Part 61 vs Part 141 vs Part 142: What’s the Difference?

“Flight training software” is a misleading category, because the FAA regulates training under three different parts — and each runs a different business.

Part 61 — individual training

Part 61 governs the certification of individual pilots. Flexible, instructor-driven, no FAA-approved syllabus required. This is your local CFI teaching toward a license.

Part 141 — approved pilot schools

Part 141 schools train ab-initio pilots under an FAA-approved curriculum, with structured stages and checks. More overhead than Part 61, but more efficient credit.

Part 142 — training centers

Part 142 centers train already-certified pilots toward type ratings and recurrent currency, using full-motion simulators, under FAA-approved curricula. The customer is usually an airline or operator — not the pilot.

Why the distinction matters for software

A tool built for Part 61/141 rarely covers Part 142 realities: qualification-aware simulator scheduling, curriculum approval tracking, and B2B billing. See the Part 142 overview and AviationAlley.