There has long been a debate about the advantages of Part 141 versus Part 61 training. Student pilots are confused by the differences and therefore cannot determine how to make the most of the benefits offered by each. .

The following remains the same regardless of whether your train is under Part 141 or Part 61: 1) Written tests. 2) Oral exam by check. 3) Flight part of the check trip. 4) License issued.

The measurement of success is the same in both types of schools: 1) Instructors make or break the school. Experienced and knowledgeable instructors are the key. 2) Some flight schools have a high dropout rate. Successful schools must have at least 90% of the students they train earn the certificates and grades they signed up for. 3) Aircraft maintenance is important. Students are rarely required to cancel flight lessons due to the plane being on the ground. 4) The school’s accident record should be zero or close to zero, indicating that the school highly values ​​your safety.

On the surface, it appears that all helicopter flight schools are very similar. This is why understanding the differences between Part 141 and Part 61 is so helpful. The two biggest differences are: 1) Part 141 training requires following an FAA approved Training Course Outline (TCO). Part 61 does not require that a TCO be used at all. 2) The flight school itself and the chief flight instructor must meet the strict requirements of the FAA. Part 61 is not subject to these FAA requirements.

Let’s start with Part 61 helicopter training and flight schools. Most helicopter flight schools in the US today are Part 61 flight schools. Part 61 begins with a certified flight instructor and a helicopter. The flight instructor offers personalized training to prospective students and teaches the student as he sees fit. If the instructor is good, more students join the school and the owner buys additional helicopters and hires more instructors to meet the demand.

No FAA inspections are required for a Part 61 helicopter flight school. The flight school is free to train its students using its own chosen methods. They are expected to follow FAR / AIM rules and regulations for flight schools and Part 61 training, but are not subject to FAA inspections to confirm that they are doing so.

Part 141 training and flight schools have to meet very specific requirements and standards. The helicopter flight school itself receives an Air Agency Certificate when it passes FAA inspections. The facilities and aircraft to be used for Part 141 training are inspected. The Chief Flight Instructor must conduct an annual verification trip with the FAA.

On the training side, the flight school submits a separate and distinct Training Course Outline (TCO) to the FAA for each certificate and / or rating they wish to teach under Part 141. For example, a TCO of private pilot. Contains lesson plans for flight and ground training. The flight school would have to send another TCO for Instruments if they wanted to teach Instrument ratings under Part 141.

Do not assume that a Part 141 helicopter flight school offers all of its Part 141 certificates and ratings. Many only obtain FAA certification for private, instrument, and commercial certificates. It takes a lot of work for the flight school to create TCO and teach under Part 141. The FAA requires the flight school to maintain extensive documentation of students for Part 141, including very detailed information on student progress. This is great for the student. Flight school is very time consuming.

There are some very large flight schools that only offer Part 141 training. They have set schedules for their classes and teach many students at the same time. They have also regulated flight schedules. These few very large flight schools often have a very high ratio of foreign students to domestic students. This is because SEVIS (Student Exchange Visitor Information System) requires flight schools to be certified by the FAA as a Part 141 flight school to apply for permission to train international students. The Veterans Association (VA) has the same Part 141 requirement for veterans to use their VA benefits.

Most Part 141 schools also offer Part 61 training for the same programs. For example, you can choose to do your private pilot under Part 141 or Part 61. Schools that offer both methods of training provide the most flexibility to the student.

The student who attends a Part 141 helicopter flight school gets all the benefits of attending a Part 141 school even if they choose to do some or all of their Part 61 training. This is because the school is subject to random inspections by the FAA. They must maintain their high standards at all times to maintain their certification.

The downside to Part 141 training is that the TCO must be followed in the written sequence. Each student learns differently and some people prefer the flexibility of the Part 61 training, which allows the student to cover the materials in the sequence appropriate to him or her.

This brings to light another advantage of a flight school offering training on both Part 141 and Part 61. They will often use the TCO for their Part 61 training. This is great for the student pilot as it gets the benefit of a structured training course outline that is certified by the FAA and at the same time you can cover the materials in the order that suits you best.

Another advantage of training at a school that offers both is that you can combine your training. For example, I did my private pilot in Part 61 because I wanted the flexibility to jump into the curriculum. Flying instruments is very structured and involves learning procedures, so I choose to do my instrument training in Part 141. I found that the structured approach and learning sequence worked very well for my instrument training. I went back to Part 61 for my business training.

Learning to fly a helicopter is fun, exciting, and expensive. Learn all you can about your helicopter flight school and the programs they offer before making your final decision. Fly safe!