simuflite

Hello,

Curious if anyone is in the same boat as me...

First thing...
I am wrapping up my PPL at a Part 61 school soon here in CO. I am a veteran and have 3 months, 7 days left on my Post-9/11 GI Bill. My current thought is to maximize the remaining potential benefit I have with the VA, to "enroll" in one of the local Part 141 schools local to me (Aims?) - this would cover the cost of at least my instrument rating (plus a few months of BAH) and even possibly more with the 40 months rule (i.e. I can get an additional "semester" out of the deal beyond the normal 36 month benefit) --- this would cover my commercial.

Secondly...
The other question I have is reduced ATP minimums. I have a degree from ERAU in Aeronautics, but it was obtained via the worldwide campus. It seems that I would not qualify for reduced minimums with the worldwide degree, as it is only available for graduates from DAB and PCT. There is a local school near me (Aims in GXY) where I am thinking about "enrolling" for my instrument and commercial ratings - I'm curious if I could get the reduced minimums through there, assuming I complete the program.

Thanks!

JamesNoBrakes

You have to check the FAA's website, they have a list of institutions who's programs have been approved for reduced mins (meeting curriculum requirements).

rickair7777

You only get reduced mins if you complete a 2 or 4 year degree in conjunction with that school's 141 program. Not a lot of wiggle room there, and you have to do the major associated with their flight training program.

You will not be able to go back and link an existing degree with 141 training for R-ATP... you have to do the full program concurrently.

So probably not worth it if you already have a degree.

flat_land_flyer

It sounds like you are looking to go direct bill with the remaining 7 months of GI Bill. That will only cover about 3/4 of your instrument rating. You will be out of pocket for the rest of your training. If you find a degree program that has a Flight Training Affiliate, or their own flight training department and enrolled in their degree program, then you would be able to squeeze two semesters. Not a bad deal if you can find one in your area. That would allow you to finish Instrument and about 40 hours of commercial, depending how they break down their semester requirements.

simuflite

Yeah, I think I'm going to try for Aims Community College at FNL, assuming I get accepted. They are a VA-approved 141. I'd squeeze what I can out of the Post-9/11 and then go out of pocket to finish up commercial, add-ons, and CFI. When I complete their program I would only need 1250 hours reduced ATP min.

EhV8R

I used my post 9/11 for flight training at multiple schools (including AIMS). You'll hear different things from every school and every resource online you read. Best thing to do is get in touch with someone in the aviation department at specific schools you're interested in.

Iirc, AIMS training is all 141 for GI Bill students. This isn't necessarily a problem for you, however the issue I think you might face is the whether the VA will pay for an associates that might be identical/very similar to a degree you already have.

There are schools that have different majors/tracks that include flight training which could satisfy the VA if they're hung up on the previously mentioned dilemma. Also, despite what some people will tell you, there are schools which allow you to train part 91 while using your GI Bill, if that's more your cup of tea.

If you're willing to drive, Metro State would be a good place to contact as well.

One final note, if you're creative with the classes you take, degree declared, schedule, etc., you could probably stretch that 3+ months of benefits to get you through a couple more ratings.
For example - take the flight lab while taking one class at a time. You may be less than a half time student and not get BAH, however your GI Bill could last 9+ months of flight training this way. You could even go extreme and take a bullcrap 1 credit class that doesn't relate to the aviation degree (may have to pay for that credit out of pocket) with the flight lab, and theoretically you could take flight labs for nearly 40 months!

Good luck!

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