Types of Schools - Part 61 & Part 141 Flight schools come in two flavors, Part 61 and Part 141, which refer to the parts of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) under which they operate. Some of the most important differences that you will find at a Part 141 school are: 1) Shorter Cross Countries under part 141 2) 7 Hours Solo under part 141 versus 10 under part 61 3) 35 total hours under part 141 versus 40 under part 61 (For Private) 4) 190 total hours under part 141 versus 250 under part 61(For Commercial) **This is a savings of over $11,700 by choosing a Part 141 school 5) At a part 141 school all there flight instructors are Standardized 6) All flight school staff at a part 141 school are FAA inspected 7) The FAA inspects the maintenance department and records of a part 141 school 8) The FAA approves the flight schools safety procedures and practices under part 141 9) The FAA has approved the training course outline and syllabus for the part 141 flight school 10) The flight instructors at a part 141 school have annual check ride requirements. 11) Part 141 flight schools must have a Chief and Assistant Chief Flight Instructor on staff. 12) Part 141 flight schools utilize progress checks for your advancement and safety. 13) The part 141 school has been completely inspected and approved by the FAA What differentiates the two is structure and accountability. Part 141 schools are audited by the FAA and must have detailed, FAA-approved course outlines and meet student performance rates (Horizon Flight Center maintains a 93% student pass ratio). Part 61 schools don't have the same accountability requirement There are other things to consider when choosing a school, such as veteran's benefit eligibility (only Part 141 schools can qualify for VA-reimbursed training). None of the above will be found at a part 61 school. Don't settle for anything less than a part 141 school.

Cessna Pilot Center     Cessna's reputation is second to none. With 80 years of aviation excellence, safety and progress Cessna is the worlds leader in general aviation. Choosing to train at a Cessna Pilot Center (CPC) is the best decision any student pilot can make. Cessna Pilot Centers are required to meet and maintain extremely high standards of operations in both safety and training. Cessna Pilot Center advantages include: Cessna's Computer Based Instruction (CBI) is aviation's only standardized integrated curriculum that delivers training consistently worldwide with Private, Instrument and Commercial courses available. Exclusive access to the only computer-based student record management system that tracks progress of pilots every step of the way. Instruction in new and well maintained Cessna Aircraft. Faster completion times and higher success rates which saves money and produces better pilots. Exclusive student loan programs that can make learning to fly affordable on a modest budget. Up to 50 College Credit hours though Mountain State University With all of the Cessna support behind each CPC, such as special aircraft financing and insurance, global marketing programs, field-based seminars, and training managers, its little wonder that more people have learned to fly at CPC's than anywhere else. Recently, an independent company rated the Cessna 172 and Cessna 182 the safest airplanes EVER constructed. Horizon Flight Center utilizes these aircraft in our training and are required as a Cessna Pilot Center to keep these aircraft within Cessna maintenance standards. Horizon Flight Center is the ONLY Cessna Certified CPC within 100 miles of Chesapeake, VA.

Compile a List of Choices & Schools

Once you've given some thought to what you want, start putting together a list of possible flight schools. Then request all available literature from each. Ask them to send an outline or curriculum for each program in which you're interested, and a copy of the school's regulations and flight operations procedures.

• The school's philosophy, goals, and objectives, and how they match your needs.
• Are there such benefits as housing, financial aid, and additional training, such as aerobatics, that will broaden your experience?
• How important is flight training to the organization?
• How long has the flight school been in business?
• What about the school's instructional staff, its enrollment numbers, and credentials?
• How many and what types of aircraft are used in the school's flight instruction program?
• What are the school's classrooms like?
• What services are available at its airport (instrument approaches and control towers)?
• What is the school's reputation on regulations and safety policies?

Take a Firsthand Look - It's Your Money

If you do nothing else in your school search - visit the school! Take a discovery flight! Horizon Flight Center welcomes you to come and look at the aircraft. You will not find a nicer fleet in the area. When you purchase a car you want to look under the hood. We invite you to come look under our hood. When you visit a flight school look at the aircraft. Are they brand new. Are they old, are they run down, are there oil slicks underneath them on the pavement. These are the training aircraft you will be entrusting your life in. This is not an area you want to cut corners to save a few dollars. We offer the $99 discover flight where you will fly the entire time.

Your first contact will likely be an admissions officer. Listen closely and ask questions about everything. Don't be shy. If you don't understand something, ask! During your tour, ensure that no area is left unvisited, from administrative offices to the maintenance area and most importantly the aircraft. You want to make sure that the fleet has GPS, onboard traffic avoidance radar, and weather radar.

Interview the school's director of admissions. Some questions to ask:

• Are progressive flight-checks given? (These checks evaluate your progress during the training program.)
• What's the instructor-to-student ratio? (Generally speaking, an instructor can adequately educate four of five full-time students, or 10 or more part-timers, depending on their schedules.)
• Who schedules lessons, and how is it done?
• What are the insurance requirements of the school, and how do its liability and collision policies work? Will you be responsible for a deductible, and how much is that deductible in the event of a loss? What is your coverage as a student?
• Who keeps your records? (This is important because poor documentation can cause you to repeat training.)
• What happens when weather or maintenance problems cancel a lesson? Who's responsible for rescheduling lessons and reporting maintenance problems?

Other important information resources can be the local FAA Flight Standards District Office, the Better Business Bureau, and the Chamber of Commerce. They may offer important insights on such topics as a school's safety record and business practices. Don't forget such applicable sources as the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, National Air Transportation Association, Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology, if so accredited, and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, if you are an international student.

Don't Overlook Ground School

Learning to fly requires that you obtain the ability to manipulate the controls of the airplane and make it perform certain maneuvers. However, there is another aspect of learning to fly, and that is the academic knowledge required to understand how, where, and when to fly safely. This is accomplished in ground school.

Ground school takes two basic forms: an instructor teaching a scheduled class or a self-paced, home-study program using video or audio tapes and/or a computer-based program.

Which is better depends on you. If you're a self-disciplined self-starter, the self-paced video programs can't be beat. You can "attend" ground school on your schedule and review the tapes as needed. If you need the discipline of the classroom, well, the choice is obvious. Perhaps the best option is a combination of the two. Many schools have a traditional classroom ground school and a resource room that contains self-paced materials for additional study.

Many local community colleges or independent ground schools are also an option. Although technically not part of ground school, instrument ground trainers (or simulators) are being used by a number of schools in primary training, and they are a real benefit in instrument training.

After ground school and before you can take your FAA checkride with a designated pilot examiner, you must take and pass (70 percent or better) an FAA airman knowledge test at an approved computer testing site. A growing number of schools offer FAA-approved computer testing as part of their services.

Flight Instructors

A good flight instructor is important because your life will depend on what he or she teaches you. Don't hesitate to ask questions about the training and experience of the flight instructors. You might ask what the average flight time is and what the pass/fail rate is among the instructors. (A pass rate of 100 percent doesn't indicate good instruction.) You might also talk to some of the other students at the school to ask about their flight instructors.

Cost

Compared with most of your current activities, learning to fly is expensive. But remember, you're investing in your education, in skills that will open new worlds and opportunities. Flying is an activity of purpose, productivity, and pleasure. It's also a never-ending learning process and as with all education, your initial training provides the foundation for all that will follow. So the old essence of, you get what you pay for. The least expensive school will not be the best choice.

Because most schools require partial or full payment before training begins, financing your flight training, especially if you are in a professional pilot program, will be your greatest challenge. Some schools offer financing, and most have financing and loan information.  Horizon Flight Center offers a additional discount. All students and renters can receive a 10% discount for simply flying 10 hours.

There's an old saying that says, "Time is money." In your research, make sure that you're getting the best quality training for your dollar.

The Final Decision