# Part 141 chief instructor — recreational and private pilot courses — FAA flight training hour minimums: Part 61 vs Part 141, by certificate and rating

For Part 141 chief instructor, certificate or rating is Part 141 chief instructor — recreational and private pilot courses; part 141 minimum is At least 1,000 hours as pilot in command; part 141 appendix is 14 CFR 141.35(b); key sub-requirements is consisting of at least— ( i ) 2 years and a total of 500 flight hours; or ( ii ) 1,000 flight hours, recorded from its source on 2026-08-18.

- **Certificate or rating:** Part 141 chief instructor — recreational and private pilot courses _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Part 141 minimum:** At least 1,000 hours as pilot in command _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Part 141 appendix:** 14 CFR 141.35(b) _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Key sub-requirements:** consisting of at least— ( i ) 2 years and a total of 500 flight hours; or ( ii ) 1,000 flight hours. _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> ( b ) For a course of training leading to the issuance of a recreational or private pilot certificate or rating, a chief instructor must have: ( 1 ) At least 1,000 hours as pilot in command; and ( 2 ) Primary flight training experience, acquired as either a certificated flight instructor or an instructor in a military pilot flight training program, or a combination thereof, consisting of at least— ( i ) 2 years and a total of 500 flight hours; or ( ii ) 1,000 flight hours.

## Source

- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-141

Last verified: 2026-08-18. Review by: 2027-08-18.
Part of [FAA flight training hour minimums: Part 61 vs Part 141, by certificate and rating](https://referencesource.org/flight-training-hour-minimums-61-vs-141/).