Blackstone Aviation offers FAA Part 61 flight training at Hartselle–Morgan County Regional Airport (5M0), serving students from Hartselle, Decatur, Cullman, Huntsville and all of North Alabama. Whether you're chasing a Private Pilot Certificate, an Enthusiast Light Sport Certificate, or an Instrument Rating, training is built around your schedule — not a fixed academy calendar.
Part 61 flexibility as the standard — with a faster-paced track available for students who want a clear timeline.
Zero experience through your FAA Private Pilot checkride, trained in our Cessna 172 Skyhawk under true Part 61 flexibility — no forced pace, no lockstep academy schedule.
Lower hour minimum, lower cost of entry — no FAA medical required for daytime flying. Aircraft: Cessna 150 or 172.
Fly safely through clouds and low visibility on instruments alone. Builds on your Private Pilot certificate.
Commercial Pilot and Complex Endorsement training also available — see full program details, stats, and next steps on our home page.
Under Part 61, you pay per flight hour — no prepaid package. Your cost per lesson is the aircraft's wet rate plus the CFI rate below.
| Cessna 150 (wet) | $120/hr |
| Cessna 172 (wet) | $165/hr |
| Comanche 180 (wet) | $200/hr |
| Certified Flight Instructor | $65/hr |
Example: a Private Pilot lesson in the Cessna 172 runs $165/hr (aircraft) + $65/hr (CFI) = $230/hr all-in. Full fleet details are on our Aircraft Rental page. Total program cost depends on pace and hours needed — contact us for a personalized estimate.
Every FAA-approved flight school operates under one of two regulatory frameworks: Part 61 or Part 141. Both lead to the exact same FAA pilot certificate — the difference is in how training is structured along the way. Here's how they compare, and why Blackstone Aviation trains under Part 61.
Most of our students are working adults, high schoolers, or hobby pilots — not full-time academy cadets. For that kind of student, the handful of hours Part 141 can save rarely outweighs the flexibility of Part 61. You're not locked into a class schedule, you're not paying for a rigid package before you know if flying is for you, and if work or family needs a week off, your training just picks back up — it doesn't reset.
Part 141 genuinely makes sense for some students, particularly those on an accelerated airline-career timeline or international students who need an FAA-approved school for visa purposes. If that's you, we're happy to point you toward one. For everyone else, Part 61 is how we believe flight training should work.
Get in the left seat with an instructor and get a feel for the aircraft, the airport, and whether flight training is right for you.
Regular lessons combining hands-on flying with the ground knowledge you'll need for your FAA written exam.
Once you're ready, you'll solo and build the cross-country time required for your certificate.
A final prep phase with your instructor, then your FAA practical exam — and you're a certificated pilot.
The FAA minimum is 40 flight hours under Part 61, though most students complete their checkride closer to 65 hours. Since training is self-paced, calendar time depends on how often you're able to fly — students training once or twice a week typically finish in six months to a year.
Private Pilot training requires at least a valid FAA 3rd Class medical certificate (or BasicMed if you qualify). Our Enthusiast Light Sport program requires no FAA medical certificate at all for daytime VFR flying, which makes it a popular entry point.
Cost depends on the certificate and how many hours you need. Our Enthusiast Light Sport program runs roughly $3,375–$5,225 in a Cessna 150. Private Pilot, Instrument, and Commercial pricing is available upon request since it depends on aircraft, pace, and hours already logged — contact us for a personalized estimate.
Yes. Training under Part 61 means there's no fixed academy schedule to keep up with. You fly and pay as you go, at a pace that fits your work and life, with a faster-paced track available if you'd rather work toward a clear timeline.
Part 141 schools follow an FAA-approved structured curriculum with set stage checks, usually at a fixed pace, and can qualify students for slightly lower minimum hours. Part 61, which Blackstone Aviation uses, is instructor-driven and flexible. Both paths lead to the same FAA certificate.
Private Pilot and Instrument students typically train in our Cessna 172 Skyhawk. Enthusiast Light Sport students train in a Cessna 150 or 172.
Yes. Hartselle–Morgan County Regional Airport is about 25 minutes from Cullman via I-65, and we regularly train students who make that drive from Cullman, Decatur, and Huntsville.