Part. 141 0r 61

In order to become a comercial pilot, should I do my private thru part 141 or 61 ???

What is the difference ? And which one is better ?

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Luis,

On paper part 141 is sold as taking less flight time and thus being cheaper, but in reality this is rarely the case. Part 141 sets a very rigid course outline that your instructor must follow precisely, there are very little deviations allowed. Part 61 tells the instructor what needs to be covered and then lets the instructor figure out how to best tailor his instruction to his student’s needs. This is a far more effective way to teach.

I got my private through a part 141 school and found it to be like any government run program, very time consuming and tedious. ATP has operated as a part 61 school for decades and has found this to be the most efficient way to train new pilots.

No airline will ever ask which path you went down because at the end of the day, every pilot takes the exact same FAA check rides.

Chris

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Luis,

It’s hard to say which one is better. That all depends on the individual.
Chris gave a good explanation of the difference between the two. I suggest
scheduling a meeting with both kinds of schools. You’ll be able to get a
better idea of which one is right for you. In the end, both will prepare
you for the same check ride. You just need to decide how you prefer to
learn.

Tory

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Hi all,

I’m facing this same decision at my flight school where I can choose to train under part 141 or 61. Overall, part 61 seems to have the flexibility I need, but I noticed that Chris mentioned reduced flight time.

I found this link, but it seems like you either need to be a military pilot or hold some sort of an aviation degree to qualify for the reduction ? https://www.boldmethod.com/blog/2013/08/1500-hour-rule-restricted-atp/

Thank you for the clarification!

Correct. To qualify for a reduction in time, you will either need to be a military pilot, or graduated form an FAA approved college program.