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Private Pilot's Licence
- Thread starter NeoCortex
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contradickshon
purgatory
I'd love to get some beta on this too. I'm pretty sure that an Air Force applicant's PSCM calculates total flight hours (up to 200)into the score regardless of liscensure. I don't think the Navy has any formal calculation of flight time or PPL but I'd sure like to know how that weighs into selection as well.
If I had the money I would go for it. I got my privates with just over 40 hours about five years ago and then never flew anything (money) until getting to primary. It is probably the single biggest thing that has helped so far. It won't make or break you but a few hours will help. Make sure you also check out IFS so you get those free 25 hrs. Semper Fi'
Getting your private license, or even a few hours of flight time, will help you as a potential aviator more than it well help your application. I got my license AFTER I was selected. I wanted to make sure that I enjoyed flying enough to make it my career. The process taught me a lot more than I expected and I'm glad I did it.
For someone in your shoes, I would'nt spend the money just to help make your application look better. I don't think it will make that much difference, they probably use it as a tiebreaker between otherwise equal candidates. Your grades and ASTB are likely to be substantially more important. You should check it out with your recruiter.
So the short answer to your question is that a private license will not help your application that much but you'll still be glad you did it when you get to flight school.
One thing though is that once you have 25 hours (I think) and/or a solo cross country flight, they make you skip IFS. Someone who knows can correct me if I'm wrong. So you can wait and get 25 hours of civilian time for FREE at IFS or you can go ahead and start up now. Your bank account should be the deciding factor. Also, there's quite a few posts on this topic already. Use the search function. Good luck either way.
For someone in your shoes, I would'nt spend the money just to help make your application look better. I don't think it will make that much difference, they probably use it as a tiebreaker between otherwise equal candidates. Your grades and ASTB are likely to be substantially more important. You should check it out with your recruiter.
So the short answer to your question is that a private license will not help your application that much but you'll still be glad you did it when you get to flight school.
One thing though is that once you have 25 hours (I think) and/or a solo cross country flight, they make you skip IFS. Someone who knows can correct me if I'm wrong. So you can wait and get 25 hours of civilian time for FREE at IFS or you can go ahead and start up now. Your bank account should be the deciding factor. Also, there's quite a few posts on this topic already. Use the search function. Good luck either way.
Air Farce is the only service I know of that looks real close at your flight experience (speaking of OCS here). Neo said they won't look at you unless you have 50 hrs. Well, they'll look at you if you have less, or none at all, and then after they look at you, they'll laugh - it is nearly impossible to get into Air Farce OTS without a ppl and significant flight time. (However, there is no minimum requirement - although flight time does factor into your PCSM score and is therefore still a large factor).
For Marines, and I assume Navy as well, it is not such a factor - except, like others mentioned, as a tie breaker.
If you have the money and time, though - go for it. It is the greatest thing ever... best money I ever spent was to get my pilot's certificate. I take up friends and fly to places out in BFE for good Bar-B-Q, or circle around downtown Ft. Worth at night. I took my wife up on Fourth of July - best seat in the house.... Sometimes I just go up myself, to clear my head - just to warn you, though, if you're like me, you'll never be able to wipe that grin off your face once you start flying. You'll find yourself making excuses for not blowing money at the bar or on whatever else there is out there - so you can save it for flying.
For Marines, and I assume Navy as well, it is not such a factor - except, like others mentioned, as a tie breaker.
If you have the money and time, though - go for it. It is the greatest thing ever... best money I ever spent was to get my pilot's certificate. I take up friends and fly to places out in BFE for good Bar-B-Q, or circle around downtown Ft. Worth at night. I took my wife up on Fourth of July - best seat in the house.... Sometimes I just go up myself, to clear my head - just to warn you, though, if you're like me, you'll never be able to wipe that grin off your face once you start flying. You'll find yourself making excuses for not blowing money at the bar or on whatever else there is out there - so you can save it for flying.
yeah, totally agree with the last post. I didnt have my PPL when I was accepted but I got it soon after and it was the single greatest thing Ive spent money on. It's not too much help on your app. but its a huge help for having fun, I love it. As long as you have some extra money and a steady income, go for it. But dont think its a 3500 dollar out the door type deal. Aviation is an expensive hobby.
I am glad to see that everyone is saying "hell yeh go fly as much as you can". I believe that it is one of the greatest things you can do, short of sex. I have taken my whole pay check just to go flying for a couple of hours on the weekend. This has lead me to 400 hours of flight time and a commercial ticket and instrument and multi-engine ratings. But in my opinion it is more than worth the money. Flying has a great deal to do with experience and training. It is like being a professional athlete or lawyer, without the experience and training you are not worth a damn. Except for the naturals and they still have to bust their ass. There really isnt such a thing as a natural in the aviation buisnes. And once you get in the ring with the big boys you have to be the best. The Military is the Major League of aviation. So if you want to be a great aviator get out there whenever possible and fly!! You will never regret it if you love to fly. "Kick the Tires and Light the Fires"
Just wanted to pass along some info to help those of you worried about the cost of flying.
$3500 is a little cheap to finish your private. If you can do it for that much, you are probably flying everyday and in a very old Cessna or a Katana. (The new Cessna's with color screen GPS usually rent for about $120/hr)
If you go through an APPROVED flight school, you can get a career training loan from Sallie Mae (SLM). They have competitive interest rates and the interest should be tax deductible since it is a student loan. (I'm still checking on that!) Go to the website www.salliemae.com and select the career training option.
I'll tell you this, getting my privates license was the best thing I've done.
$3500 is a little cheap to finish your private. If you can do it for that much, you are probably flying everyday and in a very old Cessna or a Katana. (The new Cessna's with color screen GPS usually rent for about $120/hr)
If you go through an APPROVED flight school, you can get a career training loan from Sallie Mae (SLM). They have competitive interest rates and the interest should be tax deductible since it is a student loan. (I'm still checking on that!) Go to the website www.salliemae.com and select the career training option.
I'll tell you this, getting my privates license was the best thing I've done.
I paid $45/hr for a 1978 Cessna 172 + $30/hr for instructor. The aircraft rental was the cheapest I found and the instructor cost is about average.
$2475 for 55 hrs - Plane Rental
$1200 for instructor - $30/hr for 40 hrs (conservative estimate)
$300 for ground school (approx 45hrs)
$150 for books and other items
$100 for headset
$80 for written exam
$200 for FAA oral and flight
about $4,500 total - and worth every penny!!
By the way - what is color GPS?? Is that some new-fangled technology. VOR is the way to go!!
$2475 for 55 hrs - Plane Rental
$1200 for instructor - $30/hr for 40 hrs (conservative estimate)
$300 for ground school (approx 45hrs)
$150 for books and other items
$100 for headset
$80 for written exam
$200 for FAA oral and flight
about $4,500 total - and worth every penny!!
By the way - what is color GPS?? Is that some new-fangled technology. VOR is the way to go!!
thepilot33
Registered User
Try over 8 grand for a private ticket at Embry Riddle
....still worth every penny though....and yeah, the color GPS's help too.
Part 141 is a approved flight school:
ex: Comair
Flight Safety
American Flyers
Embry Riddle
....and 100's of others. Ucan shop around and get some competetive rates.
Then you have your local FBO where you will have your local instructors this is Part 91.
which is great training as long as you find a good instructor and there are plenty of them out there.
In my opinion the part 141 flight schools do a terrific job and give you some great experience and training. It might cost a little more but it might be worth it. You can probably find one close to your home and knock you Private Pilot License out pretty quick like. But that all depends on your schedule and how much time you can devote to flying.
ex: Comair
Flight Safety
American Flyers
Embry Riddle
....and 100's of others. Ucan shop around and get some competetive rates.
Then you have your local FBO where you will have your local instructors this is Part 91.
which is great training as long as you find a good instructor and there are plenty of them out there.
In my opinion the part 141 flight schools do a terrific job and give you some great experience and training. It might cost a little more but it might be worth it. You can probably find one close to your home and knock you Private Pilot License out pretty quick like. But that all depends on your schedule and how much time you can devote to flying.
confused_pilot
Registered User
Hey I am a 400 hour CFI ASE,AME,Commercial, and a 3/c Midn in NROTC. As far as the PPL goes it can't hurt, due to a medical reason, rotc is putting me on an LOA for the spring and summer, which is allowing me to go to Annapolis and instruct the Mids from the academy for IFS. In my opinion while its a good program, the realistics behind it are lacking. While it is done under a 141 program, people learn at different speeds, and for some the 25 hours is not really enough even if the person has the potential to become a good pilot. Going in with the PPL ensures that you have a very firm grasp,(SEE check ride with FAA examiner) on navigation, weather, ect. ect. where as IFS students might miss a few things because of the program structure. Not that I am a huge advocate for the Air Force, but making their pilots get the PPL is probably one of the better things I have seen in my professional (as much as that can be) opinion. As far as planes go, I would recommend at least a 172, its very stable and easy to handle, a 152 would be cheaper, but if you are new to this carry a sic sac on windy days. Plan on about $4-5k when all is said an done, and as far as GPS goes if you want a good GPS that is somewhat user friendly in the plane go for another $2-3k. But seriously have you ever seen the cockpit of a T-34, or most navy aircraft, you better know how to navigate and not depend on the moving map. Besides its all VFR flying, so its beautiful outside right, haha, best of luck and contact me with any questions of if you are going to be in annapolis and are looking for a flight. tonykochanski@hotmail.com
I agree Patmack... Knowing how to fly a C152, C172, Katana, R22 or whatever other type of primary training aircraft can help and hurt you when it comes to learning T34, the T6 etc. You may learn some really great techniques for stall/spin recoveries and what I call REAL instrument navigation (not watching a GPS moving map) as a private or commercial pilot. But, (and I mean BUT) each individual aircraft is different and to be a responsible/proficient pilot, you must learn everything about each aircraft. This is why you have to brain dump some things and retain others. I am an IFR-current private pilot with about 115 hours most of my primary training was in a 152 and it took (in my opinion) 10 to 15 hours in a 172 to control the aircraft in the flare as well as I wanted. To recommend flight training to the unexperienced, I suggest first (before even finding a flight school) reading a copy of Stick & Rudder by Wolfgang Langewiesche. Then, get the know the airports & flight schools in your area. Their will be pro's and con's to each. I recommend (if practical) training at a towered field with most cross country flights to nontowered airports. In choosing the curriculum (Part 61 vs Part 141)... it depends on the person. I was told the average of completion of a PPL under Part 61 is around 60-70 hours, while Part 141 will boast 55 (is that right?). What matters most is learning to fly in the most safe, efficient way possible. And of course the person most responsible for that (after you) is your instructor.
Will it help on the selections? I have no idea, I don't think anyone here really knows unless they have selected someone for OCS before. (Anyone?) If you are a private or commercial pilot with 1000 hours, but cant run more than a mile it doesnt really matter.
Sorry to ramble... hope there is some helpful info up there somewhere. Always keep yourself one step ahead of the airplane. OOHRAH!
Smitty
Will it help on the selections? I have no idea, I don't think anyone here really knows unless they have selected someone for OCS before. (Anyone?) If you are a private or commercial pilot with 1000 hours, but cant run more than a mile it doesnt really matter.
Sorry to ramble... hope there is some helpful info up there somewhere. Always keep yourself one step ahead of the airplane. OOHRAH!
Smitty
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