NFO to (Private) Pilot and Beyond

[Gonzo08]

I was hoping to start some discussion on avenues for NFOs to work towards private pilot ratings. Some backstory: I got my PPL between Academy graduation and reporting for API, but basically dropped my PPL currency shortly after starting flight school and haven't flown privately since. I'm interested in getting back into private aviation soon-ish with the goal of 1. being able to fly for recreation, and 2. building flight hours and ratings in the event that I want to pursue aviation as a job post-Navy (I have a family friend who flies for NetJet and has been encouraging me to get back into flying with the subtle nudge that I could use him as a networking contact to get hired assuming I meet the requirements).

I'm working under a couple baseline assumptions that maybe some people here will be able to provide clarification or guidance on:

1. I'm basically going to have to start over: having not flown (privately) in 10+ years, I have no illusions that I'll be able to just hop into a single-engine aircraft and go flying. My assumption is that in order to set myself up to safely fly an aircraft I should probably just start over from the beginning and go through the PPL process again.
2. Post-9/11 GI Bill usage: My understanding is that the GI Bill will only pay for programs that are part of a University degree or Part 141 schools, which in the Whidbey area seem few and far between (based on cursory research). Does anyone have a recommendation on how to find a school that meets the criteria for the GI Bill? I can probably afford to pay out-of-pocket for the training, but I'd like to utilize my GI Bill if able.

Any advice or guidance would be super appreciated!

Edit: Additional GI Bill gotcha - you have to have your PPL already before you can get funded to follow-on training with the GI Bill.

 

[OscarMyers]

I would think that starting your PPL over again would be a little excessive. Since you are looking to get the additional ratings anyhow, I would try and find a school that offers a refresher course as part of your Instrument training.

 

[Gonzo08]

I would think that starting your PPL over again would be a little excessive. Since you are looking to get the additional ratings anyhow, I would try and find a school that offers a refresher course as part of your Instrument training.

Yeah, that would be something I'd hope to discuss with the flight instructors at the schools I contact. If my non-current PPL is honored, I could go straight to a school that takes the GI Bill.

 

[ChuckMK23]

As an active GA CFI - I give you a big ? of encouragement.

• Go get an FAA medical
• Find a CFI and an airplane - that is usually the biggest hurdle.
• A rating is a rating - you've earned it. You need some refresher study and some flight training to get you going - that will culminate in a Flight Review. After, you can use your newly refreshed skills and exercise the privileges of your rating as PIC. I just completed a "return to flying after 10 years" kind of syllabus for a guy it took about 8 hours of dual. That included some night time.
• Online resources abound - whether it be pubs from the FAA (AIM, FAR, PHAK, AFH, etc), YouTube, etc. A nice resource is MIT's Private Pilot Ground School Open Course-ware to use as refresher content: http://philip.greenspun.com/teaching/ground-school/
• If you need some instructional content for a GA training aircraft - either a C172 or PA28 series let me know and I will send you some helpful documents for your refresh study.
• Go after your instrument rating, then your Commercial. Thats your short term goals.
• Very few 141 schools are accepting VA funding anymore - very few. That will be the long pole in the tent if you want to fund your training that way.

 

[Jim123]

For getting back into an airplane, have a look at AOPA rusty pilot seminars. No sense reinventing the wheel.

For max leveraging your GI Bill to pay for your ratings, there is some program at Liberty University to do that... there's gouge on it here and there but all I know about it is it seems to be a good deal for someone in your shoes. There are lots of programs out there that take the GI Bill though (of course every single one of them is interested in getting your money, so caveat emptor).

 

[Gonzo08]

As an active GA CFI - I give you a big ? of encouragement.

• Go get an FAA medical
• Find a CFI and an airplane - that is usually the biggest hurdle.
• A rating is a rating - you've earned it. You need some refresher study and some flight training to get you going - that will culminate in a Flight Review. After, you can use your newly refreshed skills and exercise the privileges of your rating as PIC. I just completed a "return to flying after 10 years" kind of syllabus for a guy it took about 8 hours of dual. That included some night time.
• Online resources abound - whether it be pubs from the FAA (AIM, FAR, PHAK, AFH, etc), YouTube, etc. A nice resource is MIT's Private Pilot Ground School Open Course-ware to use as refresher content: http://philip.greenspun.com/teaching/ground-school/
• If you need some instructional content for a GA training aircraft - either a C172 or PA28 series let me know and I will send you some helpful documents for your refresh study.
• Go after your instrument rating, then your Commercial. Thats your short term goals.
• Very few 141 schools are accepting VA funding anymore - very few. That will be the long pole in the tent if you want to fund your training that way.

Great advice, I'll look into all of this!

 

[ChuckMK23]

For getting back into an airplane, have a look at AOPA rusty pilot seminars. No sense reinventing the wheel.

For max leveraging your GI Bill to pay for your ratings, there is some program at Liberty University to do that... there's gouge on it here and there but all I know about it is it seems to be a good deal for someone in your shoes. There are lots of programs out there that take the GI Bill though (of course every single one of them is interested in getting your money, so caveat emptor).

Use of GI bill for flight training has really dried up - the two 141 schools I know of simply decided it wasnt worth it.

ATP-CTP and type ratings are still getting the green light however.

 

[Gonzo08]

A rating is a rating - you've earned it.

Out of curiosity I ran an Airman Inquiry on the FAA website, and sure enough my PPL is still registered!

 

[taxi1]

I got my PPL

Then you just need refreshing!

Get a decent flight sim and yoke and do a bunch of reps of the wax-on/wax-off variety. Checklists and buttonology. Flying the pattern for your local field. Radio patter. When you get to the plane, you'll be good to go. Comes back like riding a bike.

 

[OscarMyers]

Use of GI bill for flight training has really dried up - the two 141 schools I know of simply decided it wasnt worth it.

ATP-CTP and type ratings are still getting the green light however.

I lucked out and did my Private and Instrument at ERAU while I was there for STA-21. There was like a year where the VA was paying 100% of tuition/training. That was nice while it lasted.

 

[ChuckMK23]

If you want an activity you can do now - go to https://www.faasafety.gov/ and create an account. The complete course ALC-25 Flight Review Prep. Retain the course completion PDF and file it away! That will get you started....

 

[Gatordev]

For getting back into an airplane, have a look at AOPA rusty pilot seminars. No sense reinventing the wheel.

I would definitely start here, along with a medical like Chuck said. Rusty Pilot Syndrome is a huge safety issue in GA right now, and even more so with the mandatory stay-at-home orders in a lot of places. The various pilot and industry associations are really pushing getting refresher training, so there's lots of options out there.

ETA: About the medical...your up-chit may or may not suffice already as a Class 3 medical. I'd look up the verbiage in Part 61 about it. I can't remember if being a NFO changes the nod by the FAA.

 

[Gonzo08]

Looks like there's an online Rusty Pilot course now. Well definitely check that out!

 

[Jim123]

About the medical...your up-chit may or may not suffice already as a Class 3 medical. I'd look up the verbiage in Part 61 about it. I can't remember if being a NFO changes the nod by the FAA.

It's in Part 61 and it's phrased in governmentese. Sorry, @Gonzo08, it specifies "military pilot."

Before you think that you got screwed out of a good deal, know if you're using your GI Bill for flight training then you'll probably need a current Class 1 anyway. If that's the case then it'll be in the fine print somewhere, just know to look for it in the fine print. (I'm pretty sure it's a VA rule and the rationale is that vocational flight training is pointless if you can't hold a medical.)

 

[Gonzo08]

Sorry, @Gonzo08, it specifies "military pilot."

Well that sure is a bunch of B.S., but I'll make it work. Can you get a Class 3 from a Flight Doc, or do you have to see a civilian Doc?

Yeah, Class 1 is required for GI Bill usage.