Civilian Pilot License

[A4sForever]

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.

Yeah, like I say, after classes we would head over to the local FBO field and do our stuff ... it was more "desirable" to do it during your Senior year so as to take advantage of your relative "currency" when you reported to PCOLA.

The best scenario if you were doin' it all on UNCLE's nickel: start ground school in the fall/winter ... fly in the spring ... get your PPL ... graduate/get your commission ... go to the NAVAIR TRACOM.

So yet ANOTHER "Navy Good Deal" goes by the wayside ... :sleep_125

 

[sailorjerry]

I'm a senior in ROTC and had PRK done last January. DO NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL YOU HAVE TALKED TO YOUR ROTC UNIT AND HAVE THE PROCEDURE APPROVED. There is a checklist that the Navy requires you to go through prior to and after the surgery, and if you do not go through the proper procedure you will most likely get physically disqualified from aviation and possibly any other community (i.e. subs or SWO). Like I said, I had the procedure done last year, did all the required checklists, and got selected for pilot about a month ago.

As far as your other concerns, I am a political science major with a ~3.2 GPA. Everyone that I've known from my school who has wanted pilot and was physically qualified for pilot since I've been there has gotten it. Like others have said, do well academically, do well on the PRT, and do well on the ASTB and you should be fine.

Finally, I got my PPL in October. I don't expect it to help me really at all during primary. However, I have a blast flying just basic single engine cessnas, and if you have the money to throw around for the 40+ hours of flight time to get a license and really just want to fly anything, I'd say go for it.

 

[NozeMan]

A) PPL doesn't factor in to service selection in the NROTC program. Do it if you want to blow the cash, even though you are going to get the rating after flight school for relatively nothing (I paid ~$220 for a class and the test).

B) Work w/ your NROTC advisors to get PRK. There should be some standardized stuff out there by now. Don't do anything without keeping the unit in the loop.


Just some food for thought......

10 grand is a lot of money to pony up for a PPL while also being a college student. If you have the cash our your parents are willling to pay, have at it. Otherwise, I paid $220 after flight school and got my Single Engine Land, Commercial helicopter-rotocraft and Instrument Airplane and Helicopter through the Military Competency process. It's a sweet deal when all is and done.

 

[MIDNJAC]

To add another element to the equation, I think being a pilot of light civilian aircraft for a number of years before primary helped me really appreciate how bad ass the T-34 is, even if it is old and broken. In terms of aircraft, you will be spoiled in the TRACOM compared to most of your civilian counterparts in their flight training programs.

 

[FLYTPAY]

To add another element to the equation, I think being a pilot of light civilian aircraft for a number of years before primary helped me really appreciate how bad ass the T-34 is, even if it is old and broken. .

Wait till you see how bad ass the P-3 is. I keed, I keed.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Wait till you see how bad ass the P-3 is. I keed, I keed.

Some secrets are better left untold

 

[FlyinRock]

As an instructor in the IFS program for nearly 5 years now, I have seen little value in those who come in with previous time. I'll qualify that with the ones who have previous time are expected to do better than those who are zero time when they show up on my doorstep. The relative performance will depend on the individual and I've seen both ends of the scale.
As far as the selection process, it may or not help. The question is how much can you afford to gamble on it? A private pilot license can perhaps tip the scales like A4's said but don't bet on it.
A private license will cost you between 5-7K if you are committed and do regular flights (2-4X week) depending on where you are in the country. Big cities will cost more as the FBO has higher operating costs.
Even more important was the general thrust and weight of what A4's said regarding being in the top percentile of your classes and studies, good physical condition, and for my part - A SUPERIOR POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
It is a serious thing you are trying to do and literally life or death. I see too many youngsters fresh out of college who are not yet out of party mode and have no idea what they are doing with their lives and don't realize this is a life changing career.
It isn't just a matter of showing up and attending classes. Now you have to perform and think at the same time and in a rapid manner.
Best of luck and perhaps one day I'll be sitting in the right seat asking you if you actually understand what we are trying to accomplish and then keep pushing you for better performance and standards.
Semper Fi
Rocky

 

[Immy]

It was my understanding if you have your PPL or other ratings you don't go through IFS?

Seeing as this thread got brought back..I usually don't ask a lot of questions on this board but I do take a lot in. However, I do have a couple questions that are directed at those in or having completed primary. How many guys come in with previous flight time? How many don't? Out of those who do, how much do they usually come in with and does this flight time put them ahead of those who came in with nothing? Obviously I expect this to vary by the amount of flight time and experience someone has, but I just wanted clarification.

 

[phrogpilot73]

You're getting good advice thus far, but I've only got one request. Please use more capitalization, punctuation, and no IM speak. It make it tougher for us old guys to read. I'm certain A4s is poking his eyes out...

 

[King_Tut]

You're getting good advice thus far, but I've only got one request. Please use more capitalization, punctuation, and no IM speak. It make it tougher for us old guys to read. I'm certain A4s is poking his eyes out...

Wilco.

 

[MIDNJAC]

It was my understanding if you have your PPL or other ratings you don't go through IFS?

Seeing as this thread got brought back..I usually don't ask a lot of questions on this board but I do take a lot in. However, I do have a couple questions that are directed at those in or having completed primary. How many guys come in with previous flight time? How many don't? Out of those who do, how much do they usually come in with and does this flight time put them ahead of those who came in with nothing? Obviously I expect this to vary by the amount of flight time and experience someone has, but I just wanted clarification.

To your first question, I was wondering the same thing after reading Rock's post......I would imagine that most of us who had more than a couple hours of prior time would have never passed through your program, am I wrong? I know I didn't

To answer the latter half of your question, it really depends on who is in your squadron at a given time. In my squadron we have quite a few folks with prior time as we seem to have gotten a big chunk of the Riddle grads. I couldn't speak for any other squadron or base though. In terms of how much of an advantage it gives them over their un-experienced counterparts....that is pretty much impossible to say. I think good pilots will get good grades regardless, at least the ones who put in the time to study hard. There are just as many guys I can think of who selected with high 60's/70's NSS w/o any prior time as there were guys who had prior time. Before primary most people had told me that having previous instrument experience (an IR ticket) helps a lot, and I would completely agree with this statement based upon my personal experience. Nearly 50% of your primary grades are based on BI's and RI's which civilian instrument experience should prepare you for. The rest of primary can kind of be hit or miss......not much of your civilian experience will be so similar in these areas.

Oh yeah....I have seen guys with previous time who came in with 500, 1000, 2000+ total time. There have been former regional airline and business jet pilots, as well as former crop dusters and aerobatic pilots who have gone through our pipeline. Most guys I know who had prior time had somewhere between 150 and 500 hrs (myself included @ around 300 when I started). And then there are some others with far more like I said, which is kind of where the ambiguity comes in. If you only have a couple hundred hours of civvie time, you really aren't that experienced so your advantage may only be in confidence, basic SA and maybe radio work. I personally was pretty rusty when I started getting basically back into the cockpit full time for the first time in around 5 years. It came back quickly, but I do think that recency of experience also matters.

 

[S.O.B.]

If you want to fly then fly; if you want to crush ass every Thursday night at mixers then do that. This is probably the only time in your career/life you will be able to do what you want so do it.

 

[C420sailor]

If you want to fly then fly; if you want to crush ass every Thursday night at mixers then do that. This is probably the only time in your career/life you will be able to do what you want so do it.

+1. You're in college. Do what you want.

But I say SLAY IT while you're still swimming in a sea of hot college chicks with low self esteem.

 

[MasterBates]

C420 is wise.

 

[Immy]

Thanks for the response MIDN, very informative. I was always curious about that, even if it is a very long way down the potential road.

And one more question if you don't mind MIDNJAC, did you major in something flying-related or was your time accumulated on the side?

Thanks again.