Looking for advice on realistic flight training pathways (Veteran)

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Badyorkie

Filing Flight Plan
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Jul 30, 2025
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BadYorkie
Evening ladies and gentlemen. Im just going to lay this out there and look for advice and pathway opinions on how to proceed...

Me:

41 year old- very flexible schedule. Essentially, I have all the time in the world...

Retiring US Army Warrant Officer (Walking, not flying....) with 20 years TIS.

I had college (AA-GS/BS) before I came in so still have full 36 mo of P-9/11 Gi Bill and I didn't use LRP.

Current FAA Part 107 holder (5 years) but no RW or FW documented experience

Financially secure; funding not an issue; own multiple businesses (where the 107 has worked for me)

Class 1 Medical Secured

Currently transitioning out of Service with Mar 2026 as my end of career 1 (US Army)

Locations: PNW (Washington-JBLM area)

Not chasing an income... I just need to chase my goals and this one has me fixed on it.

Goals: I want to fly. Fixed wing. Twins or Turbo Prop/Jet. Not necessarily for the Majors or and Airline, but the Charter Route seems more aligned with my lifestyle. I spent 18 years of my career in SOF (Halo Teams) so Wouldn't mind giving back to the Sky Diving Community running shuttles and elevators. Open to any and all suggestions.

What I am looking for: Advice on what path to pursue next. I have the ability to fund anything. Also have the GI Bill available. Would like to get opinions on how/when/where on moving immediately (and I mean fast...) towards PPL->INSTRUMENT-> CFI->CFII->ME->MEI-> and who knows whats next...

Also- Would love to find a mentor local to this area. Everyone I have met in person so far has been very helpful. Moved here to Tacoma area from Alaska three years ago.
 
I would recommend finding a community college or university with an aviation program, and use that GI Bill. I would NOT use it at a stand alone flight school, as you'll be much more limited in what the VA will pay.
 
Badyorkie said:
… I spent 18 years of my career in SOF (Halo Teams) …
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Congrats. Retired ALO/JTAC on the conventional side. @Ed Haywood is a retired SF dude on here.

You mentioned a First Class medical in hand. That’s a good thing to start with so long as we’re talking about an FAA medical and not a DOD medical, although our jumpers only needed a Class 3 for that.

Keep in mind if a VA claim is in your consideration, any disabilities diagnosed in that claim will have to be disclosed on any future FAA medical application. Failure to do so is falsifying an official document.

The body being torn up physically isn’t an issue with the FAA, but PTSD is.

As for your path, there’s a bunch of ways to get there, but if VA dollars are part of it, you will self fund the private certificate but can use VA for later certificates. This can be done through an approved collegiate program or with a Part 141 school. Lots to learn on the benefits/drawbacks to both, but unless you just want another piece of parchment, the college program may not be an efficient use of your time.

Good on ya’ for thinking about this early.
 
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Badyorkie said:
Evening ladies and gentlemen. Im just going to lay this out there and look for advice and pathway opinions on how to proceed...

Me:

41 year old- very flexible schedule. Essentially, I have all the time in the world...

Retiring US Army Warrant Officer (Walking, not flying....) with 20 years TIS.

I had college (AA-GS/BS) before I came in so still have full 36 mo of P-9/11 Gi Bill and I didn't use LRP.

Current FAA Part 107 holder (5 years) but no RW or FW documented experience

Financially secure; funding not an issue; own multiple businesses (where the 107 has worked for me)

Class 1 Medical Secured

Currently transitioning out of Service with Mar 2026 as my end of career 1 (US Army)

Locations: PNW (Washington-JBLM area)

Not chasing an income... I just need to chase my goals and this one has me fixed on it.

Goals: I want to fly. Fixed wing. Twins or Turbo Prop/Jet. Not necessarily for the Majors or and Airline, but the Charter Route seems more aligned with my lifestyle. I spent 18 years of my career in SOF (Halo Teams) so Wouldn't mind giving back to the Sky Diving Community running shuttles and elevators. Open to any and all suggestions.

What I am looking for: Advice on what path to pursue next. I have the ability to fund anything. Also have the GI Bill available. Would like to get opinions on how/when/where on moving immediately (and I mean fast...) towards PPL->INSTRUMENT-> CFI->CFII->ME->MEI-> and who knows whats next...

Also- Would love to find a mentor local to this area. Everyone I have met in person so far has been very helpful. Moved here to Tacoma area from Alaska three years ago.
Click to expand...

First Group? I am retired 10th, though I have been out almost as long as you have been in. I'm not a professional pilot, but I own a government contracting company and know a lot about that business.

First you gotta get through your certs and build time. PPL is on you; everything after that is GI Bill. Look for a Part 141 school to facilitate the VA benefits. Plus it provides a ready path to a CFI job to build time after your initial certs.

Others who are pro pilots will be able to give better advice on mainstream opportunities. I'll just mention a few less common ones that your background and clearance may facilitate. First, there are various contractors flying surveillance birds for both CONUS training and downrange ops. Mostly King Airs from what I have seen, though that market segment is shrinking as drones get more prevalent. Aircraft with SIGINT gear require TS cleared crew. Flying circles in the sky is not super sexy but you can rack up a lot of twin turbine hours.

There are also various contractors flying CASA 212s, Porters, Twin Otters, etc in support of training and operations for various organizations and agencies. One I know of is Rampart Aviation in Colorado Springs. The owner, Tony Porterfield, is a retired SF SGM, and most of his staff are SF. Give him a ping and he can connect you to his pilots to advise on paths to that kind of gig.

Finally, consider getting into drones. That's where the future of warfare is.
 
The air force has aero clubs at many bases and open to all vets I believe ….they are normally lower costs and many part 141
 
AlphaPilotFlyer said:
The air force has aero clubs at many bases and open to all vets I believe ….they are normally lower costs and many part 141
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Uh, not anymore and not for a long time. Most if the various service base aero clubs were shuttered in the 90s/early 00s when Congress declared the NAF activities had to be self-funding.

There’s maybe 10 AF Aero Clubs left worldwide.
myairforcelife.com

Air Force Aero Club Locations | Air Force Services Center

Air Force Aero Club directory contains information for U.S. Air Force Aero Clubs in the U.S. and oversees.
myairforcelife.com myairforcelife.com

The Navy has three.

https://www.navymwr.org/programs/navy-flying-club Navy Flying Club

There’s no Army Aero Clubs left, though my partnership owns a former Army Aero Club 172.
 
Ed Haywood said:
Bummer. Got my PPL at Fort Bragg Aero Club in 1994. After that, rented from Hanscom AFB and Peterson AFB Clubs for 3 years.
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When the Fort Sam Houston Aero Club was divested a group of owners incorporated, forming the first iteration of a partnership. The partnership accepted a surplus transfer of three aircraft from the Aero Club. They tried to make it work using the Aero Club financial model and sold off two over time to keep the best of the bunch. Forensically, the original members did not understand the impact MWR funds had on the operating cost of the club.

On the verge of bankruptcy about 15 years ago, five of the partners formed a nonprofit corp in a restructuring and set the stage for where we are today as an equity partnership.

It’s taken that long and three generations of board members to get to the point we are today which is operating in a financially sustainable manner. We’re searching for a second plane (C182) now and have a sound five fiscal year plan to add a third, which will likely be the largest we grow.
 
TCABM said:
When the Fort Sam Houston Aero Club was divested a group of owners incorporated, forming the first iteration of a partnership. The partnership accepted a surplus transfer of three aircraft from the Aero Club. They tried to make it work using the Aero Club financial model and sold off two over time to keep the best of the bunch. Forensically, the original members did not understand the impact MWR funds had on the operating cost of the club.

On the verge of bankruptcy about 15 years ago, five of the partners formed a nonprofit corp in a restructuring and set the stage for where we are today as an equity partnership.

It’s taken that long and three generations of board members to get to the point we are today which is operating in a financially sustainable manner. We’re searching for a second plane (C182) now and have a sound five fiscal year plan to add a third, which will likely be the largest we grow.
Click to expand...

Cool, glad to hear you guys are sorting it out and keeping it rolling.

As I recall, most of the Bragg aircraft were leasebacks from private owners, while the Peterson ones were government owned. At least I think so. They had some souped up 172's with 200hp engines that had been USAFA trainers.
 
Ed Haywood said:
Cool, glad to hear you guys are sorting it out and keeping it rolling.

As I recall, most of the Bragg aircraft were leasebacks from private owners, while the Peterson ones were government owned. At least I think so. They had some souped up 172's with 200hp engines that had been USAFA trainers.
Click to expand...

The Peterson Aero Club, now Rocky Mountain Flight Training Center (and USAFA Aero Club) are among the few still operating today. Pete still flies excess T-41Cs and C+s.
 
TCABM said:
Pete still flies excess T-41Cs and C+s.
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Yep, T41C, that's what I flew back in 94/95. Fun plane, wish I had gotten more hours there. I was an SF team leader at the time, which is a pretty all consuming job.
 
Ed Haywood said:
Yep, T41C, that's what I flew back in 94/95. Fun plane, wish I had gotten more hours there. I was an SF team leader at the time, which is a pretty all consuming job.
Click to expand...
That's where I got my PPL and instrument rating. T-41C mostly, with some T-41B. My first training flight was in N7899N. Looks like she's still flying! Definitely miss those days.
 
Ed Haywood said:
Bummer. Got my PPL at Fort Bragg Aero Club in 1994. After that, rented from Hanscom AFB and Peterson AFB Clubs for 3 years.
Click to expand...
We still got one at the Academy! (USAFA) I was about to join when I was working on contract there, then the contract ended.
 
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