Prior Flight time

[confused_pilot]

I am a MIDN in ROTC should be graduating in DEC05, and I am majoring in aviation at the University of Illinois. By the time I get to service selection, I know the 1000 or so hours will have accumulated won't mean much, but if I get to p-cola, do I still totally relearn to fly or is there like an accelerated pipeline that I will be going down?

 

[Gatordev]

I'd recommend doing a search, as this topic as been covered ad infinitum. 1000 hours is no small potatos, but don't let it go to your head. You'll still need to learn what you may already know, but learn it the Navy way.

 

[confused_pilot]

UI when did you graduate? thanks to the rest of you
Tony

 

[kmac]

Go Illini! Say hello to Natalia Pylawka for me at the Institute. I just got my private there and was able to skip 2 flights in primary. It helped with NSS, but not with selection.

...man I miss the Friday special at Murphy's.

 

[kmac]

Hey let's face it.... not everyone can fly the most sexy naval aircraft out there. Twin props of pure power. The chicks dig it. (Almost as much as they dig me)

And Bernie was a great instructor...too bad I was his first student to NOT go jets.

 

[confused_pilot]

Yeah I started here Aug 02.... I would pass along the hello, but I am taking a semester off due to my shoulder surgery..

 

[paul joyce]

I would tell you that a couple years ago when I was going through primary, there were two guys in VT-28 with me who had plenty of civilian flight time. I want to say that they were both instrument rated with over 500 hours. It will depend on the attitude you have on learning the Navy way. One of the guys felt he already knew what he needed to know to safely aviate and was washed out before his initial solo check. The other guy humbled himself, put his previous knowledge in his back pocket for future use and went through the program as if it was all knew to him. He was offered the accelarated program but opted to take the extra time and ensure he was operating the way OPNAVINST 3710 would want him to. He is currently flying P-3's out of Jacksonville. Hope this short story will shed light on what to expect with prior time. Good luck and see you in the fleet!

 

[confused_pilot]

Thanks, I figured I would be throwing most pride out the door. It might help that I have done alot of my flight under the instruction of a A4/Harrier Marine Naval Aviator here in the naval city by the bay, but I think I still get the picture.

 

[Garrett]

I have a civilian job with the Department of Defense (DON), so I worked with a lot of pilots/former pilots. I asked all of them about the benefits of prior flight training. The answer was almost universal: It might help for a couple of weeks, but that’s it. Plus you have the guys who have so much flight time they think they are the ace of the base, then do poorly.

Even so, I am in Avi 101 at U of I right now. I can’t imagine having a little background hurting too much, especially if I realize that there will be changes when I go to primary. Plus I will get better at flight communication, which I have heard some SNAs have fits with.

 

[andrew]

Hey this is just my opinion. No I have not been in any military flight school and I only have around 400hrs PIC with a Commercial certificate and S&MEI. I have flown with and been instructed by many ex military pilots. Flying is all about experience, currency and proficiency. Also understanding your lesson or sortie, way before you get in the left seat. I cant help but believe that having current flight time upon entering flight school could not be very beneficial. But I would not even tell any one and would go through flight school like I had never been in a plane before. If instructors know you have flight time they will either expect you to know more or assume you think you know it all. This is where I believe people get into trouble. As far as habits you are always going to have to break a few and people always have a little different way. I was doing my BFR AND IPC this past weekend in Chicago (keep in mind I live near P'cola) and the instructor did not like my habit of putting 15 degrees of flaps in before the FAF because he said I could not see ice building up. Any how, this instructor forced me to only put them in 1 mile from the FAF. So everybody has got their little habits. In the end everybody has their on little proc. or habits but flying is flying. Yeh I know I am not doing rolls, loops, hammer heads, etc.. and yes this would definately be a place where you learn something new in the military along with a mound of other maneuvers and tactics. But I have also heard a lot of veteran military pilots say "damn it was hard to get used to the airline/civilian way of flying".

 

[Gatordev]

Originally posted by andrew
... Flying is all about experience and currency, also understanding your lesson or sortie way before you get in the left seat.

Oops, that's been my problem, I flew in the right seat all through advanced.

 

[andrew]

Well what do you know our first smart ass!! but I belive you know what I mean.

 

[Gatordev]

Indeed I do. I went in with the same mindset with a bunch of private time, and it worked out quite well. Just pokin' fun.

 

[andrew]

I was also! good luck and stay safe.

 

[Squid]

Prior training is the main reason I didn't stay at Embry-Riddle. I knew the nav was going to retrain me to fly their way. i just didn't want bad habits to begin with.

- the same can be said with learning to fire a weapon as a civilian then getting trained again to do it in the military. bad habits can hurt.