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Civilian training prior to flight school

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Miramar

Registered User
Would it be beneficial to have a private pilot certificate (or even higher cert.) prior to attending flight school or even applying? It obviously wouldn't hurt anything to have a little experience before starting flight school, but I've heard mixed opinions on how the navy handles these kinds of applicants.

First, I've heard that they sort of frown on civilian training because they want all of their SNA's to be trained entirely by them.

I've also heard that if someone does have civilian training prior to the navy they'll be placed in an accelerated program. Thus, someone with previous flight experience but no official certificates for the navy to find out about would give him/her the best chance of performing well at API and/or Primary.

There's some obvious confusion on my part, so any help is appreciated.
 

46Driver

"It's a mother beautiful bridge, and it's gon
Without a doubt - the more stick time, the better. Just be sure and fly the Navy way! As far as I know, only a very select few go into an accelerated program.
 

bwilson1703

Registered User
Miramar,

If you can afford flight time, take it. There is no frowning on civilian training. In fact, if you have no flight time then you are required to take a program now called IFS (Introductory Flight Screening), which is handled by civilian instructors. Basically you get about 25 hours of flight time at a civilian flight school to get you ready for API and Primary. If you have your license already, then you don't have to do IFS. This might be what you are talking about when you say "accelerated program". It's not like your API and Primary training is actually *accelerated*, you just get to skip a step at the beginning. IFS is only for pilots though, not for NFO's, so NFO's skip right to API and any prior flight experience doesn't mean anything as far as the navy is concerned (although it may help individual performance in the training).
 

1devildoc

Registered User
Does anyone know where IFS is done? Can it be done in your home town as long as the program is
FAR part 141 certified? Do you still get paid while you are going through this? Do you go to IFS TAD or how exactly does it work if you are already commissioned?
 

D_mac05

Foxtrot Driver
pilot
From what I've heard, if you graduated (or will graduate) from OCS, then you'll be doing IFS in Pensacola and surrounding areas. (NO TAD). It's different if you're in NROTC, because you then do it in your hometown (or wherever you're stationed at). Hope this helps, and correct me if I am wrong.
D
 

bch

Helo Bubba
pilot
I have my private pilot lic.
It helps for about the first 4 flights and that is it. I HAD TO BREAK SO MANY BAD HABITS. Just let the Navy train you and save your money.
 

bch

Helo Bubba
pilot
As far as the acclelerated program. On your first flight if your IP thinks you are good, you will have to do multiple flights a days instead of just one. IT SUX. Just do the IFS
 

bch

Helo Bubba
pilot
The guy I study with has over 200 hrs, comm/IFR/multi
He hates it. Has to study for more hops and the Civ way of doing instruments is way diff than Navy way
 
E

eat_sleep_fly_guy

Guest
Don't blame bad habbits on your pvt certificate. The only reason you have bad habbits is because you were either trained poorly, or you're lazy.
 

Fly Navy

...Great Job!
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
IFS is done at a Part 141 school. It can be done while in NROTC/USNA or as a commissioned officer. I couldn't do mine while in NROTC because the Navy determined that the nearest Part 141 school was too far away from my school.
 

bch

Helo Bubba
pilot
Anything that you do outside of school, will make you look better, as it shows that you are well rounded...

As for Eat_Sleep_Fly_Guy... some advice.

1) You are not in, nor have been in, military flight training.
2) Having a bad habit means that you have a tendancy to want to do things one way, but you should not. It does not mean a single thing about you ability or how you were trained. Example: Civilian flight training not only teaches, but encourages pilots to crab in on final in order to correct for a crosswind. It is effective and a simple manuver. In the Navy Primary, this manuver is not allowed for SNA's, instead you are required to correct another way. Therefore, it is hard to make yourself stop using a proven and easy method and learn a new one when the prior experience is easier for you.
3) The more ratings you have and the more civ hours that you have, the more of these problems you will encounter.

Now if someone is able to easily convert and forget things that they learned, good on the, they are better than me and in that case I encourage them to go get some flight time.

Lastly, I reccommend that you gain some experience in military flight training and gain some age before you go popping off like that about things that an 18 yr old (according to your profile) would know little about. You are not now, nor have you ever been, in military flight training.
 

adam

SNA, VT-21
as far as the accelerated syllabus goes, it doesn't suck if you can handle it. less flights means higher grades, on average, because you don't have a million mif grades diluting your aboves. and anyone who thinks prior instrument time doesn't help is crazy. yes, the navy does things slightly different, but on the whole, having a good ifr scan and knowledge of the principles going into the training will definitely help you kick ass in primary. case in point, a guy in vt-2 just finished up with a 79, that's right s-e-v-e-n-t-y-n-i-n-e, with over 500 instrument hours and was on the accelerated syllabus.
 

bch

Helo Bubba
pilot
your friend is a stud! As far as the acelerated, you are right, if you can handle it it is better... most do not make it all the way through the program accellerated though. They don't get taken off until their performance starts to slip and that grade advantage starts to slip as well.
But you are right, if they can handle it, good on em and they are studs.
 
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