Thanks for the responses ffb & de727ups. I'm kinda thinking that 141 would be the best route for me being that I'm on a timeline and that the number of years I would possibly have on the flight deck is about 17-18 years; again this is assuming that all things being equal & a rising tide launching all boats.

It's amazing though, the flight schools I initially skipped over are the ones that I've come back to and are taking a serious look at. I'll be visiting Falcon Flight this Friday morning in Sanford, FL and really go over all the info with a fine tooth comb.


atp

 

This is what I'm hoping for.


atp

 

You can learn a lot in just 60 extra hours of going from airport to airport. I always threw in a charlie when I went, great way to really feel good and know how a larger airport operates. I really think you'd miss out on some things if you went the 141 route. I look at it this way, mostly. 141 spoon feeds you, its there to get you min hours and hope you get hired. I guess I always view an aviation job as a way to make a living at what I love. 61 I think is geared more towards that. You're PIC right? Fly it your way insted of a set of strict rules set by the school. I like flying planes my way to a degree. I know what I can do and I dont need insane weather mins to go fly. My most memorable flight was my first X-C AFTER my ppl. MVFR and learned alot about my own limitations and it built up some confidence. You wont get that with a 3000 and 5 min weather. think about it.

 

Yeah; what I'll do is to ask each FBO/flight school that I visit as to which Part they operate under. If they offer both then, I'll have to see which is a better fit for me.


atp

 

I think some of you are over-generalizing about weather minimums part 61 vs. part 141. It has nothing to do with which part of the FARs your training is conducted. Those weather minimums are dictated by insurance companies and what the school is willing to pay for with regards to insurance. The way the insurance company looks at it, the larger the school the larger the risk for someone to do something stupid. One way to minimize that risk is to place weather minimums on students.

That being said, when I was instructing (whether it was at the part 61 or the university part 141 school i taught at), if a student was a private pilot working on a commercial cross-country I really left the decision making up to them. Unless they are a total numbnut wanting to fly the mighty Warrior into freezing rain or something I say let 'em have at it. The FAA says they're good enough. A good instructor in that situation will tell a student what they think but they won't make the decision for the student. Scaring yourself and spending a night on an FBO couch because you got stuck with weather is one of the best ways to learn a lesson. Especially when you call your instructor and he tells you "Hate to say it but I told you so...guess I'll see you when you get back in the morning" Naaahhh, I wasn't that mean but I did bill my student for my time to drive down and get him and drive him back.

 

I've been a student, CFI, and chief pilot in both 61 and 141 environments. Basically, I would only do 141 if absolutely necessary...ie the school/program which is perfect for you (all things considered) only offers 141 training. It might be worth putting up with 141 in order to get what you want, but don't do 141 just for the sake of 141.

History lesson...141 exists only because the Veterans Administration has strict requirements for educational and vocational programs which are eligible for military GI Bill benefits. 141 was created essentially to provide enough bueaucracy to give the VA a warm-and-fuzzy that their money could be carefully tracked down to the last penny...ie bueaucracy for it's own sake.

Here's a quick sanity check...compare the cost per flight hour of 141 and 61 programs.

141: Divide total program cost by 190 hours.
61: Divide total program cost by 250 hours.

If the 61 flying is significantly cheaper per flight hour, may as well do that route...flight hours are what you need to get the airline job. Why pay more to end up with less total time?

 

Anybody know anything about Falcon Flight School in Sanford, FL? I'd love to know what was your overall impression of the school. I'm headed there this morning. I have an appointment @ 8am.

Thx.


atp

 

I personally think the training I recieved at a part 141 school was top notch, i ended up with all my ratings up to CFI (Comm, Multi IFR) with 255 hours, not a bad deal. For me the stricter environment of 141 is a plus, some dont like it, but IMO 141 all the way up to Commercial, then part 61 for CFI, II and MEI.

I did my CFI part 141 and that was a mistake, too much repetitiveness, how many time do I really need to recite learning theory....