Part 61 Flight School Near Me

If you’ve asked, “Is there a Part 61 flight school near me?” and you live in or near Scottsdale, Arizona, or anywhere else in the world, the answer is yes!  Sierra Charlie Aviation has you covered. Read on to learn more.

Part 61 vs Part 141

“FAR Part 61” and “FAR Part 141” refers to different parts of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) that set the minimum standards for flight training.

In general, Part 61 schools train students on a one-on-one, customized basis, and are not necessarily career-oriented flight schools. Part 141 schools are usually larger, more rigidly structured programs, that often emphasize professional pilot training.

Part 61 regulations requires minimum logged flight time of 40 hours for the Private Pilot Certificate while Part 141 requires only 35 hours. Since most students log over 60 to 75 hours of time on the way to their private license, this is not a real difference.

Federal regulations require certain subjects to be taught and expect identical performance standards, but Part 141 schools have a more rigid curriculum. A Part 61 instructor can rearrange lesson content and the sequence of the program to enable students to complete their training faster.

Sierra Charlie Aviation’s FAR Part 61 training program is simpler than a FAR Part 141 program. It is ideal for students who cannot commit to full-time flight training, or need a more customizable program to help them reach their goals.

Why Choose Sierra Charlie Aviation?

  • Convenience: We are located at Scottsdale Airport (SDL) and convenient to students in Scottsdale, Phoenix, Tempe, Glendale, Mesa, Chandler, and surrounding areas. The central location of SDL provides our students with a great training environment.
  • Award-winning: Sierra Charlie Aviation’s high-caliber flight training program has been honored with AOPA Flight Training Experience Survey Awards for the past several years. Recently, we won the 2019 Flight Training Experience Award for Best Flight School in the Western Region.
  • Top-Notch Aircraft: Our growing training fleet includes six brand new Cessna 172 Skyhawks that are G1000 equipped and coupled with GFC700 autopilot. In production since the 1950s, the Cessna 172 is one of the safest general aviation aircraft ever built and is a great training aircraft. It makes learning to fly easier, primarily because it has lower takeoff and landing speeds and is very forgiving.
  • Top-Notch Instructors: Sierra Charlie’s training team is composed of passionate and highly experienced Certified Flight Instructors (CFIs) who have trained everyone from Sport Pilots to Flight Instructors and recreational flyers to airline pilots.
  • Top-Notch Curriculum: As a certified Cessna Pilot Center (CPC), Sierra Charlie Aviation utilizes the Cessna Pilot Center approved syllabus to ensure that we cover each task that will be tested by an FAA examiner.
  • Transferrable Skills: Your glass cockpit training in the Cessna 172 Skyhawk will be transferable to every glass cockpit aircraft, from a Cirrus SR-22, to a TBM, to a Citation Mustang.

Do you want to study at a Part 61 flight school near you? Then consider looking into Sierra Charlie Aviation. We love to get new pilots into the air! Call us today at (480) 474-4115.