Hey everyone!!! I went on my first introductory flight today and needless to say, I am in LOVE! I plan on enrolling in the middle of August to work on my PPL.
I have a school picked out that I am very happy with, I was just curious what the pros/cons of a FAA approved school was versus not. The school I plan on going to is approved, but there is one closer to me that isn’t.
Also, can anyone give me a ballpark of how much time it takes to get to a CPL? I plan on going 3-4 times a week (maybe more if i can) because I also have to juggle my part time job as income for rent, etc.
Thank you in advance!!! So excited to be a part of this community and start my new career
When you talk about FAA “approved” flight schools you’re really talking about the difference between Part 61 and Part 141 schools. In order to be a Part 141 school you must follow an FAA approved curriculum. While that may sound ideal, it doesn’t allow much flexibility in your training. 141 schools have very strict ground and flight requirements for every phase so if you’re able to progress faster, you cannot. While this type of training does work well with university degree programs, most pilots training locally seem prefer Part 61.
If the other school is more convenient I’d give them a look.
The minimum hour requirement for your CPL is 250 so however long it takes you to build that time is how long it will take you. Know that there are other ratings you’ll need along the way (Instrument and Multi) depending on your goal and also that there are few jobs other than instructing available for new low time Commercial pilots. That will mean earning your CFIs as well.
