That's correct, a 141 school has many hoops to jump through, including maintenance and aircraft requirements. You'd be amazed at how granular it can get and how unbending the FAA is in this.
Your best to find an independent CFI or a part 61 flight school if you really want to use your own aircraft.
Yes, it's true. Part 141 requires that the school control the aircraft used, both maintenance and operation. Hiring your own independent CFI (or for the instrument rating, one of the specialist outfits like PIC which sends an instructor like me to you) may be a good option if you have your own plane. But some clubs don't like “outside” instructors not associated with that club, so if thar's your situation, ask the club first.
Having your own plane with an unreliable instructor with no syllabus is a NIGHT MARE!!
@Jack Stensgaard
Some schools allow you to choose which part (61 or 141) you use, so you CAN use your airplane if you choose the part 61 program. I used a nation-wide school in Houston to start my instrument rating in my own aircraft, and the only requirement was I had to add the school to my insurance policy. However, my training there only lasted a couple of weeks because when they started experiencing a shortage of instructors, I started getting dropped from the flying schedule to make room for students that were renting the instructor AND the aircraft. I understand their business decision, but it made it an easy decision for me to leave them and finish up with a local instructor.
@Harold Wagner
All the posts indicating that a pilot must use aircraft owned or controlled or maintained by the flight school are wrong.
141.39 does not contain any language to that effect.
8900.1 Volume 2, Chapter 9, Section 1, Paragraph 2-1072C(3) contains the following statement:
“When a student enrolled in an approved school provides an aircraft for personal use in an approved course, that aircraft must meet the requirements of the training aircraft described in the appropriate TCO. In addition, that aircraft must meet the same inspection requirements as aircraft operated by the approved school.”
You would, however, still have the same concerns concerning club policy and insurance, as those raised in previous posts.
Also, if your airplane is not a make/model currently used by the school, the instructor would need to accomplish the proficiency check required by 141.79(d)(1)(ii).
@Jack Stensgaard
Some schools allow you to choose which part (61 or 141) you use, so you CAN use your airplane if you choose the part 61 program.
Maybe. Many flight schools will, for insurance reasons, give training only in their planes, even under Part 61.
I used a nation-wide school in Houston to start my instrument rating in my own aircraft, and the only requirement was I had to add the school to my insurance policy. However, my training there only lasted a couple of weeks because when they started experiencing a shortage of instructors, I started getting dropped from the flying schedule to make room for students that were renting the instructor AND the aircraft. I understand their business decision, but it made it an easy decision for me to leave them and finish up with a local instructor.
As I said earlier, there are outfits like PIC (for whom I instruct) which will commit one instructor full-time start-to-finish in your plane at your location on an intensive training basis. Mostly PIC does instrument ratings, but also ME, commercial finish-up, and safety/refresher FR/IPC courses. Not cheap, but their instructors are highly experienced former airline/military/corporate and not young time-builders. Do your due diligence before you commit to any flight training program.