Originally Posted by
ATLCFI
The 141 commercial is a 120 hour program. The 120 hours include 55 hours of dual and 65 hours solo. 141 (a)(1) is 120 of training which includes dual and solo. 141 (b)(i) is the 55 hours of dual needed.
If you go 141, you'll do 120 hours which will have you at 220 hours when you get your commercial SEL since you already have 100 hours.
Don't let the difference in dual time with the 141 program stop you from going that route.
Here's the scenarios:
Part 141
35 hours more dual time than Part 61. If the instructor is $35/hr then you'd pay $1,225 more for the instructor under 141. But you are done at 220 hours
Part 61
Since you have 100 hours you'd need 150 more hours total. That's 30 hours more than part 141. Those extra 30 hours will be done solo and if we assume an aircraft rental rate of $110 an hour the cost would be $3,300.
Conclusion
$3300-$1225=$2075. With the above example you would save $2075 by going Part 141.
Hope this helps.
Pretty good, but as Rick says 61 is usually the best option.
First, it costs money to set up a 141 commercial program so there are not as many out there even if you wish to go that way. Traveling to live near a school with 141 negates most of the cost effectiveness.
Secondly, you are probably going to need the total hours in the current job market. 30 hours is not that much of a difference in the total scheme of things if you need it. There are larger number of schools offering Part 61 commercial programs which offsets the extra cost of the additional hours by having access to cheaper aircraft- ie. using a 172RG rather than a new Piper. Part 61 time can be done in a J3 Cub at $25 an hour if you know what to do. Similar with instructor charges- always cheaper to go 61. In the situation where I am people rent brand new G1000 Skyhawks for $70 an hour. You would have to be nuts to turn that down on account there is a time penalty. My current sitation is somewhat unique I guess, but I would still go 61 in all but the most rare case.
There's another thing, which is that all those hours of dual under 141 are pretty much baloney. It just doesn't take that much dual to teach someone how to do cross countries a little bit better and to do a few new maneuvers. I am speaking personally here as an instructor, but I think most students just need the solo flight hours to reach the magic 250 for the experience factor they get, and to add a lot of dual past 20 hours minimum just comes out to a lot of hand holding.