Civilian Pilot License

[King_Tut]

Hey everyone, i was reading everywhere that it is very competitive to get a pilot spot in the ROTC programs and a lot of people have said that getting a civilian pilot license will help you during selection. So my question is....what program/license am i supposed to try and get. I called american flyers and told them i wanted to get a license because i was going into ROTC and they told me to go through the NEXUS program..which is a multi-engine career path program that costs $60,000.....they told me i would have to take out a loan for this and i could get it deferred till i graduate college but my concern is.....will getting this program done put me ahead of some people during selection or will it be equivalent to the guy that got a single engine(?) pilot license.....


sorry for rambling...i guess my questions are:

1: is that program worth it for selection?
2: What pilot license program do you reccommend for those of us trying to gain an upperhand in selection....

Thank you very much

 

[navysoccer18]

I would strongly advise against whatever this program is that you are talking about. It would be a very bad waste of your money IMHO. When I went through NROTC, they could have cared less about my private pilot's license when I selected pilot. The Navy is much more interested in your grades in college, your performance in the ROTC unit and the recommendation from your CO when it comes to aviation selection.

I know this topic has been discussed quite a bit on this forum, so I would recommend a search to see what other people have said in the past. I will say that having a pilot's license going into flight school may have helped for the first few flights in Primary, but you will learn very quickly that Naval Aviation is very different from civilian flying, and you will spend a little bit of effort unlearning habits from your civilian days.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Having your pilot's license isn't going to make you more competitive for service selection into aviation from NROTC. Do well in school, do well on the ASTB and don't worry about the rest.

To echo what has been said, prior civilian flight experience did help a small amount during the first few flights of primary, but I never really felt like it gave me a big advantage until RI's (having been instrument rated as a civilian). Forms, PA's (aerobatics), even parts of contacts were still all new. If that is worth 20-60 grand to you, then so be it. I enjoyed flying and wanted to do it as soon as possible, so that was my reasoning. I would NOT recommend doing it only to get a leg up on something that could just as easily slip through your fingers over a bad flight physical.

 

[King_Tut]

Ok that is interesting news....i tried searching for some threads about this but i couldnt find any...i guess i didnt search well enough :/ sorry...
your response makes sense though thank you...

 

[FLYTPAY]

DO NOT GO THROUGH AMERICAN FLYERS IF THEY ARE GOING TO TRY AND SELL YOU ON A $60,000 CoURSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep looking, if you have the coin and just feel the need, a single-engine prive pilot license is for you ~$7000. On the otherhand if you want to spend a shit-ton of money, I will do it for $50K

 

[King_Tut]

i thought that maybe if i had my license it would give me a boost since i dont have a engineering or science major....i heard u need a competitive gpa something like 3.4 but if i have a business degree it isnt equivalent to a science or engineering degree. Does that automatically mean an engineering major will take my spot due to degree/gpa....i mean i know i can do well in a degree of my choice. if i take a degree in....say...international affairs i know i would do better than if i took an engineering or science major. so should i just try my best in that or should i try and do good in a tech/sci major......

 

[King_Tut]

DO NOT GO THROUGH AMERICAN FLYERS IF THEY ARE GOING TO TRY AND SELL YOU ON A $60,000 CoURSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep looking, if you have the coin and just feel the need, a single-engine prive pilot license is for you ~$7000. On the otherhand if you want to spend a shit-ton of money, I will do it for $50K

ya i was surprised that they told me $60000 because a friend of mine in the AF academy got his single license for ~ $10k. i figured that it was what i had to do to get the job that i wanted so i was willing to pay it...but im happy i asked here before i went and signed up for it.

 

[MIDNJAC]

No dude....I was the only engineering major out of my senior class (at my NROTC unit) to select aviation. The rest of the guys I knew who got orders to P'cola had varying degrees of basketweaving on their diplomas. 3.4 gpa in any major is competitive for pilot right now. Just do your best in the area that they care most about...grades.

 

[King_Tut]

thanks for all the help, this info is priceless.

When would be the best time for someone in ROTC to get lasik....we are out on summer cruises and i cant get it done this summer i dont think unless i can gather the money...does my vision have to be 20/20 when i apply for my spot or when i start training...

 

[FLYTPAY]

thanks for all the help, this info is priceless.

When would be the best time for someone in ROTC to get lasik....we are out on summer cruises and i cant get it done this summer i dont think unless i can gather the money...does my vision have to be 20/20 when i apply for my spot or when i start training...

Actuarial accounting major here.....you have to be correctable to 20/20 and there is a whole lot of crap/stipulations on your visual accuity and diopters. Look in the Doc's corner for info, and to see is LASIK is accepted yet. PRK is for sure.

 

[King_Tut]

Actuarial accounting major here.....you have to be correctable to 20/20 and there is a whole lot of crap/stipulations on your visual accuity and diopters. Look in the Doc's corner for info, and to see is LASIK is accepted yet. PRK is for sure.

sweet thanks for the heads up. going there now

 

[HAL Pilot]

American Flyers will rob you blind. I know more than a few this has happened to.

There have been a lot of discussions on this site about this subject. Do a search of this site for more info.

For the Navy or Marines, a pilot license is NOT going to help your application very much. It is a different story for the Air Force. Even then, a private single engine is all you would need. You can get that for $5000 - $7000 at any airport with a flight school.

 

[King_Tut]

American Flyers will rob you blind. I know more than a few this has happened to.

There have been a lot of discussions on this site about this subject. Do a search of this site for more info.

For the Navy or Marines, a pilot license is NOT going to help your application very much. It is a different story for the Air Force. Even then, a private single engine is all you would need. You can get that for $5000 - $7000 at any airport with a flight school.

ok sounds good. the price and program sounded sketchy anyways...so im happy i didnt spend that much cash on something i didnt need.

 

[A4sForever]

.... a lot of people have said that getting a civilian pilot license will help you during selection.....

Tut: don't listen to "a lot of people" ... do your own research and the truth will out. This is so much bullshit ... but still, they ask ... ??? And still a "lot of people" say "it helps" ... over, and over, and over again ... :sleep_125

One program that DOES work:
Get good grades, stay fit, participate in "real guy" things, and the rest will follow IF there are any seats/slots/whatever available when your number comes up.

I suppose if there were only ONE seat/slot/whatever available and both candidates were absolutely equally qualified, and only ONE had a PPL ... then it might be a deal-breaker ??? But lacking that precise moment in time when all the stars align ... ??? It might be better to have an Admiral for a "Daddy", vice a PPL.

BUT: is there a present-day equivalent of the ol' NROTC FIP (Flight Indoctrination Program = PPL @ UNCLE's expense) ??? It happened during Junior (not advised unless you were rich so as to stay current) OR Senior years ... ???

Now THAT ... the FIP Program ... plus getting good grades, staying fit, participating in "real guy" things, having seats/slots/whatever available when your number came up ... now that DID count.

THAT was another "Navy Good Deal", and that DID early-I.D. candidates for the TRACOM ...

 

[scoolbubba]

BUT: is there a present-day equivalent of the ol' NROTC FIP (Flight Indoctrination Program = PPL @ UNCLE's expense) ??? It happened during Junior (not advised unless you were rich so as to stay current) OR Senior years ... ???

Now THAT ... the FIP Program ... plus getting good grades, staying fit, participating in "real guy" things, having seats/slots/whatever available when your number came up ... now that DID count.

THAT was another "Navy Good Deal", and that DID early-I.D. candidates for the TRACOM ...
[/B]

IFS...but only Boat School bubs get to knock it out while they're still middies at Canoe U.

Everyone else waits till P Cola, or if you're of the green variety, some do it in NOVA.