Military Flight Time to Civilian Flight Time

[br3800]

I'm currently in flight school for the navy and have about 100 hours of combined flight time (T-6B (70 hours) and TH-57 (30 hours)) under my belt so far. I was interested about getting my pilots license on the side. I have money saved up and since I have these hours I figured why not give it a try. Right now I'm currently flying helicopters but I'm thinking cost wise it would be cheaper to go fixed wing. My goal would be to try to get up to a commercial license and get a multi-engine rating. I'm just curious how much of this military flight school time would factor in for civilian training.

 

[LDJones]

It all counts. How much is directly translatable is hard to say, but a flight instructor could probably give you a better assessment after reviewing your training log and doing a flight with you.

 

[Witmo]

I'm currently in flight school for the navy and have about 100 hours of combined flight time (T-6B (70 hours) and TH-57 (30 hours)) under my belt so far. I was interested about getting my pilots license on the side. I have money saved up and since I have these hours I figured why not give it a try. Right now I'm currently flying helicopters but I'm thinking cost wise it would be cheaper to go fixed wing. My goal would be to try to get up to a commercial license and get a multi-engine rating. I'm just curious how much of this military flight school time would factor in for civilian training.

Once you get your navy wings all you would need to do is take a written test to get the applicable civilian commercial license(s). When I was in the USAF, graduates of UPT took a written and got a commercial, instrument, multi-engine (limited to centerline thrust) civilian certificate. They would need to take a checkride with the FAA to remove the centerline thrust limitation or to get single engine privileges.

 

[JimNtexas]

If the Navy is like the Air Force when you earn your Wings you'll be able to get an FAA commercial rotor wing certificate by taking the military competency – helicopter written test and submitting your Navy flight records to the FAA.

I'm not sure if your T-6 time will get you an FAA fixed wing ticket or not.

I'd suggest concentrating on earning your Navy wings and then pursue whatever FAA tickets that interest you.

FAA Page on military conversion

 

[Velocity173]

In the Army we took our tests right after the instrument ride in 67s. That way the information would be fresh. We went out in town to the testing center, got a crash course on the applicable comm FARs and then took the military competency test. After graduation we went to the FSDO with all the necessary paperwork and got our RW comm / inst certificates. Those would sit in our wallets for the next 6 yrs gathering dust.

I'm not sure if you'll qualify for post 9/11 GI Bill but if you knock out a deployment in support of OEF, you should be good. Or you can just pay out of pocket.

 

[poadeleted20]

Once you get your navy wings all you would need to do is take a written test to get the applicable civilian commercial license(s). When I was in the USAF, graduates of UPT took a written and got a commercial, instrument, multi-engine (limited to centerline thrust) civilian certificate. They would need to take a checkride with the FAA to remove the centerline thrust limitation or to get single engine privileges.

However, a Navy helo pilot training graduate who passed a NATOPS check in T-6's will be able to get an ASEL as well as RH rating on that FAA CP ticket. My suggestion is to wait until completing Navy pilot training, then take the military equivalence written test and get that CP-ASEL-RH-IH (maybe even IA) certificate. Adding ratings to that will be a lot easier and cheaper than trying to do it on the side while still in Navy pilot training.

 

[turbofan]

However, a Navy helo pilot training graduate who passed a NATOPS check in T-6's will be able to get an ASEL as well as RH rating on that FAA CP ticket. My suggestion is to wait until completing Navy pilot training, then take the military equivalence written test and get that CP-ASEL-RH-IH (maybe even IA) certificate. Adding ratings to that will be a lot easier and cheaper than trying to do it on the side while still in Navy pilot training.

You don't get a NATOPS qual as a stud.

 

[poadeleted20]

You don't get a NATOPS qual as a stud.

Not even for solo? Hmmm, let's go to the rules...

(3) Presents official U.S. military records that show compliance with one of the following requirements--
(i) Before the date of the application, passing an official U.S. military pilot and instrument proficiency check in a military aircraft of the kind of aircraft category, class, and type, if class or type of aircraft is applicable, for the ratings sought; or
(ii) Before the date of application, logging 10 hours of pilot time as a military pilot in a U.S. military aircraft in the kind of aircraft category, class, and type, if a class rating or type rating is applicable, for the aircraft rating sought.

As I read that, once you have your wings, 10 hours in that T-6B in your Navy Flight Log would fill the subparagraph (ii) square even if there's no NATOPS check for the first subparagraph square, and the OP has 70 hours in the T-6B.

 

[turbofan]

Not even for solo? Hmmm, let's go to the rules...
As I read that, once you have your wings, 10 hours in that T-6B in your Navy Flight Log would fill the subparagraph (ii) square even if there's no NATOPS check for the first subparagraph square, and the OP has 70 hours in the T-6B.

Nope. No NATOPS rating until you get to your fleet aircraft. You fly the Hornet solo with around 5-6 hours time in type and no NATOPS rating, and never get one for the T-whatever. I think the Harrier is the same as far as NATOPS rating but I'd imagine they have a lot more time before they go solo.

Yeah, you have to have 10 hours time in type... as a military pilot. You don't have wings when you fly the T-6 as a stud, so you don't have 10 hours time in type as a military pilot.

Who knows if whoever does the equivalency would notice that, though.

 

[poadeleted20]

Yeah, you have to have 10 hours time in type... as a military pilot. You don't have wings when you fly the T-6 as a stud, so you don't have 10 hours time in type as a military pilot.

Who knows if whoever does the equivalency would notice that, though.

Doesn't mater -- from FAA Order 8900.1 regarding cat/class rating issuance: "Aeronautical experience obtained during military pilot training before graduation is acceptable" as long as it is as PIC or solo. So, if the OP has 10 hours of solo in the T-6B and has completed pilot training (not necessarily in that order), s/he gets the ASEL rating.

The only problem would be if the OP never took an instrument proficiency check in the T-6B. The source the FAA would use to determine that would be the pilot's Navy Flight Log or NATOPS qual jacket. However, if things are still done the same way as when I went through Pensacola 40 years ago, helo pilots do extensive instrument training in an airplane after primary and before basic helo, so I suspect there's an instrument check in the T-6B in there somewhere.

 

[EvilEagle]

Doesn't mater -- from FAA Order 8900.1 regarding cat/class rating issuance: "Aeronautical experience obtained during military pilot training before graduation is acceptable" as long as it is as PIC or solo. So, if the OP has 10 hours of solo in the T-6B and has completed pilot training (not necessarily in that order), s/he gets the ASEL rating.

The only problem would be if the OP never took an instrument proficiency check in the T-6B. The source the FAA would use to determine that would be the pilot's Navy Flight Log or NATOPS qual jacket. However, if things are still done the same way as when I went through Pensacola 40 years ago, helo pilots do extensive instrument training in an airplane after primary and before basic helo, so I suspect there's an instrument check in the T-6B in there somewhere.

I can't speak for the Navy, but in the USAF, the "checkrides" you take in UPT don't count as a true checkride (like the ones where you have a form 8). As a student, they are basically just another ride, albeit they are weighted more in your grading. The instrument checkrides in UPT are in my experience much more difficult than any of the form 8's I've had in the last 13 years since but they still don't count in the eyes of anyone outside UPT. An "instrument proficiency check" would be a form 8 in the USAF - at least that's how I've always read and heard it. Is the system different in the USN?

 

[br3800]

Doesn't mater -- from FAA Order 8900.1 regarding cat/class rating issuance: "Aeronautical experience obtained during military pilot training before graduation is acceptable" as long as it is as PIC or solo. So, if the OP has 10 hours of solo in the T-6B and has completed pilot training (not necessarily in that order), s/he gets the ASEL rating.

The only problem would be if the OP never took an instrument proficiency check in the T-6B. The source the FAA would use to determine that would be the pilot's Navy Flight Log or NATOPS qual jacket. However, if things are still done the same way as when I went through Pensacola 40 years ago, helo pilots do extensive instrument training in an airplane after primary and before basic helo, so I suspect there's an instrument check in the T-6B in there somewhere.

You only get 3 solo flights in the T-6 during training, so I don't have 10 hours of solo time. I have about 5, and I've done one solo flight in the TH-57 so far. As for the instrument training I did 12 instrument flights in primary, and had to do a check ride at the end. The check ride didn't get us a instrument rating of course. As for the helicopters you do all the instrument training in them, and get your instrument rating after you do that check ride.

 

[poadeleted20]

You only get 3 solo flights in the T-6 during training, so I don't have 10 hours of solo time. I have about 5, and I've done one solo flight in the TH-57 so far. As for the instrument training I did 12 instrument flights in primary, and had to do a check ride at the end. The check ride didn't get us a instrument rating of course. As for the helicopters you do all the instrument training in them, and get your instrument rating after you do that check ride.

Then I guess you're only going to get a CP-RH-IH after you get your wings, and you'll have to do everything it says in 61.63(b) to add the Airplane category to your CP ticket. Since it's an additional category rating, you'll need to meet all the 61.129(a) aeronautical experience requirements.

(1) 100 hours in powered aircraft, of which 50 hours must be in airplanes.
Covered in your USN training

(2) 100 hours of pilot-in-command flight time, which includes at least--
(i) 50 hours in airplanes;
You'll be way short on that -- the only Airplane PIC time you'll have is that 10 hours you mentioned.
(ii) 50 hours in cross-country flight of which at least 10 hours must be in airplanes.
Same deal, but getting 10 hours of XC PIC Airplane won't be hard to do as part of getting the extra 40 hours of Airplane PIC.

(3) 20 hours of training on the areas of operation listed in Sec. 61.127(b)(1) of this part that includes at least--
[(i) Ten hours of instrument training using a view-limiting device including attitude instrument flying, partial panel skills, recovery from unusual flight attitudes, and intercepting and tracking navigational systems. Five hours of the 10 hours required on instrument training must be in a single engine airplane;]
(ii) 10 hours of training in an airplane that has a retractable landing gear, flaps, and a controllable pitch propeller, or is turbine-powered, or for an applicant seeking a single-engine seaplane rating, 10 hours of training in a seaplane that has flaps and a controllable pitch propeller;
[(iii) One 2-hour cross country flight in a single engine airplane in daytime conditions that consists of a total straight-line distance of more than 100 nautical miles from the original point of departure;
(iv) One 2-hour cross country flight in a single engine airplane in nighttime conditions that consists of a total straight-line distance of more than 100 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and
I imagine all these will have been covered in your Navy training.

(v) Three hours in a single-engine airplane with an authorized instructor in preparation for the practical test within the preceding 2 calendar months from the month of the test.
Test prep -- necessary to prepare for the FAA practical test.

(4) Ten hours of solo flight time in a single engine airplane or 10 hours of flight time performing the duties of pilot in command in a single engine airplane with an authorized instructor on board (either of which may be credited towards the flight time requirement under paragraph (a)(2) of this section), on the areas of operation listed under Sec. 61.127(b)(1) that include--]
(i) One cross-country flight of not less than 300 nautical miles total distance, with landings at a minimum of three points, one of which is a straight-line distance of at least 250 nautical miles from the original departure point. However, if this requirement is being met in Hawaii, the longest segment need only have a straight-line distance of at least 150 nautical miles; and (ii) 5 hours in night VFR conditions with 10 takeoffs and 10 landings (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport with an operating control tower.
Again, part of getting your 40 hours of Airplane PIC time.

Sure you can't figure a way to get your PIC/solo time in the T-6B up to 10 hours?

 

[br3800]

Can't get the 10 hours solo time for the T-6 since I'm not flying that aircraft anymore. I wish I could go back and get more time in it. I'm hoping to build more time in a turboprop aircraft like the pc-12 since it's similar to the T-6 but I can only get that time on my own since I'm doing helicopters.

 

[poadeleted20]

Can't get the 10 hours solo time for the T-6 since I'm not flying that aircraft anymore. I wish I could go back and get more time in it. I'm hoping to build more time in a turboprop aircraft like the pc-12 since it's similar to the T-6 but I can only get that time on my own since I'm doing helicopters.

Unless you're independently wealthy, you ain't gettin' much time in a PC-12 on an Ensign's pay -- not even with flight pay. My suggestion based on my own Pensacola experience a very long time ago is to focus on the Navy flying for now and let the rest wait until you have your Wings of Gold.