Definition
Businesses or institutions certificated by the FAA to provide pilot training, ground instruction, and flight instruction leading to pilot certificates and ratings. They operate under either 14 CFR Part 61 (independent instructors and less structured programs) or Part 141 (FAA-approved syllabus and curriculum with stricter oversight).
Plain English
Places where people learn to fly. They teach the knowledge and flying skills needed to earn a pilot's license, and they must meet FAA rules to operate.
Context Anchor
You will see this term when reading about how pilot training is organized, where students receive instruction, and how the FAA oversees aviation training.
Why Pilots Care
The type of flight school a student chooses (Part 61 vs. Part 141) affects how training is structured, how many flight hours are required for some certificates, and how flexible the schedule can be.
Intuition Check
Do not read “flight schools” as just any school near an airport. In this context, it means organizations that provide actual pilot training with aircraft and instructors.
Example Sentence 1
She enrolled at a Part 141 flight school because she wanted a structured syllabus and the option to finish her private pilot certificate in fewer flight hours.
Example Sentence 2
The handbook notes that flight schools prepare students to meet the requirements for their first pilot certificate.