction, will be more intimate. It’s just you and your instructor when you take flight lessons. So you can be more flexible with your routines and lessons, tailoring them to your needs as you see fit. If you feel you are weak in an area or want to improve your skills in a procedure, your instructor can adjust your lessons to reflect that need.
Costs
Last but not least are the expenses. Part 141 charges fees just like a school would, but would also include miscellaneous fees that can make flight school a bit more expensive than Part 61. On the other hand, private instruction allows you to save money on your flight training long-term. by allowing you to control the number of hours you fly for each lesson.
