Questions about using GI Bill

[Gjboor89]

Hello I'm currently in the marine corps and have 8 more months of active duty. I'm very interested in becoming a roter wing pilot. I've spent a lot of time as a passenger while in the military and love the ride. I have some questions hopefully you guys can answer.

 

1. Using my post 9/11 bill and going threw a program that allows me use my benefits at the end of the program how many flights hrs roughly should I have?

 

2. Any schools in Florida anyone can recommend, I'm a resident of florida and do not think I can afford out of state tuition.

 

3. Any recommendations for someone using the GI bill?

[bqmassey]

1. I can't speak for other programs, but the program I just started (less than a month ago) will leave you with, I think, 200-225 hours. Takes two years (or less if you go to school through the summer and stay focused) and also grants you an associate's degree.

 

2. Not sure about Florida schools, but if you have 100% of the Post 9/11 GI Bill, maintain a full-time schedule (12 credits typically), and are going to a public school (not private, like Embry Riddle), than the cost of the the classroom tuition is largely irrelevant. In other words, the VA will be the one writing the check for tuition, not you.

 

3. There are several schools out there doing helicopter flight training on the GI Bill. I searched for a very long time, made lots of phone calls, read lots of forum posts, etc, and chose the school that I felt would do the best job of setting me up to be not just a helicopter pilot, but a hirable helicopter pilot.

 

Approach all schools skeptically. Some schools seemed to be designed to use up a lot of your GI Bill, while rending YOU as few services as possible. Other schools seemed to be designed to do the best by the student, and the GI Bill just happens to be a way to pay for it. Remember that in the process YOU are the customer.

 

Being in the military, for a lot of people, has a way of removing your sense of deserving to be treated right. Demand, as a customer, to have your benefits used fairly. Don't accept someone overbilling you, not giving you what you paid for, not giving you your money's worth, etc, just because the VA is paying for it and you're not. It is YOUR money and YOU are the customer.

 

There are multiple ways to use the GI Bill to pay for flight training. If you find a program that is set up the right way, the VA will cover the entire cost of the program. Do your research and make a decision that works for you and doesn't waste your benefits.

[HalveBlue]

Hi Gjboor 89!

 

I'm currently in a similar situation as you and have spent a lot of time researching this topic.

 

Using the GI Bill to finance your flight training is great, but be aware that there are different payment programs depending on what type of flight school/training you're going to attend.

 

If you're looking to finance most, if not all, of the flight training through the Post-9/11 GI Bill, it is very important that the school you pick also has some sort of accommodation for awarding a degree, as otherwise a different payment structure is used to pay for flight training - most of which fall far short of covering the expenses associated with a thorough flight education. Also, make sure that the school you're going to attend is a PUBLIC institution, as the payment rates for private institutions are much lower.

 

That having been said, seeing that you are a resident of Florida is actually of great benefit to you, as Palm Beach State College is one of the more experienced schools when it comes to offering flight training for veterans.

 

I had the opportunity to check out different colleges and flight schools this past summer (both fixed and rotary wing), and PBSC seemed to be the best fit - at least for me.

 

The Aeronautical Science (Associates Degree) degree they offer allows students to enroll in either fixed or rotary wing training.

 

The school partners with several different flight schools in the area to provide the actual flight training; rotary wing training being conducted by one of three schools: Cloud 9 Helicopters, Palm Beach Helicopters, or Ocean Helicopters.

 

As far as I can recollect, all of the flight schools are structured similarly as far as the type of ratings the student earns (CFI-I) and the amount of hours you'll end up with (~250). Although I would contact the individual schools themselves to make sure.

 

I suggest that you take a look at Palm Beach State's website (www.palmbeachstate.edu) if you're looking for more information. Also, I would advise checking out the individual flight schools themselves, in person.

 

Also, feel free to PM me if you have any questions, though please be aware that I myself have not yet started flight training (looking to start at the beginning of next year).

 

Good Luck, and maybe we'll see each other around!

[Chitty777]

quick question:

 

Would you want to fly one of the helicopters you rode in during your time in the corps? Depending on age and whether you want to take another dose of the big green machine, that might be an option.

[Azhigher]

Would you want to fly one of the helicopters you rode in during your time in the corps? Depending on age and whether you want to take another dose of the big green machine, that might be an option.

 

Good point. It's one thing to go civi and fly astars and bells and another to go back into the forces to fly... well it depends on what branch you go in.

[Velocity173]

Hello I'm currently in the marine corps and have 8 more months of active duty. I'm very interested in becoming a roter wing pilot. I've spent a lot of time as a passenger while in the military and love the ride. I have some questions hopefully you guys can answer.

 

1. Using my post 9/11 bill and going threw a program that allows me use my benefits at the end of the program how many flights hrs roughly should I have?

 

2. Any schools in Florida anyone can recommend, I'm a resident of florida and do not think I can afford out of state tuition.

 

3. Any recommendations for someone using the GI bill?

 

Do you plan on flying helicopters for a living? If so I would suggest you follow the above advice and seek out the military. While all these GI-bill schools sound great, you won't be getting any flying job with 200 hrs. This is the minimum for a CFI job and right now the market is flooded with CFIs. Oh yeah, they don't make crap either. So if you want a private pilot's license flying helicopters than go for it. Of course renting afterwards will be at least $200 per hour. Just the hard realities of the rotary-wing market.