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Airline Ticket Booking Service

Vietnam Airline (airline in Vietnam) is recommended as the first choice for all domestic flights within Vietnam. Currently, with operation of fleet of 49 aircraft including Boeing 777-200, Airbus 330, 320, 321, Fokker 70 and ATR72, Vietnam Airline carries more than 6.8 million people annually. That figure includes over 3.1 million passengers on international flights, and 3.7 million on domestic flights, more than one billion USD revenue. Internationally Vietnam Airline operates and codeshared co-operates to 38 destinations around the world, in Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East and domestically flies to 18 destinations.

Pacific Airline, founded in 1991 as the second largest airline in Vietnam. They are primarily focused on the domestic flight operation. From Feb 2007, Pacific Airline announces its transition into budgeted airlines, then now becomes the first airline in Vietnam can offer the very low cost for main domestic destinations (cheap airline in Vietnam, Vietnam cheap airline). Currently, Pacific Airlines is working hard in extend flights to regional and international destinations

http://www.salutevietnam.com/?module=ticket&GroupIDCountries=21&ID=2&kind_menu=1

Airport Tax :



Yes, an international departure tax is payable by all travellers leaving Vietnam. It is not included in the price of your flight ticket and must be purchased at the airport before departure. In Ho Chi Minh City, the International departure tax is USD 12.In Hanoi, the International departure tax is USD 14.In Danang, the International departure tax is USD 12. Domestic flights are not subject to airport tax. It is already included in the price of your ticket.NOTE: You can purchase your international departure tax in US$ or in Vietnamese Dong.  Airport tax is subject to change without prior notice. Check with your Salute Vietnam Travel consultant before your departure

Flight Training

Take the step and have some flight training. What better thing to do than get

Your Pilot License and get behind the Airplanes controls, Navigate and

tour the world. Flying a Plane is a lot easier that you would think and a few

Flying lessons could start you on a path to a rewarding career. Contact your local Flight Training Centre and make arrangements to have a one on one Discussion and a Complementary flight with an accredited Flight Instructor who will answer all your inquires and let you take the controls while on your Complementary Flight to get the feel for flying.

There are a number of Flight Schools, Flight Training Centres and Flight Academies across the country so check them out and find the one that suits your needs.

Many of the Flight Schools specialize in Aviation Lessons such as Commercial Flight Training, Crop Spraying, Helicopter Training Schools, Charted Services as well as Accelerated Flight Training. An Accredited Flying Instructor will be employed at a Flying School who will take you through your Pilot Training and in approximately 100 hours you should achieve your Pilots License.

Your Flight Training can start as young as 13 years of age and should be able to Fly Solo at 16 years.

Take the opportunity to get to your nearest Flight Training School and advance into a Flight Academy and then on to become a Flight Instructor, then the next step could be a Career in Aviation.

Safety in the air is paramount and your Flight School will cover all aspects of safety of the aircraft. This will all be explained to you by your Flight Instructor.

All Airplanes at all Flight Schools and Flight Academies are regularly checked for safety.

You will also be able to join a Flying Club through your Flight School which will cut your learning cost down and also make new friends.

For a lot more information click on the following link:  Best Flight Training

Today everybody is looking out for cheap flights online, but increase in the airfare while traveling has become very difficult issues among the common people to plan their holiday vacation at any exotic holiday destination by any airlines. As there are so many persons who love to fly where traveling is concern but with the increased airfare it is not so easy and traveling by flight may leave you with a hole in your pockets as well. For a cheap and comfortable traveling everybody wants cheap flights for his/her travel destination. However, many of travelers find difficulties fulfilling their travel as they fail to plan for the entire journey, which is the major drawback while arranging a trip. But finding out the best offers and more importantly finding out cheap online flights to their desired location is quite distressing and pleasurable. There are various online travel sites that come up with plenty of online cheap offers or discount airfares. Only for cheap flights you can see several of travel portal online available for you but only few of them know about how online travel site gives you your cheap airfare on one search. It has been seen while traveling a passenger sitting next to you has bought his cheap flights online and you paid full price for the same airline and for same traveling destination. Today I will tell you how to make utilize of such online cheap flights and save you pocket from getting hole.

Get some helpful hints and tactical tips on how to buy cheap flights available online. A question arises on whether a traveler has done enough research work or went to the right travel site to find the bargain. All such worries can be alleviated with the help of online travel sites, word-of-mouth, and travel agents. Make use of various resources that are used to provide information about cheap flights and best airfare deals. Knowing what types of resources are available and using them to their advantage is the way to get those cheap flights online. Majority of the online travel sites aims to give best and cheap flights to his/her customer only on one search. A traveler should have to mention their travel need means when and where should like to go means their travel destination, and also they have to tell them about booking for their flights, hotels or cruise. Only travel loving person have to contact customer care via email and they will contact you via your phone email address with your complete travel packages related to your flights, hotels etc various travel sites are one source of finding cheap airline tickets and you can also look at bargain airfare sites. A search for cheap online flights among different carriers ensures that you get the cheapest fare. Various airlines display information about inexpensive flights offer on their websites depending on the season, destinations and departures. Browsing and comparing various cheap flights online ensures a traveler to get the best deal available.

Generally on online travel sites you can book you airline tickets along with your complete information about your destination like about your desired location, destination weather, perfect time to visit, tourist attraction, accommodations, entertainment places and when and where should you go in your destination. One can come across cheap flights online if they desire to break their flight journey. Most of the times it is more expensive to buy a direct flight than to buy a flight that stops one or two (or even three) times on the way. Such issues has been seen while using an online travel or flight agency, indirect flights will be cheaper, as you’ll be likely to fly with various companies at the lowest prices available. A traveler can book their cheap flight online if they settle their flying dates on midweek. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are the perfect cheap days to fly if you want to save money. Look out for sales and discounted tickets while are mostly available on weekdays. Don’t try to fly on local events or holidays; flights will be packed and really expensive on thanksgiving, Christmas or on New Year.

There are number of cheap flights to Mauritius. Being a popular holiday destination all major airlines run regular flights to this holiday destination. This is a very competitive route so to attract more customers all airlines that run flights to Mauritius regularly announce offers, discounts in fares and cheap flights to Mauritius. So when you want to book Mauritius flights, you just need to look around for cheap flight deals to Mauritius. As always, comparing your cheap flights will do you a lot of good. You can have your Mauritius holidays within your budget when you spend some time in finding your flights. Air Mauritius runs 30+ flights from and to Mauritius from all popular destinations including the UK and the US. There are number of cheap flight Mauritius comparison sites on the web that will allow you to search for flights. Along with cheap Mauritius flights you can also get bundled offers that give you budget accommodation. However, when you are going for your cheap Mauritius flight tickets bundled with Mauritius accommodation, you must remember to check all the features and terms and conditions of the offer so that you are not greeted with surprise when you visit Mauritius. The last thing that you want as soon as you land Mauritius is learning that you have been tricked. So it is your responsibility to make sure you understand the offer correctly. If you need clarifications you must contact the relevant website or company before booking your Mauritius flights. However, this is not to mean that all offers try to trick you. There are number of other ways that applies for all flight bookings, which will keep the costs low. You can apply those ways to book cheap flights Mauritius. First of all, plan your Mauritius trip well in advance so that you will have enough time to play around with your dates and days of the week while booking your Mauritius flights. If you have a very rigid schedule, you will have lesser chance of getting the best deals for Mauritius flights. 1.    Make a complete list of all Mauritius flights from your country of origin. 2.    Workout various connection options and do not stick to just a single airline or single route. Each destination can be reached in multiple ways and this applies to Mauritius as well. So when you want to book Mauritius flights try to see what the different connecting flights to Mauritius are. 3.    Check whether the cost varies between days because some of the flights will cost more during weekdays and cost less during weekends. You need to find out whether something like that is there with your route. 4.    Note down the peak season rates and off-season rates to Mauritius. See whether you will be able to bear the climatic conditions of off-season Mauritius. 5.    Choose flight routes with multiple connections. This will help you reduce the cost and get cheap flights to Mauritius. 6.    Also make sure to get travel insurance.

It is also a good idea to book your accommodation in advance and learn about Mauritius including, cheap flights Mauritius, cheap hotels Mauritius, places of interest Mauritius, the best time to visit Mauritius, Mauritius holiday packages, Mauritius honeymoon packages, Mauritius cruises, Mauritius Visa details, etc. For more information on Mauritius, for cheap hotels Mauritius and cheap flights Mauritius you can visit Low Fares Mauritius.com.

 

Cheap direct flights to Spain. Compare all low cost direct flights to and from your local airport to Spain with one search. Simply include your departure airport and your destination airport along with your dates of travel into the flight search engine and all available direct low cost flight options will appear.
Compare all low cost and cheap flights to and from all airports with one search. Simply include your local airport and your destination airport or region along with your dates of travel into the flight search engine and all available low cost flight options will appear on lowest price order. One simple search to find all cheap flights from all airports to your holiday resort destination. Compare the lowest flight prices from the low cost budget airlines.
Spain has become one of the easiest countries to reach by with direct flights from the U.K., thanks mainly to the low cost airlines who will now fly you to many regional airports, as well of the major cities. The large number of tourists that visit each year has helped increase the need for direct flights to Spain and with many people also having purchased second homes there, the whole of the country has become accessible by air.
The use of smaller airports has been helped by the Spanish government investing large sums in improving the road and rail links between cities and also by upgrading services at the airport itself.
When searching for your direct flights to Spain, often the best deals are to be had by booking through the internet. Some websites offer a search engine, which enable you to put in your details and the computer will then carry out a comprehensive search for flights that match your dates. If you book well ahead of your departure date, you will usually receive a better offer than by leaving it until the last minute, although occasionally a good deal can be had at the 11th hour, if you are able to delay booking your direct flight until just before you go.
Mid-week direct flights are generally better priced than those at the weekend and avoiding school holidays will definitely improve your chances of a good deal.
Direct flights to the less popular airports in Spain are well worth investigating, so make sure that you search by region, in addition to the place where you are actually staying, as often there are smaller, lesser used airports within driving distance that will work out cheaper. It might be worth considering booking each journey separately, especially if you are planning to tour around the Spanish countryside, as a single journey to one destination with a return from another, can often be more cost effective.
As a rule, the low cost airlines, such as Easyjet and Ryanair, will offer you a better price for your direct flights to Spain than using a scheduled service, but you may need to be prepared to give up such things as an in-flight meal and an allocated seat. Usually, the amount you pay for your ticket is purely the air fare plus taxes, which is why tickets offered by the low cost airlines are often referred to as having ‘no frills’. Refreshments have to be purchased on board, sometimes at very inflated prices, but usually your direct flight will be of no more than 2 – 3 hours in length, if travelling from the U.K. and the lower cost of your ticket makes this worthwhile.
If the cost of your direct flights to Spain is not an issue, a scheduled service with a large international carrier, such as British Airways or Iberia Airlines, may be your preferred choice. Usually, these flights would be from major airports in the U.K., such as London Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester to one of the larger cities in Spain. There are fewer flights available from and to regional airports and they often have to be booked direct with the airline, or through a Travel Agent, which would be more expensive.

At first this seems like an extremely simple question: chartered flights are obviously more expensive than normal scheduled flights. Most people get scheduled flights, why would you do anything else?

However, while this is obviously the case if you were to charter a flight yourself, in actual fact chartered flights are often chartered by holiday companies making them considerably cheaper. These flights have published schedules but the tickets cannot be purchased independently; they must be bought direct from the holiday company itself. These chartered flights are the reason that holiday companies are able to provide such extremely cheap flights & holidays.What is a chartered flight?

Flight charting is done by every airline and is required by airports before any aircraft can be given permission for takeoff. It basically refers to course plotting for the plane including scheduled take-off and landing times as well as the flight route. Many of the major well-known airlines charter their flights independently and publish schedules months or years ahead of time. Such companies are scheduled airlines. A chartered airline is an airline that specifically caters to individual customers and charters a flight for them. Such companies do charter flights for the rich and can cost a small fortune for a single flight, but this is not all that they do. By far the more common occupation for chartered airlines is chartering flights for large holiday companies. These companies charter much larger planes far further in advance, on a much more regular schedule. As such the flights chartered by holiday companies often appear similar to scheduled flights but with one important difference: the airline has no ability to sell individual tickets, the holiday company already owns all the seats on the flight.Why choose chartered flights?

The economics of the holiday chartered flight are actually fairly simple at certain time of the year the demand for flights to key holiday destinations is much higher. This demand is amplified if the holiday company can assemble a package with a resort for cheap accommodation. It results in an ongoing cycle: the holiday company charters many flights and provides cheap accommodation at a resort; prices thus drop because of the enormous bulk purchases, and then demand rises further. In order for it to work every seat on the flight has to be taken. Scheduled flights usually cost more because they are compensating for the inevitable shortage of customers. Holiday companies can match demand and thus provide extremely cheap flights.

The benefits of the chartered flight are thus easy to see; while it at first appears that chartered flights may be more expensive, in reality they often work out to be considerably cheaper than anything a scheduled flight can offer. When you combine this with the cheap resort accommodation it equals extremely low prices for an extremely relaxing and easily organized holiday.

How can I avoid flight delays? – Research the Airlines’ on-time ratings and use the Airline with the best rating. – Keep up with the news and see if your Airline is facing any upcoming labor negotiations. If they are in negotiation near the time you are planning your trip, you might want to use another Airline in case yours has a work stoppage or slowdown. – Avoid peak travel time. – Check the weather conditions that are common along your route to see if you can plan your trip to avoid periods when foul weather causes delays. – Fly nonstop or with the least amount of connections possible. Each time you land and take off you increase your chances to encounter delays. – Take early morning flights. Early flights are less likely to be delayed and if they are delayed you’ll have more options remaining through out the day to complete your trip. – Avoid the last flight of the day since a delay might force an overnight stay. – If you fear you’ll suffer from a flight delay, consider using a paper ticket over an electronic ticket. If you need to transfer to another Airline to continue your trip, a paper ticket can save you time. Most Airlines are not yet able to transfer passengers flying on e-tickets without first taking the time to switch them to a paper ticket.What should I do if my flight is delayed or canceled? – If your flight is delayed or canceled, work with the Airline’s counter personnel to book you on another flight. Being nice and working with the agent will often bring much better results than losing your temper. – If there is a line at the counter, call the Airline’s reservation center directly to book another flight instead of waiting in line for the few people available to help. See if they can guarantee you a seat on another flight. – If you have another person traveling with you, spread out with one in line and the other on the phone. Try to stay within eyesight of each other in case one of you needs to wave the other one over. If you have a cell phone, call the Airline while you’re standing in line and see who can help you first. – See if others in your party belong to any premium clubs that will help to get you special consideration. – Ask to be protected under the Airline’s own written rules in the ticket’s conditions or contract of carriage for dealing with missed connections, delayed and canceled flights so you are given all the consideration you are legally due. This section of the contract is often called “Rule 240″, but no matter what it is called, they will have a section that specifically spells out what action they must take to help you continue your trip and what compensation you are due, if any. The U.S. Department of Transportation mandates that a copy of this contract be available to passengers at the Airline’s ticket counter. Many Airlines also provide this information on their web sites so you might print it off and take it with you in case you need it. Some Airline employees will try to tell you to that they no longer use “Rule 240″, but no matter what they call this section of their contract they still have to honor their written guidelines in the contract of carriage. These guidelines are part of the legal contract that deals with you. Both you and the Airline agreed upon these terms when they sold and you purchased their ticket. The Airline cannot choose to disregard part of a legal contract and enforce a different policy. – If other Airlines are still operating, see if your Airline is willing to find you a seat on another Airline. Although, their contract may allow them some time to first find you a flight on their own Airline, most state that when they fail to do so, they will try to find you a seat with another Airline. Know that many Airlines limit your potential choices of other Airlines only with certain Airlines that have existing agreements with your Airline. Your option probably won’t be to find any other flight at the airport that works. It will be to find another flight from a list of specific Airlines. – The Airline’s “Rule 240″ may state that, if you so choose, you are entitled to an involuntary refund for any unused portion of your ticket, even if you purchased a nonrefundable ticket. – “Rule 240″ also specifies what, if any, other compensation you are due because of the flight’s delay or cancellation. The compensation due will usually vary depending on the reason for the flight’s delay or cancellation. – If it looks like lots of people are going to be stuck for a long time, consider booking a hotel room and/or a rental car before everyone else grabs them all. – Look into other practical forms of transportation such as trains, buses, or rental cars. The airport may close, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the highways and railroads are impassible. – Move quickly, a closed airport will mean that other forms of transportation and hotel rooms will sell out quickly. – Update any future reservations with Airlines, hotels or rental cars that will be effected by your delay.What type of compensation will I receive if my flight is delayed or canceled?You may think a delayed or canceled flight will get you complimentary meals and a free hotel stay, but that’s not always true. However, you can take some actions to make sure you are given all the assistance and compensation you are due. – Being nice and working with the agent will often bring much better results than losing your temper. You can let them know you are upset without turning your anger toward them. – You might have to rely on your negotiation skills to cover some expenses caused by the flight’s delay or cancellation. This is where being professional can help. – Ask to be protected under the Airline’s “Rule 240″, so you are given all the consideration you are legally due. “Rule 240″ refers to the Airline’s own written rules in the ticket’s conditions or contract of carriage for dealing with missed connections, delayed and canceled flights. “Rule 240″ specifically spells out what action they must take to help you continue your trip and what compensation you are due, if any. – The U.S. Department of Transportation mandates that a copy of this contract must be made available to passengers at the Airline’s ticket counter. Many Airlines also provide this information on their web sites so print it off and take it with you. – Some Airline employees will try to tell you to that they no longer use “Rule 240″, but no matter what they call this section of their contract, they still have to honor their written guidelines in their contract of carriage. These guidelines are part of the legal contract that deals with you. Both you and the Airline agreed upon these terms when they sold and you purchased their ticket. The Airline cannot choose to disregard part of a legal contract and enforce a different policy. – Most Airlines will first try to reschedule your flight or offer you coupons good toward future flights. However, many, although not all, Airline’s “Rule 240″ state that, if you so choose, you are entitled to an involuntary refund for any unused portion of your ticket if you decide not to travel on the rescheduled flight, even if you purchased a nonrefundable ticket. – It’s always a good idea to pay for your plane ticket with a credit card. It usually makes it easier and quicker for you to get your refund and, if the Airline gives you hard time about refunding your unused ticket, you can ask your credit card company about the possibility of a charge back. – If the Airline requires you to mail in your unused ticket before they will issue a refund, be sure to make a copy of your ticket before you put it in the mail. – “Rule 240″ also specifies what, if any other compensation you are due because of the flight’s delay or cancellation. – The compensation due will usually vary depending on the reason for the flight’s delay or cancellation. Compensation for delay will also vary depending on the amount of time that you were delayed. – If the delay or cancellation is caused by issues beyond the control of the Airline, often referred to in a “Force Majeure” clause, any compensation you are due may be limited or eliminated. – “Force Majeure” is a big catchall phrase that identifies many possible situations whether actual or threatened that cannot be foreseen by the Airlines and/or are beyond the control of the Airline. Many situations can qualify under “Force Majeure”, but some that are often listed include, the weather, acts of God, government regulation, terrorism, wars, hostilities, security and safety concerns, strikes, work slowdowns, labor-related disputes, shortage of labor or fuel. – Depending on your particular circumstances, you may be entitled to compensation for an overnight stay in a hotel, meals, phone calls or other transportation costs. However, there are limits and restrictions on all these forms of compensations. Many Airlines will not pay for an overnight hotel stay at the origin point or destination of your flight and many even deny paying for a stay if your flight is stopped at an airport near your home’s main airport. – If you are late checking in, you may have waived your right to any compensation you are due, including your right to an involuntary refund. – Keep all receipts for expenses caused by your delay or flight cancellation. No matter what their rules say, you can always make an appeal to the Airline’s customer service department and you’ll want the receipts to back you up. Send your Airline copies of the receipts and keep the original receipts. – Even though, your Airline may not be required to give compensation, they still may provide you with something to keep you a happy customer.

Before you go on holiday or away for a business trip, compare flight prices to make sure you are getting the best deal for your money. By comparing airline prices over time and for a variety of carriers, you are far more likely to get a deal on flight reservations. The wide differences in airline ticket prices can be attributed to a number of factors.
Some of these differences have to do with flight density, but others have to do with departure and arrival locations, time of flight, and even which airline carrier you choose. Before you book a flight, compare flight prices. You will be glad that you were a savvy consumer and did your research before you made such a major purchase.
Below is a short list of some of the most common causes for differentiation between airline ticket prices. If you compare flight prices, these factors are likely to have an impact on the prices you will find. Consider what you are looking for in a flight, and then use these tactics to select the airline tickets that most meet your needs.
Location: The location of your departure and final destination can impact the prices of your flight tickets. You will find that more common locations may be more affordable than destinations to which fewer flights are headed. This may be because addition legs must be added after reaching a major city, thus lengthening your flight and adding more transfers in order that your flight is completed.
However, you may also find location working in your favor if you choose a less direct flight to reach one major metropolitan area from another. When you compare flight prices, you will likely find that flying from one city to another is more affordable if you do not do so directly. Direct flights are in high demand, and so can be charged more for. But if instead you are willing to have one or two layovers at more medium sized cities, you will likely be able to reach your destination at a lower price. To compare flight prices, look around to assess your options and find a flight that will be acceptable to you.
Time of day: Often, flights cost more if they depart in the middle of the day. Peak hour flights, you will find when you compare flight prices, can cost a moderate amount more than off-hour flights. Flying very early in the morning or late at night can be more affordable, and earlier flights sometimes stand a smaller chance of being delayed since the day’s flight schedule is just beginning.
When it comes down to it, there is no right or wrong answer as to how to compare flight prices. Consider the factors you are looking for, and weigh them in relation to one another. Do you want the flight with the lowest price? Would you prefer a flight that is the most direct, or takes the shortest amount of time?
Or would you prefer a flight that is on a smaller or larger plane, or with a certain airline? Take all these factors together when you compare flight prices, and this will help you make the airline reservation that best meets your needs.

Flying an aircraft is a complicated task in and of itself.  Navigating from one point to another over unknown terrain can be even more complex, but trying to do both at once quickly becomes overwhelming.  This is why proper flight planning is such a necessity to any good pilot or airman.  Luckily in today’s world, flight planning software exists to help speed the process along while maintaining accuracy.  By entering such variables as wind speed and direction, aircraft weight, course and temperature, flight planning software programs can calculate a host of important information such as wind correction angle, true airspeed, runway crosswinds, and magnetic variation.  Great aviation websites like Student Flying Club even offer pilots a free online E6B flight computer!For many new pilots, mastering the E6B flight calculator is one of the most complicated tasks to learn.  And although becoming a pilot requires learning how to use such a great tool, online flight planning software including an E6B can help speed up the learning process.   Any calculation that can be made on a manual E6B can usually be made on an online version of such flight planning software.  Temperature conversions from Fahrenheit to Celsius and wind chill calculations are possible, as well as density altitude, pressure conversion, heat index, dew point, and relative humidity percentages that help determine whether or not a flight is viable that day.  Magnetic variation calculations for flight planning also help determine course corrections by entering the latitude and longitude needed for different parts of the Continental US, Europe, and even Alaska.  In the past these figures needed to be calculated either manually or through a hand-held E6B calculator, but with new flight planning software this information is available with just a few short keystrokes.Aside from the online E6B computer, pilots can take advantage of other pieces of flight planning software available to them as well.  Airport Distance calculators are a great tool for determining the distance and heading between two distinct airports.  Some of these distance calculators go through great lengths to maintain a large database of airports – not only those larger ones in class C and D airspace but also the smaller, non-tower controlled airports.  This helps student pilots in flight planning by allowing them to plot several different courses from their own home airport, regardless of how small it may be.  Learning to fly while based at a larger airport can be daunting, and most pilots get their private license flying out of smaller home airfields.Online flight planning also includes takeoff and landing distance calculators, as well as complicated weight and balance charts.  These online flight planning tools take most of the manual mathematics out of the picture, allowing for less margin of error.  Aviation flight planning of course may also include the filing of an actual flight plan with local airport towers or FSS (flight service stations), and such a flight plan is required for IFR routes.  While there’s currently no direct online way to file a flight plan, some flight planning software offers helpful printable forms that can be filled out from your keyboard and then printed on paper.  Required fields and form checking help maintain that such  forms are properly filled out before being submitted to the proper authorities and filed as flight plans.Finally, one of the most important aspects of planning a flight is the observance of up-to-date current weather conditions.  Flight planning software comes in extremely handy here, where most every website or application can now be easily linked to the NOAA’s National Weather Service.  Forecasting is still never an exact science, flight planning tools and applications can usually come pretty close to determining near-future weather conditions.  Immediate airport condition reports from across the US and even the world can be instantly collated into a central location and displayed for pilots right before a flight so they can make a go or no-go decision right before scheduled takeoff.  And as satellite-driven GPS technology becomes sharper and smaller, such GPS units become more readily available to today’s pilot.  He or she can fly their aircraft and get up-to-the-second weather information simply by looking at their externally mounted GPS units or even their glass cockpit displays.Flight planning software has come a long way in a very short period of time, and there seems to be no limit to the amount of good it can do.  Technology has made today’s pilot a safer, more educated airman.  Planning a flight has been made easier and more error-free, and keeping track of flight plans has become a lot more manageable.  In the end, as long as technology continues to advance, piloting an aircraft will continue to be made safer.

There has long been a debate on the advantages of Part 141 versus Part 61 training. Student pilots are confused by the differences and are therefore unable to determine how to make the most of the benefits offered by each.

The following remains the same, regardless of whether your train under Part 141 or Part 61: 1)Written tests. 2)Oral exam in check ride. 3)Flight portion of the check ride. 4)License issued.

Measurement of success is the same at both types of schools: 1)Instructors make or break the school. Knowledgeable, experienced instructors are key. 2)Some flight schools have a high dropout ratio. Successful schools should have at least 90% of the students they train attain the certificates and ratings they signed up for. 3)Aircraft maintenance is important. Students should very seldom have flight lessons cancelled due to aircraft being grounded. 4)The school accident record should be zero or close to zero, indicating that the school places a high value on your safety.

On the surface, it looks like all helicopter flight schools are very similar. This is why it is so useful to understand the differences between Part 141 and Part 61. The two biggest differences are: 1)Part 141 training requires following an FAA approved Training Course Outline (TCO). Part 61 does not require a TCO be used at all. 2)The flight school itself and the Chief Flight Instructor have to meet stringent FAA requirements. Part 61 is not subject to these FAA requirements.

Let’s start with Part 61 helicopter training and flight schools. The majority of helicopter flight schools in the USA today are Part 61 flight schools. Many Part 61 helicopter flight schools start off with one certified flight instructor and one helicopter. The flight instructor offers one-on-one training to prospective students and teaches the student as he or she sees fit. If the instructor is good, more students join the school and the owner purchases additional helicopters and hires more instructors to meet the demand.

There are no FAA inspections required for a Part 61 helicopter flight school. The flight school is free to train their students using their own chosen methods. They are expected to follow the rules and regulations in the FAR/AIM for Part 61 flight schools and training, but are not subject to FAA inspections to confirm that they are doing this.

Part 141 training and flight schools have to meet very specific requirements and standards. The helicopter flight school itself is issued an Air Agency Certificate when it passes the FAA inspections. Facilities and aircraft that will be used for Part 141 training are inspected. The Chief Flight Instructor is required to take an annual check ride with the FAA.

On the training side, the flight school submits a separate and distinct Training Course Outline (TCO) to the FAA for each certificate and/or rating that they want to teach under Part 141. For example, a Private Pilot TCO would be submitted. This contains lesson plans for both Flight and Ground training. The flight school would have to submit another TCO for Instruments if they wanted to teach Instrument ratings under Part 141.

Don’t assume that a Part 141 helicopter flight school offers all their certificates and ratings under Part 141. Many only obtain FAA certification for Private, Instrument and Commercial certificates. It takes a lot of work for the flight school to create TCO’s and to teach under Part 141. The FAA requires that the flight school keep extensive student documentation for Part 141, including very detailed information on student progress. This is great for the student. It is time consuming for the flight school.

There are a few very large flight schools that only offer Part 141 training. They have set schedules for their classes and teach many students at the same time. They also have regimented flight schedules. These few very large flight schools often have a very high ratio of foreign versus domestic students. This is because SEVIS (Student Exchange Visitor Information System) requires that flight schools be FAA certified as a Part 141 flight school in order to apply for permission to train international students. The Veterans Association (VA) has the same Part 141 requirement for veterans to use their VA benefits.

Most Part 141 schools also offer Part 61 training for the same programs. For example, you may choose to do your Private Pilot under Part 141 or Part 61. Schools that offer both training methods provide the most flexibility to the student.

The student attending a Part 141 helicopter flight school gets all the benefits of attending a Part 141 school even if they choose to do some or all of their training under Part 61. This is due to the school being subject to random FAA inspections. They have to maintain their high standards at all times to retain their certification.

The disadvantage of Part 141 training is that the TCO has to be followed in the sequence written. Every student learns differently and some people prefer the flexibility of Part 61 training, which enables the student to cover materials in the sequence appropriate for him or herself.

This brings to light another advantage to a flight school that offers both Part 141 and Part 61 training. They will often use the TCO for your Part 61 training. This is great for the student pilot as you get the benefit of a structured Training Course Outline that is FAA certified, while at the same time being able to cover materials in the order that suits you best.

Another advantage to training at a school that offers both is that you can mix and match your training. For example, I did my Private Pilot under Part 61 as I wanted the flexibility to jump around in the curriculum. Flying instruments is very structured and is about learning procedures, so I choose to do my instrument training under Part 141. I found the structured approach and learning sequence worked really well for my Instrument training. I went back to Part 61 for my Commercial training.

Learning to fly a helicopter is fun, exciting and expensive. Learn all you can about your helicopter flight school and the programs they offer before making your final decision. Fly safe!