How to get into general aviation for fun

[KPPV1]

Finished UPT currently at my first duty station. Looking to do some GA flying but don't really know what is required? Biannual Or just a checkout. Does our military currencies transfer over?

Thanks

 

 

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[Guardian]

Some do some don’t.

[ayz33]

Do you want to buy a plane or just rent? You'll have to get a private if you don't already. Your FAA medical license as a private pilot is good for 5 years and you will have to do a flight review every 24 calendar months. Not sure about any military stuff transferring as i'm not there yet.

[Guardian]

Mil medical counts as a 3rd class

 

A single engine landing counts as a single engine landing.

 

A holding pattern, tracking in and out on a radial, doing approaches, all count.

 

Your mil checkride counts as a bi annual just like civi checkride does.

 

What specific questions do you have?

 

[Darth]

This might help - assuming you already have a PPL.  Use this link and you can get some info to add an instrument rating to your certificate.  I believe you will need a class 3 physical on your own dime - I always had to go a civilian flight doctor.  I had heard of, but never saw, a USAF flight surgeon who could sign off a class 3 and the FAA at the time would not take the annual physical as a qualifier.  See previous replies so maybe its different now.  Your USAF landings count for the 90 day currency as do your USAF instrument requirements for instrument currencies.  And find an FBO with decent planes with on line scheduling.  The FBO might require a checkout and a biannual rather than accepting USAF FM-8 checks.

https://www.transportation.gov/careers/veterans/pilots

And bring money.  Lots of it.  Even more if you buy a plane.

YMMV.

[Guardian]

This might help - assuming you already have a PPL.  Use this link and you can get some info to add an instrument rating to your certificate.  I believe you will need a class 3 physical on your own dime - I always had to go a civilian flight doctor.  I had heard of, but never saw, a USAF flight surgeon who could sign off a class 3 and the FAA at the time would not take the annual physical as a qualifier.  See previous replies so maybe its different now.  Your USAF landings count for the 90 day currency as do your USAF instrument requirements for instrument currencies.  And find an FBO with decent planes with on line scheduling.  The FBO might require a checkout and a biannual rather than accepting USAF FM-8 checks.
https://www.transportation.gov/careers/veterans/pilots
And bring money.  Lots of it.  Even more if you buy a plane.
YMMV.

90 currency is only if you are carrying passengers in the civilian plane. Otherwise you don’t need the landings. But it has to be in the same class of aircraft. Meaning the landings you do in a multi engine land military plane don’t count for your currency in a single engine land civilian airplane.

If you are finished with UPT and you have been qualified in your MWS then you are eligible for the mil competency test to give you your commercial single or multi (depending on what engine configuration your MWS is) with instrument add. Once you become an instructor in that MWS you can do the same for your civilian certificate. I don’t believe this at all allows RPA dudes to get non RPA civilian licenses, but there is a civilian drone license and I don’t know the caveats on that.

Next little bit is copied from the airline pilot forum. Don’t know if it’s currently what the FARs say. This was from 2013. Take away is as long as you are current on your military flight physical you don’t have to have a civilian one to exercise 3rd class privileges in the Cilicia night world

Never heard of a civilian outfit accepting a form 8 as the only proof and bypass a checkout to fly one of their planes and I doubt that there is any insurance company that would allow that either.

You can forego faa medical if you have a current flight physical and are only exercising third class medical.

14 CFR 61.23(b) Operations not requiring a medical certificate. A person is not required to hold a medical certificate—
(9) When a military pilot of the U.S. Armed Forces can show evidence of an up-to-date medical examination authorizing pilot flight status issued by the U.S. Armed Forces and—
(i) The flight does not require higher than a third-class medical certificate; and
(ii) The flight conducted is a domestic flight operation within U.S. airspace.

a lot of military flight docs are authorized to do no-joke FAA second and third class medical certificates as well. Ask your local flight surgeon for details.

But why would you want or need to do that if your mil physical counts?

[kona4breakfast]

2 hours ago, KPPV1 said:

 

Finished UPT currently at my first duty station. Looking to do some GA flying but don't really know what is required? Biannual Or just a checkout. Does our military currencies transfer over?

Thanks

 

 

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Read the FARs, specifically 61 and 91. Mil medical = 3rd class. No need for biannual if you're getting annual mil eval. It's all there.

[HuggyU2]

Go get your AMEL Commercial Instrument FAA certificate, for starters.  

[Orbit]

https://download.aopa.org/epilot/2007/sa03.pdf

 

A lot of pilots I talk to seem to think that we are still required to complete a biannual flight review.  AOPA breaks down some common questions and clearly explains that we do not need one within 24 months of a USAF checkride.  

 

Also, I think there is a pretty good sized group of us on here that own airplanes.  More specifically Vans RV airplanes, it is the most fun for your buck if you want to buy something.  

[FLEA]

So the easiest way to break the ice is to start by taking the military competancy test which is a closed book test. A really good study guide can be bought from SheppardAir (Google). It's a 50 question closed book test you will have to drive to a testing center to take. You don't need to wait for your MWS qual. You can do it as soon as you finish your phase 3 instrument check at UPT. Most wait until after UPT though. If you are at Columbus there is an ex-mil civilian who offers the test, study guide and paperwork for a fee but honestly it's rather expensive compared to what you'd pay doing it on your own. 

Take your completed test score and to the FSDO FAA office who will print your license. FSDO office can be googled but there will usually be one within 1-2 hours of you. You will get single engine land, instrument, commercial and multi-engine land either with or without a centerline thrust restriction based on your phase 3 aircraft. (Although I've heard they may have done away with this.) 

Last step is to call a civilian FBO. Most FBOs will require an insurance checkout with an instructor before you can take a plane solo. This can be done in about 4 hours and usually includes a question and answer session, a written and a 1-2 hour flight. The checkouts are usually VERY non threatening. The planes (C-172 etc) are very simple and my experience is these insurance checkouts are mostly instructional to insure you are familiar with the aircraft. 

This insurance checkout, to me, is the easiest way to break the ice, because you will have someone you can ask questions to and explain anything you're unfamiliar with. It helps you to learn the faces at your club and get a general sense of what you're doing, know who to go-to with issues, etc...

After that you should have a folder in the FBOs office that contains a copy of your licensing and insurance checkout which is your ticket to call them up on Friday to take a plane out Sunday. Don't forget to buy a log book. 

Edited January 31, 2019 by FLEA

[Guardian]

Didn’t know you could do that after phase 3. That’s awesome.

https://www.flyingsquadron.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2018_08/faa_memo.jpg.57c7b78a267cd0e0eab2b8f9a60ac4b8.jpg

[FLEA]

That's awesome they got rid of the centerline thrust restriction. We really need more mil dudes into GA. There are synergies to both communities when we get out there on our own sometimes. And it will make you a better pilot. You'll never get to a point you think you know everything because when you do you will meet some yocal who has done something so outlandish you won't believe it exist until he shows you a YouTube video on his phone. 

[DEVIL]

Long story short: Go fly with an instructor once or twice, build a rapport with the place you'll be renting. 

 

All that certification stuff is great, get your mil comp, etc. But I know plenty of dudes who went into flight schools or FBOs like a big swingin' dick with their new wings and have almost killed their family, or been asked not to rent from the airport again. If you didn't start in GA or haven't flown GA in a while its really worth it to humbly go fly with an instructor for a ride or two, and just listen to them. The whole time you might be making fun of their multiple knee boards with information on the closest 69 airports, or the way they make radio calls like their flying AF1, but it'll be worth it in the end. UPT doesn't teach much about VFR flying with the rest of the civilian populace, and if you think you can take a rental airplane on an IFR adventure in the weather, I'd strongly advise against it.

 

Not a holier than thou type of speech, it's just embarrassing to go rent from somewhere and hear from the school about all the AF guys who said they knew what they were doing and subsequently did not. 

[Vimix22]

DEVIL and FLEA are spot on. I did my PPL training in a C-172 before pilot training and after UPT graduation went to a FSDO and got my CMEL w/IFR ratings for free. Even though I have the license I would not feel confident flying IMC/IFR in a Cessna. VFR is fine but only since I have about 60 hours in 172s. GA flying is fun and I would definitely recommend it but do NOT over-estimate your UPT experience and think you can just go fly one without any training. Just my 2C.

[di1630]

 
Not a holier than thou type of speech, it's just embarrassing to go rent from somewhere and hear from the school about all the AF guys who said they knew what they were doing and subsequently did not. 

^this.

One time a WIC grad showed up looking to get checked out and didn’t know what the VFR sectional markings meant or anything about ctaf, class g etc.

It’s worth a bit of study.


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