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Frequently Asked Questions about MMI's Flight Training Program

What are the advantages to having completed flight training while at MMI?

• Many of our Service Academy Preparatory students are interested in a military career in aviation. The traditional process of a military academy cadet obtaining pilot training first involves an Initial Flight Screening (IFS) program which has historically been awarded to upper classmen (Junior and Senior year). The assignment to IFS training is in itself very competitive. Once passing the IFS training requirements and having demonstrated a proclivity for flight, the cadet is then eligible to be considered for further training as a military pilot. One way for a cadet to indicate that he or she is competitive for military pilot training is to enter the academy with an FAA Private Pilot Certification (license). The same goes for cadets who are entering military service through ROTC or OSC programs. In doing so the cadet bypasses the IFS requirement which only demonstrates a proclivity for flight where an FAA pilot’s license demonstrates a higher standard in ability as a pilot. In the Navy’s case USNA upperclassmen are currently spending their own money to obtain outside FAA private pilot certification before graduation so that they can bypass the IFS hurdle and be considered as a very strong candidate for further military pilot training.

Who is providing the flight training?

• MMI’s aviation partner is Sanders Flight Training, Inc. Sanders Flight Training is a certified Cessna Pilot Center (CPC) and has applied for FAA certification as a Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 141 aviation training center (reference the FAR/AIM 2010, pp 629 – 676, ISBN-13: 978-0-99487-532-1). CPC is a specially selected flight school that represents top-quality, professional flight training. Each CPC is handpicked by Cessna to ensure that they maintain Cessna’s high standards for flight training. Also as a CPC, Sanders Flight Training maintains modern training facilities and a fleet of modern aircraft with strict maintenance requirements. The owner and operator, Joel “Gordo” Sanders, is a recently retired Alabama Air Guard Lieutenant Colonel. LTC Sanders flew RF-4 Phantoms with combat service in Kosovo and Iraq. Sanders Flight Training is experienced in conducing IFS training and provided IFS for the Alabama Air Guard.

What can you tell me about the flight training?

• Flight instruction occurs in two modes, ground school and in-flight training. The ground school (academic) piece is now widely taught online using FAA-approved providers through electronic media (CD-DVD and on-line) as opposed to the traditional in-class instruction. Sanders uses the Cessna Computer-Based Instruction Program (CBI) which is the only integrated flight training program in existence. Flight and ground school lessons are designed by education experts to work together for maximum retention. According to Cessna research, these higher retention rates and faster learning may lead to lower course completion times. Additionally, a certified advanced ground instructor will proctor student progress and be available for one-on-one assistance.

When will the instruction take place, during the week, weekends or after normal classes?

• An average week’s lesson requires 1-2 hours of on-line interactive instruction with the Cessna program. The in-flight instruction involves the student pilot and a Sanders FAA certified flight instructor (CFI) where the trainer plane is a Cessna 172 and not the traditional much smaller Cessna 152. The student is responsible for completing the appropriate on-line ground school instruction before receiving his pre-flight briefing, flight instruction, and post-flight briefing for any given lesson. The in-flight training will typically take place on Friday afternoons and during weekends.

Will this add significant workload to an already busy schedule? I am concerned with being overloaded while my primary focus will be on core curriculum classes.

• The average amount of time that a student pilot spends on aviation academics and in-flight training averages to about 3-4 hours/week. Many of our SAPs are also student athletes, all of whom have gone onto an academy appointment, spend far more time than 3-4 hours/week engaged in their respective sport. If anything, the flight school will actually help keep the students focused on their academics because the flight training is withheld if/when a student’s grades fall below a B average and reengaged when grades come back up. Once the cadets have arrived and gotten into a routine many of them tend to find plenty of time to take off during weekends to Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, etc., and flight training tends to keep them in town, focused on their grades and focused on something that they really want do, learn to fly.

What are the initial FAA requirements and what are the associated FAA fees?

• FAA fees are: $85-$100 for a 3rd-class aviation medical exam/ certificate which also serves as your student pilot certificate (same document). Getting a 3rd class aviation medical exam/certificate completed before coming to Marion that might be logistically easier for you. If there are medical issues that require documentation (e.g. medication related) you will not receive the certificate at the time of your medical exam. Instead you will have to wait until the needed documentation has cleared through the FAA medical examiner’s office and has been forwarded to the FAA for issue. An FAA certified aviation medical examiner in your area can be found online. Otherwise you can obtain the same with an FAA medical examiner in Tuscaloosa. NOTE: The 3rd-class aviation medical exam is not to be confused with a DoDMERB physical exam that you may have already taken for one of the academies. They are not the same and serve different purposes.

• The FAA written exam will cost an additional $150. If you continue to complete your private pilot certification then you can expect an additional $200 for an FAA check-ride.
   

Will I need any additional insurance for this program?

• Typically insurance is not needed until you begin solo flight in the absence of a CFI. All flight schools have liability and damage insurance but that insurance typically has a $5,000 deductable. To cover the deductible you can get student pilot insurance through the Aircraft Owners & Pilot Association, AOPA (see www.aopa.org). Annual premiums are on the order of $150/year.

To retain a private license will I be required to fly in the future? I understand that military academy cadets get minimal flying time while at the academy.

• To maintain a current private pilot certification, the pilot has to have completed a bi-annual flight review with any current CFI which involves one hour of ground school updates and one hour of in-flight training for renewal of certification. That’s probably doable during vacation and summers for most military academy cadets.

Is the tuition for this program due at the beginning of the program or over time?

• Terms of payment are typically “pay as you go,” $125/hour for the Cessna 172 and $39/hour for the CFI. That said, we ask that interested students make a $500 deposit to reserve a seat in the class prior to Fall registration. Please provide a check ($500) made payable to Sanders Flight Training, Inc. and send it Dr. Stevenson at MMI (Marion Military Institute, 1101 Washington Street, Marion, AL 36756). Once the deposit is received, Dr. Stevenson will register the student in the class and forward the check to Sanders, Inc. This deposit will go toward your purchase of the on-line ground school and any additional money beyond that expense would be applied toward your account. Many MMI students set up local bank accounts at one of two banks here in town once they arrive, West Alabama Bank & Trust or Marion Bank and Trust.

Will the program last the entire school year?

• If you choose to go only as far as completing the IFI program, you will likely finish by early to mid-Spring semester, while if you choose to pursue the private pilot certification, then you would likely take the full academic calendar to complete that course. That said, last year we had a student come near to completing the private pilot certification but fell short at the end of the semester. She completed her check ride and Private Pilot certification in short order once she returned home and before entering USAFA.

What are the components of the MMI-Sanders Initial Flight Instruction program?

• MMI- Sanders IFI includes 23 hours of dual flight instruction, 20 hours of pre-flight and post-flight briefings, the complete Cessna computer-based instruction program for VFR private pilot, review for the FAA written exam and taking the exam, access to ten Microsoft flight simulators at MMI, a pattern work solo, an area flight maneuvers solo and a cross-country solo (cross country is defined as a flight of at least 50 nautical miles with a landing and a full stop at the destination site plus the return flight the same day). The in-flight instruction takes place at Vaiden Field (A08) which is 8 miles from the MMI campus.

What are the cost components of the MMI-Sanders Initial Flight Instruction (IFI) Program?

 *Approximate cost. Actual final cost based on individual performance.

What are the requirements for an FAA private pilot certification?

• Minimum 40 hours (hrs.) total flight time, the first 23 hours are included in the IFI program.
• 20 hours of dual flight time (with instructor) which includes but is not limited to:

o 3 hrs. of cross-country flight training
o 3 hrs. at night with 10 takeoffs and landings
o 100 nautical mile (nm.) night cross-country flight
o 3 hrs. of instrument training
o 3 hrs. preparing for the FAA check ride

• 20 hrs. of solo flight time

o 10 hrs. of solo flight time.
o 5 hrs. of cross-country flying which includes a 150 nm cross-country flight.

What is the sequence of flight training sequence for VFR private pilot license (PPL)?

• Pre-solo dual instruction

• Solo (an experience you'll never forget!)

• Advanced maneuvers and cross-country flying

• Solo cross-country flight

• Instrument and night flying

• 150 nm. cross-country flight

• Review for the FAA written test

• Review for FAA check ride

• FAA check ride

How much does it cost for a private pilot’s license (PPL)?

• While the legal minimums to get your PPL are 20 hours dual and 20 hours solo flight, the national average is estimated to be around 35 hours dual and 25 hours solo. Not everyone acclimates equally to operating an airplane in three-dimensional space with simultaneous multitasking of radio communications, situational awareness and positional awareness, emergency planning, etc. Factoring in additional FAA fees, ground school materials, headset, flight bag and many of the other cockpit related ancillaries you can safely expect to pay between $6,500 - $9,000 total. The IFI curriculum is a sub-set of the PPL training and applies 100% toward your expected expenses for obtaining the PPL.