Civilian Pilot License

[S.O.B.]

+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.

concur

 

[MIDNJAC]

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.

I did 2 years @ a part 141 school after high school, and then did NROTC for the next 4.5 years majoring in something completely unrelated (engineering)

 

[bubblehead]

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

That's priceless...

 

[ea6bflyr]

Tut,

You are still a HS student correct? You must wait until your eyes are stable before getting cut. Once you get into the NROTC, then your Aviation Advisor can help you understand the requirements. I wouldn't recommend getting PRK until your Junior year and your eyes have been stable for at least a year. Your eyes continue to change between 18-21.

As far as a PPL, not required, just like everyone above has stated.

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.....

Boy, they, them and a lot of people, that's pretty definitive. Please direct me to these sources so I can become enlightened. I am certain NONE of those people have been in the Navy nor have they been through the Navy's Aviation selection process via the NROTC.

Since you are new guy on this site (DEC 2008), do me a favor, take a deep breath, read through all the NROTC threads over the next month, THEN come back with your questions. Your questions have been asked and answered before, really!

-ea6bflyr

 

[bunk22]

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.

There are a few primary IP's on this site and I just happen to be one of them. I've seen from ppl to 500 hours in some of my students. My take on doing well in primary is this, the "it" factor. This means someone has it or doesn't have it. It refering to the ability to fly and complete the flight program. Some folks have more of it than less. Thos folks are going to do well regardless. If someone enters the program with 300 civilian flight hours and has the it factor, the flight time will be an extra bonus and might just help with regards to BAW, SA, comms, etc. If the person does not have the it factor the 300 flight hours isn't going to help. I flew with a student that had around 500 hours and many ratings. Flew a instrument hop and he could hold to save his life and had issues shooting approaches. I've flew with a stud not to long ago who had zero time and was ripping it up in instruments. Not so long ago, I saw two different studs (1 Marine and 1 Italian) fly the absolute best BI's I've ever seen. The Italian stud had about 70 hours and the Marine none. The Marine was slightly better. Both of these kids simply had the it factor.

Of course the two very best studs I've seen were former NFO's. Nobody I've flown with has come close to their overall performance in the cockpit.

 

[FlyBoyd]

There are a few primary IP's on this site and I just happen to be one of them. I've seen from ppl to 500 hours in some of my students. My take on doing well in primary is this, the "it" factor. This means someone has it or doesn't have it. It refering to the ability to fly and complete the flight program. Some folks have more of it than less. Thos folks are going to do well regardless. If someone enters the program with 300 civilian flight hours and has the it factor, the flight time will be an extra bonus and might just help with regards to BAW, SA, comms, etc. If the person does not have the it factor the 300 flight hours isn't going to help. I flew with a student that had around 500 hours and many ratings. Flew a instrument hop and he could hold to save his life and had issues shooting approaches. I've flew with a stud not to long ago who had zero time and was ripping it up in instruments. Not so long ago, I saw two different studs (1 Marine and 1 Italian) fly the absolute best BI's I've ever seen. The Italian stud had about 70 hours and the Marine none. The Marine was slightly better. Both of these kids simply had the it factor.

Of course the two very best studs I've seen were former NFO's. Nobody I've flown with has come close to their overall performance in the cockpit.

Although I am an IP in Prop Advanced now I was a Primary IP from 2000-05. Bunk is dead on. I would only like to add one thing. I like to refer to the "it" factor as "the light coming on." Some guys take longer than others. If you take too long... you attrite. If you are one of these guys, then getting exposed to flying earlier might save your ass. IMO, once the "light comes on" and you get/have "it" prior flight time may actually hurt you. We train and fly a certain way so negative reinforcement may hamper you relearning some aspects of flying. OBTW, for the most part, I can't tell now who has prior flight time. By the time you get to VT-31, you all equally suck.

Just my stock market deflated .000002 cents from my limited time in CNATRA.

 

[xmid]

I had a Riddle grad in my API class that didn't make it out of API. I also went to OCS with a guy that had been flying citation jets that didn't make it through primary. Another guy I went to OCS with flew regional airlines for a couple years and he's smoking the program. My humble opinion is that it matters more the person than the experience. Its already been said that it doesn't really matter for NROTC selection. Let the Navy pay for your flight time. That being said if I had the means (deep pockets) I probably would have done some flying not because I think it would have helped, but because I like flying and its something I always wanted to do. If you're gonna do it do it because its something you like, not as a tool to get you where you want to be.

 

[bunk22]

Although I am an IP in Prop Advanced now I was a Primary IP from 2000-05. Bunk is dead on. I would only like to add one thing. I like to refer to the "it" factor as "the light coming on." Some guys take longer than others. If you take too long... you attrite. If you are one of these guys, then getting exposed to flying earlier might save your ass. IMO, once the "light comes on" and you get/have "it" prior flight time may actually hurt you. We train and fly a certain way so negative reinforcement may hamper you relearning some aspects of flying. OBTW, for the most part, I can't tell now who has prior flight time. By the time you get to VT-31, you all equally suck.

Just my stock market deflated .000002 cents from my limited time in CNATRA.

Agreed. The it factor or light even slowly comes on throughout the program. If you don't have it or the light doesn't come on, time to move on to another community.

 

[King_Tut]

Wow! You guys are great! This information just keeps getting better. Anyways, I'm impatiently waiting for my NROTC scholarship information to come back. I have my Dodmerb medicals scheduled, and I'm guessing I wont know if I get accepted till those are sent in. I am going to wait till my junior year to get PRK, and I probably wont have enough money to get a PPL if I'm going to be saving up for my PRK, so I guess that settles my issue.

Thanks for the help!