The Indiana State University Flight Academy is moving into its second year of operation under a higher level of certification than before.
Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration traveled to the flight school Thursday to sign and present the new certification, signifying that ISU meets Part 141 of FAA regulations. That’s a significant upgrade from Part 61 regulations covering private flight services that previously trained Indiana State students, ISU officials say.
Part 141 and Part 61 refer to federal regulations under which a flight school has the authority to train pilots. Both sets of regulations define minimum requirements for pilot training and certification.
“This is a big day for our ISU Flight Academy,” Harry Minniear, professor and chair of the aviation technology department, said during an announcement. It means flight students will be more competitive in the job market and it also means that military veterans can now use their Montgomery GI bill to pay for flight training.
Previously, “we weren’t able to serve our veterans on the Montgomery GI bill,” Minniear said.
Under Part 141, the flight academy must maintain the highest standards with respect to training, student records, facilities and aircraft. “We must follow stringent requirements and uphold them on an annual basis,” Minniear said. The flight school is subject to scheduled and random FAA inspections of training facilities, aircraft and student/instructor records. Annual check rides with an FAA examiner are mandated for the chief and assistant chief instructor pilots.
Also, the school must keep in-depth documentation of each student’s training progress.
The main advantage is the involvement with the FAA, said Kevin Donnar, the flight academy’s chief instructor pilot. The FAA “keeps a very stringent relationship with the flight training facility to ensure future generations of our pilots have the highest level of proficiency and training out there in the industry today.”
The new certification also means that students studying to be professional pilots can reduce the amount of flight time it takes to obtain an instrument rating and commercial rating, Minniear said. That translates into reduced costs for students.
The cost of the flight program is about $52,000 for flight fees, which is in addition to tuition, room/board and books.
Professional pilot student Alex Frye of Loogootee, a sophomore, said the Part 141 certification “means a lot” in terms of the FAA holding the program accountable to high standards. “It makes me feel a lot safer,” he said. He also anticipates it will eventually save him money with a reduction in flight hour requirements.