Frequently Asked Questions
About Marion Military Institute’s Aviation Training Program
What are the advantages to having completed flight training while at MMI? 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). Once passing the IFS tr
aining 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 Selma Air, Inc., located just 20 miles from our home airport, Vaiden Field (A08), which is 8 miles south of Marion on Highway 5. Flight training will occur in two aircraft, a Cessna 150 and a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, the latter of which is a recent addition to our fleet of trainer aircraft through a generous charitable contribution by an anonymous, but ardent supporter of aviation training at MMI. The Cessna 150 and 172 Skyhawk are widely used in civil aviation training. With more than 43,000 delivered by Cessna, the Skyhawk is the best-selling, most-flown airplane ever. Maybe that's because of its proven reliability and its forgiving flight characteristics. Or its reputation as the safest general aviation aircraft ever built. The Skyhawk also an ideal instrument trainer and one of the world's truly great airplanes. 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. 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 a computer-based ground school program. Ground school training is also augmented by Col Bill Hansen (USMC, Ret.), who is a key figure in facilitating development of flight training schedules and integrating midweek training with additional MMI afternoon training functions. The in-flight instruction involves the student pilot and a Selma Air FAA certified flight instructor (CFI) who has logged over 3,000 hours of in-flight training hours as an FAA-certified instructor. The student is responsible for completing the appropriate on-line ground school piece 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. In addition, when weather and academic/military schedules permit training can also take place during selected week day afternoon hours. 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. Over 80% of last year’s flight training class was on the Dean’s and/or President’s Academic Achievement list. 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 a nearby community. 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”, $110/ hour for the Cessna 150 and/or $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. Please provide a check ($500) made payable to the MMI Foundation and send it Dr. Sam Stevenson at MMI (Marion Military Institute, 1101 Washington Street, Marion, AL 36756). Once the deposit is received, Dr. Stevenson will register the student in the class and forward the check to Selma, Inc. This deposit will go toward your purchase of the on-line ground school and any additional money beyond that expense would be applied toward your account. Many MMI students set up local bank accounts at one of two banks here in town once they arrive, West Alabama Bank & Trust or Marion Bank and Trust. Will the program last the entire school year? If you choose to go only as far as completing the IFI program, you will likely finish by early to mid Spring semester, while if you choose to pursue the private pilot certification, then you would likely take the full academic calendar to complete that course. That said, last year we had a student come near to completing the private pilot certification but fell short at the end of the semester. She completed her check ride and Private Pilot certification in short order once she returned home and before entering USAFA. What are the components of the MMI-Selma Air Initial Flight Instruction program? MMI-Selma Air IFI includes 23 hours of dual flight instruction, 20 hours of pre-flight and post-flight briefings, the complete the computer-based instruction program for VFR private pilot, review for the FAA written exam and taking the exam, access to ten Microsoft flight simulators at MMI, a pattern work solo, an area flight maneuvers solo and a cross-country solo (cross country is defined as a flight of at least 50 nautical miles with a landing and a full stop at the destination site plus the return flight the same day). The in-flight instruction takes place at Vaiden Field (A08) which is 8 miles from the MMI campus. What are the cost components of the MMI-Sanders Initial Flight Instruction (IFI) Program? Cost Component Rate ($/Hour) Hours Cost
25 Hours Rental Cessna-172
$125 25 $3,125
Dual In-flight Instruction (1 student + instructor)
$39 23 $897
Pre-Flight & Post-Flight Briefing
$39 20 $780
Text Book, Supplies and Computer-based Instruction Kit
$200 NA $200
Review for FAA Knowledge Test
$39 3 $117
FAA Knowledge Test $150 NA $150
Total 71 5,319
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 $7,500 - $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.
