# Recreational pilot — airplane single-engine — FAA flight training hour minimums: Part 61 vs Part 141, by certificate and rating

For Recreational pilot, certificate or rating is Recreational pilot — airplane single-engine; part 141 minimum is 30 hours of flight training; part 141 appendix is Part 141 Appendix A, para. 4(a); key sub-requirements is 15 hours must be with a certificated flight instructor and 3 hours must be solo flight training as provided in section No. 5 of this appendix, recorded from its source on 2026-08-18.

- **Certificate or rating:** Recreational pilot — airplane single-engine _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Part 141 minimum:** 30 hours of flight training _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Part 141 appendix:** Part 141 Appendix A, para. 4(a) _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Key sub-requirements:** 15 hours must be with a certificated flight instructor and 3 hours must be solo flight training as provided in section No. 5 of this appendix _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Part 61 minimum:** 30 hours of flight time _(per ecfr.gov, not stated by the source above)_
- **Part 61 section:** 14 CFR 61.99 _(per ecfr.gov, not stated by the source above)_

## What the source says

> Each approved course must include at least 30 hours of flight training (of which 15 hours must be with a certificated flight instructor and 3 hours must be solo flight training as provided in section No. 5 of this appendix)

## Sources disagree

More than one authority states this, and they do not state the same
thing. Both are reproduced with the source each came from.

### Key sub-requirements

ecfr.gov says key sub-requirements is **15 hours must be with a certificated flight instructor and 3 hours must be solo flight training as provided in section No. 5 of this appendix**, as of 2026-08-18.

> Each approved course must include at least 30 hours of flight training (of which 15 hours must be with a certificated flight instructor and 3 hours must be solo flight training as provided in section No. 5 of this appendix)

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

ecfr.gov says key sub-requirements is **15 hours of flight training from an authorized instructor**, as of 2026-08-18.

> A person who applies for a recreational pilot certificate must receive and log at least 30 hours of flight time that includes at least— ( 1 ) 15 hours of flight training from an authorized instructor

Source: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-61/subpart-D/section-61.99


## Source

- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-141
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-61/subpart-D/section-61.99

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/).