Flight Training - June 2014 - 41

MOM AND POP OR FLIGHT TRAINING INC.?
When you choose a flight school, it's important to understand the differences between flight schools operating
under Part 61 and those certified under Part 141 of the federal aviation regulations. Part 141 schools have more FAA
oversight, more rigid guidelines, and more paperwork, including a standardized syllabus. Because of these stringent requirements, the minimum number of hours for private pilot training is reduced to 35, rather than 40 hours.
Pilots on a career path often seek out 141 schools.
Part 61 schools are able to be more flexible with training and have the ability to tailor a curriculum to meet
individual students' training needs. This flexibility can make them more attractive to students who are learning to
fly for recreational purposes. But while Part 141 schools can't become flexible like a non-certified school, a Part 61
school can be every bit as structured and professional as one the FAA has approved. It's important to look at each
situation individually.

I pay [instructors] well compared to the industry
standard," he said. Busch hires instructors who
love to teach and already have a non-aviation
career in the area, "so they aren't going anywhere." There are exceptions to that rule-he
has hired younger career-minded pilots as
instructors, primarily if they trained at the
flight school-but "I make a two-year contract
with them where they learn to teach and build
time, but we plan the transition when they leave"
so everybody says goodbye on good terms and no
student is left high and dry. "We've been doing this
for 11 years with this model," he said.
As a relatively new flight instructor in the central
California coast, Claudia Contreras found that she
had to come up with a plan, because many of her
new clients were transitioning from other flight
instructors.
"At first, it was difficult for me to pick up where
the previous instructor left off," said Contreras, who
flies primarily at Salinas and Watsonville airports.
There's always going to be a readjustment period for
both student and CFI, she noted. "But with time I
was able to find a way to make the process smooth
and beneficial for the student."
The first session is to determine whether their
personalities will mesh and if she is indeed the right
flight instructor for the student. They review the
student's logbook, discuss his or her flying goals, and
design a course of study and a set of objectives to
meet. They fly, during which time she evaluates the
student's skills and lets him get a sense of her teaching style. A second lesson is scheduled if the student
feels comfortable with her.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?As a flight student, you
don't have to be a passive participation in this discussion; after all, you're the customer.
Looking for a flight school? Understand the key
differences between Part 61 and 141. Find out what

ASK THE QUESTIONS YOU
NEED TO KNOW: IS HE OR
SHE LOOKING FOR AN
AIRLINE CAREER? IS THERE
A TIME FRAME IN PLACE?

type of records are kept on each student.
Ask the owner or chief flight instructor
what procedures are in place to handle
transitions when flight instructors depart.
When working with a new CFI, ask the
questions you need to know. Is he or she
looking for an airline career? Is there a
time frame in place?
If the answer is yes, then find out
exactly how your flight instructor intends
to handle the transition. Will he leave
a copy of your syllabus with the next
instructor? You want to avoid the ultimate
sucker punch: arriving for a lesson only
to be told, "He's no longer with the flight
school." (It's rare, and it's extremely bad
form-but it happens.)
Even if the answer is no and your flight
instructor is perfectly content at the flight
school, don't assume he or she will always
be there. Get to know some of the other
instructors; if you have an opportunity to
fly with them, even better.
Technical Editor Jill W. Tallman is an instrument-

RETHINKING THE
LOGBOOK
Working with students who
came from other instructors
has caused Claudia Contreras
to reconsider what she writes
in logbooks. "The more detail,
the better," she says.
It won't all fit, but she keeps
a notebook where she can
write in detail their accomplishments and areas that
need improvement.

rated private pilot.
JUNE 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING

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Flight Training - June 2014

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