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<\/a>Earning a private pilot certificate is a huge accomplishment. Less than 1%<\/strong> of people in the United States earn the certificate. Even fewer high school age students earn their pilots licenses. This makes doing so a unique achievement that speaks well of an individual\u2019s dedication and responsibility. Listing a pilot\u2019s certificate on a college application or resume is unique and will stand out. If you want to become a military pilot, having a private pilot certificate will help to demonstrate your desire and ability to be successful in a military flight training program.<\/p>\n Aviation curriculums are challenging. The course work includes the application of math, science and weather principles. For those that earn a certificate, it is confidence building and a point of pride.<\/p>\n High school students who complete their private pilot license<\/strong> can build upon their skills. With continued training and certificates they can become high salaried aviation professionals. Potential aviation careers include instructor pilots, military pilots and commercial pilots. Commercial captains can earn between $90, 000 and $150,000+ a year. Learn more about the pilot occupation by visiting the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can start pilot training at any age but, before you can fly solo as a student pilot you must meet the following FAA requirements:<\/p>\n To be eligible for a private pilot certificate, a person must:<\/p>\n The FAA requires a minimum of 40 hours of logged flight time to be eligible for a pilot\u2019s license. Keep in mind that it is unusual for students to gain the necessary skills in 40 hours. The national average is greater than 80 hours of flight time to achieve the proficiency required\u00a0to pass the flight test.<\/p>\n Visit the FAA website to learn more details about private pilot requirements.<\/a><\/p>\n Pilot courses are divided into two distinct activities: ground school and actual flying. The flying portion can be further divided into dual-flight where you are flying with an instructor and solo-flight in which you are alone in the aircraft.<\/p>\n The cost of ground school can range from $300 to $500 for 35 hours of class room time. Flight time is considerably more expensive. In most flight schools, students pay fees for the instructor, aircraft and fuel. It is estimated that dual-flight training costs are close to $3.00 a minute while solo time is slightly less expensive at $2.00 a minute. At these cost levels, you can expect to pay $6,600 to complete your required 40 hours of flying. Remember, the average flight time for a student is 80 hours, so you might pay as much as $13,800.<\/p>\n There are some programs, like that offered at the Marine Military Academy<\/a>, that are \u201cfix fee.\u201d In a fix-fee program, flight-hours are not a cost factor. The number of flight hours are unlimited. A student pays the same amount whether they complete the certificate in 40 or 100 hours.<\/p>\n Simulator training is one way in which expensive flight costs can be reduced. Students can practice basic skills using the simulators and then transition those skills to the actual aircraft. Transition training reduces the number of aircraft flight hours because required skills are developed in the simulator and not in the air.<\/p>\n Another advantage of simulator training is that they allow student pilots to be introduced to issues that would be risky in the air. Hazardous attitudes and conditions can be practiced in the simulator which is a safe alternative to performing these maneuvers in the air.<\/p>\n Time in a simulator can be counted as actual flight time. A student pilot can count a maximum of 2.5 hours of flight time toward a private pilot\u2019s certificate using an FAA approved flight simulator. Fewer hours in the air means lower costs to get your license. Simulator costs at flight schools can run as much as $100\/hour which is nearly half the cost of flight time.<\/p>\n Click the following link to\u00a0learn more about flight simulators<\/a>.<\/p>\n Only a handful of high schools in the United States offer pilot certificate programs. These programs typically offer elective-credit toward graduation. A number of public high schools have curriculums that focus on aircraft maintenance with elective course work geared toward the written portion of the private pilot test. There are several public magnet schools such as the SAMS Academy<\/a> in Albuquerque, New Mexico that have full-fledge pilot training programs. Other schools have adopted ground school training as part of their STEM \u00a0(Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) initiatives. Unfortunately, public school programs are limited to those students who reside within that school district.<\/p>\n If your local high school does not offer ground school then a private boarding school might be a great alternative. There are a number of boarding schools that offer full-fledged pilot certificate programs. These schools often have dedicated flight instructors, aircraft and are located near an airfield. Programs costs are not included in the school\u2019s tuition, but are an extra student paid expense. A benefit of a boarding school flight program is that they are often designed around a student\u2019s schedule. This allows a student the opportunity to complete the necessary classroom and flight hours as part of the normal school day.<\/p>\n Below is a list of boarding school’s with flight training programs. These are some of the best private pilot high school programs in the U.S.:<\/p>\n Name:<\/strong> Marine Military Academy<\/strong> Here is a video that discusses the benefits of the Redhawk\u00a0training aircraft:<\/p>\nPrivate Pilot Certificate Requirements<\/h2>\n
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Typical Program Costs<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Simulator Training<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Advantages of High School Aviation Programs<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Boarding School Flight Training Programs<\/h2>\n
\nWebsite:<\/strong> http:\/\/www.mma-tx.org\/Academics\/Curriculum\/Flight-Training\/<\/a>
\nType:<\/strong> Military Boarding School, Marine Corps JROTC
\nLocation:<\/strong> Harlingen, Texas
\nProgram Details:
\n<\/strong>The program flies from the adjacent Valley International Airport. The airport sports an FAA control tower and three paved runways. The longest runway\u00a0is 8,301 feet. Students fly a\u00a0Redbird\u2019s Redhawk Cessna 172<\/a>\u00a0with a modern avionics package (glass cockpit). The program includes an FAA certified full-motion Redbird FMX flight simulator<\/a>. \u00a0Students who earn their private pilots license can then work on their instrument rating. The school campus is on the site of a World War II Army Air Corps training facility. The flying weather is good year round. Boasting on average 220 sunny-days a year.<\/p>\n