First Post, Already have questions VA Training in SC

[Andrew Schoonover]

I am looking for some insight, I have Post 911 and Montgomery GI. I separated in 2013. I am looking for training near me, that accepts VA benefits. I've read the Regs regarding VA for flight training and it seems pretty clear cut and acceptable with some previsions.

The only schools listed on the VA website tool is Charleston AFB and Shaw AFB Aero club. Living about an hour from Shaw I called. As I expected the number is disconnected no email no contact name. Just an address and phone number, I tried calling the MPF no answer there either. Guess everyone took Friday on Thursday. If anyone has any information on flight schools that are approved by the VA. I am located in Columbia, so Charleston is a bit of a haul for me. I really am praying the Shaw Aero Club is still in operation. Don't have high hopes though with all of the furlough and cutbacks.

 

[mscard88]

Don't think there's a club at Shaw anymore. Here's a list that I have, may be out of date but most if not all of these are still flying. Sorry.

Beale AFB, Yuba City, CA

March ARB, Riverside, CA

Dover AFB, Dover, DE

Offutt AFB, Omaha, NE

Edwards AFB, Rosamond, CA

OSAN AB, near Seoul, Korea

Eglin AFB, Ft Walton Beach, FL

Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, CO

Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, AK

Robins AFB, Macon, GA

Hanscom AFB Bedford, MA

Travis AFB, Vacaville, CA

Holloman AFB, Alamagordo, NM

USAF Academy, Colorado Springs, CO

Kadena AB, Naha, Japan

Yokota AB, Tokyo, Japan

 

[weilke]

For VA training, you may have to commute to one of the commercial schools that specialize on that market.

 

[Andrew Schoonover]

I figured that my issue is I am having a tough time finding schools that do. The school that is closest to me specially says they dont take them. I need to do more research. I used to be stationed on eglin and had i been there longer and stayed in, I probably would have went that route. Robins in Ga looks to be the closest on base aero club. I wish I had the funds to go out and just do it privately.

 

[GB403]

I've done extensive research on VA approved flight schools and I've come to this conclusion...if you want to use your VA benefits you probably will have to relocate to conduct your training to maximize all available benefits (if this is an option). I live in Los Angeles and sadly there is no VA approved flight school that provides Career Flight training. After speaking with a few pilots, it was suggested to me that pilot students (who have career aspirations) should get use to traveling away from the home base. And training should be no different. I've spent hours analyzing and calculating if I should use my VA benefits or just pay out-of-pocket. At this point I'm planning on option 2 then I will use the VA benefits possibly for a type rating, however the Airline will probably cover that expense. Another pilot friend mentions its possible that some flight school can submit VA reimbursements however they are not listed on the weams VA approved school registry. I've contacted schools on the weams list only to be told that the school no longer accepts VA benefits. I would guess that there are schools out there that accept VA benefits but are not on the weams registry. I've looked at several flight school around the country and I cannot distinguish one from the other, so I think the training at the majority of them will get you to where you want to be. I think if you want to save your liquid cash you probably will have to relocate to an area with a VA approved flight school so you can maximize your benefits i.e. tuition, housing, stipend or just go the vocational route which provides up to net expenses for the flight training not to exceed 12K per academic year. Good luck in your aviation endeavors.

 

[jaybee]

how do you have post and montgomery, thats not possible that i know of (at one point i thought i did also...)

i spent the last year trying to use my gi bill benefits to no avail. as gb403 said i called dang near every flight school on the weams site. as far as i can tell unless you are going to a university degree program you can no longer use your gi bill for vocational flight training. you can thank upper limit aviation for exploiting a loophole and running up 500,000 dollars training in 3000 dollar per hour helicopters for that.

i ended up paying for all my airplane addon out of pocket. i used part of my montgomery bill in 2012 for my helicopter instrument rating. they forced me to flop over to post 911 when I separated.

i wouldnt be surprised if the shaw aero club is closed, they closed a bunch of them down a few years back. i remember being excited because eglin got all of tyndalls planes, only to sell them...

 

[mscard88]

i remember being excited because eglin got all of tyndalls planes, only to sell them...

I was a CFI at Eglin Aero Club during the early 80s. They had something like 25 planes, including a C310 and a C421 I believe. Much smaller and fewer planes now though.

 

[jaybee]

I was a CFI at Eglin Aero Club during the early 80s. They had something like 25 planes, including a C310 and a C421 I believe. Much smaller and fewer planes now though.

they are down to 5 planes total now

even the military itself though is a shell of its former self. When I first moved to Florida as a civilian in 1995 I stayed at my brother's house on Eglin. Even as a civilian I was afraid to walk on the grass. Fast forward to my boot camp days and subsequent service starting in 2009 and what a joke its become, zero discipline. Before I deployed in 2014 we went to Lackland for escape and evasion school and the basic trainees get to have their phones for one hour a day now....

 

[mscard88]

they are down to 5 planes total now

Wow. Think they has 3-4 Skippers, 3-4 C152s, 3-4 C172/T41s, C182s, some BE24Rs, BE Duchess, C310, Citabria, C421, and some others that I don't recall when I was there. At least they're still open!