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Pros/Cons of having a PPL before Primary

Thanks for all of your replies-this was exactly what I needed.
Would I be correct in taking away that a PPL and Instrument Rating will help, to a point, but only if I keep my metrics the Navy actually cares about(PFT, GPA, good standing w/ unit) up and I come into flight school with the attitude that I'm there to learn, and I need to know everything(EP's, Comm, etc.) COLD, the Navy way? Also, since I do intend(right now) to get my PPL and Instrument Rating over the next 3.75 years before I commission, is there anything I should do/focus on in a civilian flying course to make the transition easier(I.E. focus on brevity with comm, hold myself to a different standard, etc.)?
Again thanks for your patience and all your advice,
WannabeActual
 

croakerfish

Well-Known Member
pilot
Thanks for all of your replies-this was exactly what I needed.
Would I be correct in taking away that a PPL and Instrument Rating will help, to a point, but only if I keep my metrics the Navy actually cares about(PFT, GPA, good standing w/ unit) up and I come into flight school with the attitude that I'm there to learn, and I need to know everything(EP's, Comm, etc.) COLD, the Navy way? Also, since I do intend(right now) to get my PPL and Instrument Rating over the next 3.75 years before I commission, is there anything I should do/focus on in a civilian flying course to make the transition easier(I.E. focus on brevity with comm, hold myself to a different standard, etc.)?
Again thanks for your patience and all your advice,
WannabeActual

I wouldn't nuke it with trying to filter out what your civilian flight instructors are teaching you. Focus on absorbing and acting on what you're taught because that's what you'll do in Primary. If you can't change and adapt your technique as you move into Primary, you won't make it through later stages and the fleet. You'll have to learn at least 2 more platforms from the ground up before the fleet anyway.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
So far of the guys I have followed up with of the ones that went aviation the only ones to have failed out were those who had more than just a few familiarization flights, while this is just part of my little world I find it interesting that I haven't heard of any of the people I put in with zero flight experience failing out.

I had some time so I looked up another one of the guys who I put in who was at the time a flight instructor, multi rated, etc.... he is a really good guy, but he failed out. He is still doing good though.
 

MGoBrew11

Well-Known Member
pilot
I had some time so I looked up another one of the guys who I put in who was at the time a flight instructor, multi rated, etc.... he is a really good guy, but he failed out. He is still doing good though.

Just out of curiosity, can recruiters look up how their recruits did in the pipeline via a database of some sort? I wouldn't think so, but I suppose it is possible.
 

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Thanks for all of your replies-this was exactly what I needed.
Would I be correct in taking away that a PPL and Instrument Rating will help, to a point, but only if I keep my metrics the Navy actually cares about(PFT, GPA, good standing w/ unit) up and I come into flight school with the attitude that I'm there to learn, and I need to know everything(EP's, Comm, etc.) COLD, the Navy way? Also, since I do intend(right now) to get my PPL and Instrument Rating over the next 3.75 years before I commission, is there anything I should do/focus on in a civilian flying course to make the transition easier(I.E. focus on brevity with comm, hold myself to a different standard, etc.)?
Again thanks for your patience and all your advice,
WannabeActual

Honestly? You're better off just taking a few hours to see if this business is something you might like. Pre-IFS, as it were. More than that is only going to give you some experience, more habits to unlearn, and it's only going to be of any help during Primary anyway. Not worth it for the money.
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
As someone who came to flight school only having ridden on airliners and two short flights in helos I would have liked to have at least gotten a few lessons before flight school just to see what it was like to really fly instead of being a passenger. I am glad the reality of flying matched up to my hopes but I would have liked a small idea of it before starting down that path and stepping into an orange and white bird.
 

Ventilee

Active Member
pilot
Contributor
Plenty of guys go to Primary with no flight experience and crush it through sheer talent and hard-work.

That being said, there's a ton of stuff to learn when you start Primary Flight Training: systems, course-rules, EP's, checklists, ATIS, how to get ATIS, how to file a flight plan, etc. The syllabus is really front loaded and it truly is a firehose of information. My personal theory is that the students with prior flying experience are more comfortable talking on the radios, running checklists, and knowing how and what they need to study. This helps them do better in the early contact stage, which is key for your NSS, as they have fewer things to learn and can concentrate more on flying. By the time you get to the end of Instruments the playing field is pretty level among the students and it's harder to break out of the pack.

No matter what, Primary is tough for everyone and if you don't study your nipples off the USN/USMC/USCG will show you the door.

Of course, this is just my opinion and is based on zero empirical data.
 

zippy

Freedom!
pilot
Contributor
The trick to high grades in primary is higher grades early in the blocks when MIF is lower, and having a lower amount of total graded items.

If you're rocking 4s and the occasional 5 early on when MIF is low while your peers are making MIF the whole way through by the end of the phase your scores will be a lot higher because of that early start even though your peers caught up by the end.

That's how guys with prior flight time and instrument experience do better in many cases NSS wise vs there peers in primary. Instrument phase makes or breaks primary students after they make it through initial solo because it has the greatest number of events (Plane and sim) in the program.
 

IRfly

Registered User
None
Now I'm kind of curious about something. This guy says he's just starting off in NROTC. Will the powers-that-be knowing that he already has a PPL make him more likely to select aviation?
 
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