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9 Tips for Choosing the Best Part 61 Flight Instructor

A CFI offers ideas to help you make the choice.

Many new pilots choose to become flight instructors for their first aviation job. [iStock]
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Key Takeaways:

  • For Part 61 flight training, selecting a highly professional and committed flight instructor (CFI) is crucial for effective and structured learning.
  • Prospective students should "interview" CFIs, asking about their teaching motivation, use of a structured syllabus, ground instruction methods, and student pass rates.
  • A quality CFI will demonstrate professionalism through structured lessons (pre/post-flight briefs), adherence to Airman Certification Standards, and an emphasis on helping students understand FAR/AIM requirements.
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Neither the FAA nor your future employer will likely care if you did your flight training under Part 141 or under Part 61. What really matters is that you have the knowledge, skills, and experience required for the job.

Part 141 programs are more structured than Part 61. Because of this, it is possible to qualify for certification as a private pilot with a minimum of 35 hours total time, and for commercial pilot with 190 hours. The syllabus must be adhered to, however, and there are more stage checks, and often instructors are assigned to the learners.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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