Definition
An FAA classification indicating which categories of pilot training a flight school is approved to provide. The two main classifications are FAA-approved (Part 141) schools, which operate under an FAA-accepted training course outline and are subject to ongoing FAA oversight, and non-certificated (Part 61) schools, which train pilots under the more general experience and knowledge requirements of 14 CFR Part 61.
Plain English
The official label that tells you what kind of pilot training a flight school is allowed to offer and under which set of FAA rules it operates.
Context Anchor
Seen when comparing FAA-approved flight schools and checking what training programs a school is officially approved to offer.
Derivation
Rating comes from the idea of classifying or assigning something to a category. In aviation, a rating often means an official added qualification or authorization. Here, it means the FAA has placed the school in an approved category for a certain kind of training.
Why Pilots Care
A school's rating determines whether its training qualifies for reduced flight-hour requirements toward advanced certificates such as the commercial pilot certificate.
Intuition Check
Do not read “rating” here as a customer review, star score, or opinion of school quality. In this context, it means an official FAA approval category for a type of training.
Example Sentence 1
Before enrolling, the student checked the flight school rating to confirm it was an FAA-approved Part 141 program.
Example Sentence 2
Schools with an instrument rating approval can provide training that counts toward the instrument certificate with fewer total hours.