Military Pilot Shortage and Aero Clubs

[Blue]

11 hours ago, Guardian said:

And those are?

GI Bill.

Several states have veterans grants that provide money in addition to the GI Bill (assuming you go to a state school)

Or, to get creative, if you don't have any immediate plans to get out, go find a couple of like-minded people who are also looking to learn to fly.  Pool your money, buy a used 172, and find a CFI willing to instruct on the side.

[HuggyU2]

On 11/4/2018 at 7:38 AM, Blue said:

There just is nothing low-cost about General Aviation anymore.....

So untrue.  

[HeloDude]

12 hours ago, pawnman said:

Oh, the ones that cost more than a four-year degree?

Again, civilians do it all the time.  When there's a will, there's a way.

[olevelo]

You can use your GI Bill to pursue general aviation qualifications if I'm not mistaken. Might be a drop in the bucket for some programs, but it'll cover a PPL. 

You are mistaken. You can only use it for “professional programs”, ie a commercial license through a 141 school. There might be some programs that it’ll pay for that would cover PPL through commercial all inclusive, but I’ve never heard of one.


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[Yaweh]

20 minutes ago, olevelo said:

You are mistaken. You can only use it for “professional programs”, ie a commercial license through a 141 school. There might be some programs that it’ll pay for that would cover PPL through commercial all inclusive, but I’ve never heard of one.


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Not to give free advertising but, I went through Liberty University. Once you have your PPL done you can use your Post 911 for

Instrument Flight 8 weeks

Commercial Flight 1/2/3 (its three 16 week classes that can be condensed to 8 weeks each)

CFI 8 weeks

CFII 8 weeks

Multi-Engine Flight 8 weeks

MEI

 

With a combination of your Post 911 and Yellow Ribbon, you can get pretty much all your ratings and a Degree, While collecting BAH. The downside is that you cannot take more than one flying course at a time so it can take longer than you might need. But, if you manage to save money during the course, any additional funds once that class is completed can be used by you for recreational flying or if you want to start unofficially early for your next rating/class.  

A few more negatives is that Liberty is a very Christian school to the point where it is annoying how much they try to shove Jesus into everything even when it makes no sense. Liberty is also very conservative, but if you can shut up and color its probably the cheapest way to get your ratings, and they accept almost all of your credits from your Enlisted tech school/Cleps/DANTE.  

[Guardian]

Yellow ribbon?

[DEVIL]

On 11/5/2018 at 3:49 PM, HuggyU2 said:

So untrue.  

Seriously, just don't go to some gucci ass school with new 172s and G1000s. Get into a 152 like everyone else did.

 

 

(I have never flown the 152 because my IPs as a kid were all HUGE)

[Marco]

Navy still has Flying Clubs open to all service members, Guard, & Reserve plus family if you find yourself near a Navy base.

[Bigred]

4 hours ago, Marco said:

Navy still has Flying Clubs open to all service members, Guard, & Reserve plus family if you find yourself near a Navy base.

Not as common as they once were, and the one's I've looked in to were similar in ass-clownery of requirements. Here in SoCal it's a heck of a lot cheaper to just drive down to Brown Field and rent than it ever was at the NASNI Aero Club (which doesn't exist anymore).

[Marco]

YMMV then as with everything, I guess. NAS Jax has always had a good flying club with strong support from base leadership.

[Yaweh]

21 hours ago, Guardian said:

Yellow ribbon?

Quote

The Yellow Ribbon Program is a provision of the law that created the Post-9/11 GI Bill. ... The program allows approved institutions of higher learning and the VA to partially or fully fund tuition and fee expenses that exceed the established thresholds under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

 

 

Quote

Who is eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program?

To receive benefits under the Yellow Ribbon Program you must be eligible for the maximum benefit rate under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. This includes: Those who served 36 months (may be aggregate) on active duty. Purple Heart recipients with an honorable discharge and any amount of service.

How much does the Yellow Ribbon Program cover?

The VA will match that $10,000 making the total tuition waived $20,000. Your Post-9/11 GI Bill will pay $22,805.34 and the Yellow Ribbon Program will waive $20,000.

 

 

https://www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/docs/factsheets/Yellow Ribbon Program.pdf

 

When I used my Post 911, if the school is able to use Yellow Ribbon it helps offset the cost. I had taken so many classes that I eventually maxed out my Post 911 benefits for the fiscal year and the Yellow ribbon helped me continue taking classes until the beginning of the next fiscal year. 

Edited November 7, 2018 by Yaweh
added more info

[Guardian]

Thank you for the explanation

[Bobsan]

https://marchfss.com/fun-recreation/aeroclub/aircraft-rates/

The one at March is good

[Orbit]

I was just about to say that I thought a bunch of Aero Clubs had T-34s before they shut down.  Is that website up to date because that T-34 rental cost is as much as a 172 would be at a lot of FBOs.

I think there is a good sized group of Vans RV owners on here that can attest to their relatively low cost to own and the huge grins they provide.  Plus then you don't deal with the FBO/Aero club queep.

[HuggyU2]

7 hours ago, Bobsan said:

https://marchfss.com/fun-recreation/aeroclub/aircraft-rates/

The one at March is good

They have a good reputation.  Retired Brig Gen Randy Ball is one of the key instructors there in the T-34.  Nice guy.  

[casual-observer]

I was the the manager for an AF Aero Club for a short while and the issues and challenges on the back end are legion, and cannot be discussed on a public forum. But one key issue that would greatly simplify things for AF Aero Clubs would be to allow individual aero clubs to determin for themselves whether it's worthwhile to operate under the FAA's part 141 requirements. Currently, and since the reg was established, it is required for AF Aero Clubs to operate under the 141 regs. However,  for most clubs, part 61 would meet everyone's needs, be a bit simpler and a bit cheaper.

 

[Loach]

It's been a while, but McGuire used to have an aeroclub., but it closed around 2001...  I was just working on getting my PPL (I was a 135 Nav at the time) and looked into using the aeroclub, but instead chose a GA airport that was about 2 miles from my house.  I remember there were 3 separate incidents at the McGuire aeroclub and soon after it closed.  One of them involved a pilot who rented an airplane and ran out of fuel on a x-country (I heard he was a 141 nav.  He was not injured when landing in a field, but obviously that didn't go over well).  The second I don't remember, but involved CAP cadets using an aircraft.  I think there may have been a minor injury or potential for injury in that one, and I don't remember anything about the third one.  But, soon after the third incident the club was closed by the Wing/CC (Brig Gen Mentemeyer), although the planes were there for a while.  It was unfortunate it closed, as it had some nice airplanes and seemed to be popular, but those three incidents all happened in a relative short timespan, so I guess the Wing/CC decided he'd seen enough...   Eventually the hangar where it was located was torn down and became the parking lot for the new Family Support Center.

[tac airlifter]

On 3/27/2019 at 7:11 AM, casual-observer said:

 the issues and challenges on the back end are legion, and cannot be discussed on a public forum. 

What is the origin of a prohibition on aero club management discussion?  

[LookieRookie]

Whatever happened to all the aero club aircraft? Sold off, scrapped, or sent to the boneyard?

[frog]

2 hours ago, LookieRookie said:

Whatever happened to all the aero club aircraft? Sold off, scrapped, or sent to the boneyard?

They auctioned them off when they shut down the club at Wright-Patt. They had some pretty nice airplanes. There was a pretty large membership in the club. My first meeting was the one where the wing leadership sent a letter to be read at the meeting that closed the club. People were pissed, including some retired GOs. I was really glad I didn’t sell my plane prior to the meeting.

[arg]

Trying to start one at Cannon. I guess we'll see how it goes.

[viper154]

5 minutes ago, arg said:

Trying to start one at Cannon. I guess we'll see how it goes.

It was emailed/announced that they were trying to start one up probably 12-18 months ago. Intially it was just a ground school. That was the first and last I ever heard anything about it.  I PCSd a few months ago so maybe it’s moving forward now. 

Holloman had a aero club when I was there back in 2016, no idea if it’s still open 

[FLEA]

20 minutes ago, viper154 said:

It was emailed/announced that they were trying to start one up probably 12-18 months ago. Intially it was just a ground school. That was the first and last I ever heard anything about it.  I PCSd a few months ago so maybe it’s moving forward now. 

Holloman had a aero club when I was there back in 2016, no idea if it’s still open 

I believe it is. I saw a recent advertisement for a top off package for the RPA studs there. Just enough hours and time to finish their PPL and instrument for a reduced price. Not a bad deal for those guys. 

I also heard Creech would be getting one soon but I'm not sure where that is at. 

[Orbit]

Good luck with starting it at Cannon.  The story that Loach shared just shows how commanders are not willing to take any extra risk.  Keep us updated if you make progress, I am sure there are many others of us that would love to get an Aero Club started back up.  

Our WG/CC kinda blew the idea off when it was discussed.  Go buy your own airplane if you love flying.

[Blue]

15 hours ago, arg said:

Trying to start one at Cannon. I guess we'll see how it goes.

Given the complaints I've seen here about Aero Clubs (bureaucracy, red tape, general nonsense), any thoughts about establishing a "Cannon Aero Club" at the nearby municipal airport?