Summer: It's Not Just for Slacking Off Anymore
Rob Robinson
Issue date: 4/15/09 Section: News
The flightline operates all summer long, even between summer semesters, and can be a great way to catch on some flying or even get ahead in some ways. It can even be a way for someone who is not an aeronautical science student to tests the water of getting a pilot certificate quicker than during the normal school year. The possibilities for summer flying are almost endless for someone who is willing to stay here for a month or two.
If you are interested in getting your private pilot certificate over the summer, consider FA 121 for your summer plans. There are 109 days between the first day of Summer A and the first day of fall semester, and only 65 units in the curriculum for the flying portion of FA 121. Doing five activities a week could finish the course by the beginning of August, leaving time left to clear up any loose ends before the fall semester starts. Doing more than one a day would help to finish the course even faster.
For those thinking about getting your Instrument or Commercial certificates this summer, it's possible to finish those before the fall semester starts as well. The instrument courses, FA 221 and FA 222, are both about 50 units long, meaning one activity per day on the weekdays would finish the course in about 10 weeks. That's about mid-July, leaving plenty of time to take care of business before school starts again.
Courses are available if you want to finish your Commercial over the summer, as well. If you are on the single track, then you would need to finish FA 321 and FA 323 to meet graduation requirements. Together those courses are 48 units, which would be about 10 weeks if you flew every day. If you are on the multi track and you just want to take FA 322, it's only 18 units long and could potentially be finished before the end of May. Add on your commercial single rating (FA 326) and you could still be done before the end of June with almost 2 full months until the fall semester starts.
On the flying elective side of things, you can look into FA 215, the Extreme Attitude Recovery course, and FA 422, the Airbus Crew Resource Management Course. FA 215 is purely an elective for most students, but is a graduation requirement for anyone in the 2007 catalog. It's extremely short, only 7 units, and doesn't require a ground school. It's a fun course and your overall flying skills will be greatly improved when it's over.
FA 422 is also a graduation requirement for students in the Airline Pilot Specialty program, but can also be an elective for any aeronautical science student. It has recently been completely re-written to be closer to what an actual airline new-hire ground school would be like, teaching such items as systems, high-altitude ops, 121 different regulations, airline standard operating procedures, Flight Management and Guidance System operations, and, of course, crew resource management. It is taught by two instructors who have extensive airline experience, so you know they know what they're talking about.
FA 422 will last a full summer semester, about 5 weeks, with 3 weeks of ground school and 2 weeks for the simulator portion. You could still be home for the rest of the summer by mid-June with a full 2 months of summer left until returning.
Summer is a great time to play catch-up or to even get ahead with your flying. Make plans this summer to get it done!
If you are interested in getting your private pilot certificate over the summer, consider FA 121 for your summer plans. There are 109 days between the first day of Summer A and the first day of fall semester, and only 65 units in the curriculum for the flying portion of FA 121. Doing five activities a week could finish the course by the beginning of August, leaving time left to clear up any loose ends before the fall semester starts. Doing more than one a day would help to finish the course even faster.
For those thinking about getting your Instrument or Commercial certificates this summer, it's possible to finish those before the fall semester starts as well. The instrument courses, FA 221 and FA 222, are both about 50 units long, meaning one activity per day on the weekdays would finish the course in about 10 weeks. That's about mid-July, leaving plenty of time to take care of business before school starts again.
Courses are available if you want to finish your Commercial over the summer, as well. If you are on the single track, then you would need to finish FA 321 and FA 323 to meet graduation requirements. Together those courses are 48 units, which would be about 10 weeks if you flew every day. If you are on the multi track and you just want to take FA 322, it's only 18 units long and could potentially be finished before the end of May. Add on your commercial single rating (FA 326) and you could still be done before the end of June with almost 2 full months until the fall semester starts.
On the flying elective side of things, you can look into FA 215, the Extreme Attitude Recovery course, and FA 422, the Airbus Crew Resource Management Course. FA 215 is purely an elective for most students, but is a graduation requirement for anyone in the 2007 catalog. It's extremely short, only 7 units, and doesn't require a ground school. It's a fun course and your overall flying skills will be greatly improved when it's over.
FA 422 is also a graduation requirement for students in the Airline Pilot Specialty program, but can also be an elective for any aeronautical science student. It has recently been completely re-written to be closer to what an actual airline new-hire ground school would be like, teaching such items as systems, high-altitude ops, 121 different regulations, airline standard operating procedures, Flight Management and Guidance System operations, and, of course, crew resource management. It is taught by two instructors who have extensive airline experience, so you know they know what they're talking about.
FA 422 will last a full summer semester, about 5 weeks, with 3 weeks of ground school and 2 weeks for the simulator portion. You could still be home for the rest of the summer by mid-June with a full 2 months of summer left until returning.
Summer is a great time to play catch-up or to even get ahead with your flying. Make plans this summer to get it done!
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