HOW TO GET YOUR RATINGS

FLIGHT SCHOOLS

To be hired as a regional airline pilot, you must have an Airline Transport Rating (ATP ) Certificate from the FAA. FAA Part 61 requires 1500 hours, or you can get an R-ATP if you attend an FAA Part 141 School.

There are many different pathways to accomplishing that:

      • Colleges or universities
      • Local airports with a local flight school or fixed base operator
      • Dedicated training centers

Some of the different flight ratings are:

      • Private Pilot (PPL)
      • Instrument
      • Commercial
      • Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
      • Certified Flight Instructor-Instrument (CFII).
      • Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI).
      • Airline Transport Pilot (ATP)
      • Restricted Airline Transport Pilot (R-ATP) requires 1000 hours total time for people who attended a Part 141 school or 750 hours for military pilots.
Partial list of Flight Schools

SCHOLARSHIPS

Getting your flight ratings is very expensive, but there is more than 1 million dollars in scholarship money available to help you achieve your dreams.

Spend time on your essay and tell your unique story. This is your opportunity to speak to the scholarship committee. The goal is for them to get to know you and feel your passion.

Partial List of Scholarships

JOIN THE MILITARY TO GET YOUR RATINGS

To become a pilot, you must be an officer first. To become an officer, you must have a 4-year degree. It can be in anything, you do not need a specific degree, and no, you do not have to be good at math or science. To get your degree go to USAFA or ROTC.

You must be 18 to 33 years old, a US citizen, and able to pass a background check because you will get a top-secret clearance after the military invests millions of dollars in you.

There is no requirement for prior flying experience, it will help, but it is not required.

Do not need perfect vision - correctable to 20/20 is fine

There is no hard and fast rule regarding height. It depends on what airframe you get. Remember, if there is a will, there is a waiver.

Prior enlisted or those who already have a degree go to OTS or Officer Training School, 9 1/2 week officer training school.

Veteran's Guide
Military Links

To be selected for pilot training, you must first take the AFOQT - AF Officer Qualifying Test (AF version of the SAT or ACT) determines what career fields you are eligible for. Among other requirements, you need to score well on the pilot/navigator section to get a pilot slot. And the TBAS - Test of Basic Aviation Skills. This is not a knowledge-based test. You don’t even have to have ever seen an airplane. It tests your spacial and multitasking ability.

IFT or Initial Flight training is 40 days in Pueblo, Colo, where you will fly the 20 hours in the Diamond AC DA20 learning basic flight maneuvers.

UPT or Undergraduate pilot training occurs at four Air Force Bases:

  • Columbus AFB, near Columbus. Mississippi
  • Laughlin AFB near Del Rio, Texas
  • Shepard AFB near Wichita Falls, Texas
  • Vance AFB near Enid, Oklahoma

 

  • Phase 1 Academics for six weeks
  • Phase 2 Flight Training for 22 weeks. You will fly the T6 Texan learning basic flight maneuvers, aerobatics, basic instrument flying, and two-ship formation. You will be ranked based on merit to determine your next track.
  • Phase 3 Flight Training for 24-28 weeks, separated into three tracks
    • Airlift and Tankers Track flies the T1A Jayhawk Fighters or
    • Bombers Track flies the T38 Talon, a supersonic jet, soon to be replaced by the T7 Red Hawk.
    • Helicopter Track flies the UHI Huey built by Bell Helicopters.

After almost a year at UPT, you are close to getting your wings. A few weeks before graduation on Drop night, you will be awarded your aircraft. This ranking is Merit-based, and the needs of the Air Force determine the drop. Starting with number 1, the student gets their pick of what is available on that drop. Next is follow on training in the specific aircraft you were awarded and SERE Training - Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (if you have not completed that yet.)

A little-known fact is that you can apply directly to the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve; you will know what Aircraft you will be flying and what base you will get before going to UPT. Applications vary by base.

But suppose you want to go to the airlines. In that case, you can do both simultaneously and get a seniority number with the airlines before completing your military commitment.