Many prospective students are confused by the terms “Part 61 school” and “Part 141 school”. These refer to the sections of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) that govern the issuance of pilot certificates and the operation of flight schools. A flight training company that can be described as Part 141 approved is a company that has met the specific requirements laid down by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in order to operate as an approved school. The training at that school is conducted under the authority of the school’s Part 141 certificate. In order to obtain that certificate the school had to meet a lengthy list of requirements regarding facilities, qualifications of staff, training syllabi, record keeping, and aircraft maintenance. The school would have gone through an initial inspection, a two-year probationary period, annual inspections, and occasional spot checks by the FAA. The school must maintain a pass rate of at least 80% and is generally under frequent and thorough oversight by 3 assigned inspectors from the local FAA office (for operations, maintenance, and avionics). While Part 141 status does not provide an absolute guarantee of quality it certainly provides an indication that the owners of the company are interested in operating a professional flight training institution.
Not all flight schools are Part 141 approved. Some companies describe their activities as a flight school, but they operate under the less stringent rules of Part 61 of the FARs. In the eyes of the FAA a “Part 61 school” is not a school at all, but rather a commercial company that provides training under the authority of the individual flight instructor’s qualification. The school is not subject to any minimum standards and is not normally inspected by the FAA. If a school is operating under Part 61 it should not be automatically assumed that it is of a low standard. However, any company that is providing flight training in significant volume under Part 61 should be researched carefully. It could be that the school has reasons it wishes to avoid close scrutiny by the FAA.
Bristow Academy has been an FAA Part 141 approved school since 1988.
