A professional pilot possesses a commercial pilot certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Students graduating from this course usually begin their careers as flight instructors. After working as a flight instructor for one or two years, most progress into charter flight, corporate flying, and commuter or major commercial airlines.
General Degree Requirements
In addition to the program course requirements, students must also complete the general education requirements for the degree they seek to obtain. The two degree options in this program are the Associate of Applied Technology (AAT) and the Associate in Applied Science – T (AAS-T). The different requirements for each degree are listed below.
AAT Degree General Education Requirements (18 credits)
ENGL& 101
| | 5 |
| Or | |
CMST& 220
| | 5 |
| | |
| Any 100-Level Math Class | 5 |
PSYC& 100DIV
| | 5 |
| COLL 102 | College Success for All | 3 |
NOTE: CMST& 220 or higher
PSYC& 100DIV: PSY 112DIV, SOC& 101DIV, or other humanities course that meets the diversity requirement
AAS-T Degree General Education Requirements (23 credits)
All AAS-T degrees must have a minimum of 20 credits of transferable general education. These credits replace the academic courses required for the AAT degree. Required credits include:
5 credits in communication:
5 credits in quantitative reasoning:
MATH& 107
| | 5 |
MATH& 141
| | 5 |
MATH& 142
| | 5 |
MATH& 146
| | 5 |
MATH& 151
| | 5 |
5 credits in a social science that meets the diversity requirement:
PSYC& 100DIV
| | 5 |
SOC& 101DIV
| | 5 |
5 credits in social science, humanities, or science;
choose one from the following:
ART& 100
| Art Appreciation | 5 |
ASL& 121
| American Sign Language I | 5 |
ASL& 122
| American Sign Language II | 5 |
BIOL& 160
| General Biology w/Lab | 5 |
BIOL& 175
| Human Biology w/Lab | 5 |
BIOL& 241
| Human A & P I | 5 |
BIOL& 242
| Human A & P II | 5 |
BIOL& 260
| Microbiology | 5 |
CHEM& 110
| | 5 |
CHEM& 121
| | 5 |
CHEM& 131
| | 5 |
GEOL& 110
| | 5 |
HIST& 146
| | 5 |
HIST& 147
| | 5 |
HIST& 148
| | 5 |
HUM& 101
| | 5 |
MUSC& 105
| | 5 |
PHYS& 114
| | 5 |
POLS& 202
| | 5 |
PSYC& 100
| | 5 |
PSYC& 200
| | 5 |
PSYC& 220
| | 5 |
SOC& 101
| | 5 |
3 credits in College Success:
Students pursuing an AAT or AAS-T degree must complete all college degree requirements prior to graduation. This includes courses that meet the requirements for diversity, computer literacy, and the capstone project.
*Professional Pilot Aircraft Rental Rates
Rates
| Plane |
Rate |
*Fuel Cost Per Gallon |
Fuel Consumption Rate |
Hourly Rate with Fuel |
| Non-Complex Aircraft |
$83.39 |
$4.29 |
9 GPH |
$122.00 |
| Complex Aircraft |
$129.44 |
$4.29 |
14 GPH |
$189.50 |
*Aircraft costs vary with the current fuel market price
Professional Pilot Flight Fees
*Commercial Pilot Certificate
|
Flight Hours |
Hourly Rate with Fuel |
Total |
Aircraft Rental
|
102 minimum flight hours |
$122.00 |
$12,444.00 |
| 18 minimum flight hours |
$189.50 |
$3,411.00 |
| Pre and Post Briefings |
120 hours |
$12.00 |
$1,440.00 |
| Dual Instruction |
55 hours |
$45.00 |
$2,475.00 |
| Total Flight Fee Costs |
$19,770.00 |
*Aircraft costs vary with the current fuel market price.
*Instrument Pilot Certificate
|
Flight Hours |
Hourly Rate with Fuel |
Total |
| Aircraft Rental |
60 minimum hours |
$122.00 |
$7,320.00 |
| Pre and Post Briefings |
60 hours |
$12.00 |
$720.00 |
| Dual Instruction |
60 hours |
$45.00 |
$2,700.00 |
| Total Flight Fee Costs |
$10,740.00 |
*Aircraft costs vary with the current fuel market price.
*Private Pilot Certificate
|
Flight Hours |
Hourly Rate with Fuel |
Total |
| Aircraft Rental |
60 minimum hours |
$122.00 |
$7,320.00 |
| Pre and Post Briefings |
60 hours |
$12.00 |
$720.00 |
| Dual Instruction |
47 hours |
$45.00 |
$2,115.00 |
| Total Flight Fee Costs |
$10,155.00 |
*Aircraft costs vary with the current fuel market price.
Other Exams
FAA Knowledge Test – 3 @ $150.00 each
Check for current cost with instructor. |
$450.00 |
FAA Medical Exam
Check with FAA examiner for current cost.
FAA medical and examiner fee paid to provider. |
$150.00 |
FAA Check Ride – 3 @ Examiner Fee
(Approximately $500.00 each) |
$1,500.00 |
FAA Check Ride – 3 @ Aircraft Rental Fee
(Approximately $200.00 each) |
$600.00 |
Employability Requirements
To be employed as a professional pilot, at the minimum, one must possess a commercial pilot certificate. This certificate is obtained by passing a Federal Aviation Administration written test and flight test and obtaining a Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate.
Program Length
This certificate program is approximately eight quarters long, depending on the time students need to satisfactorily complete all graduation requirements.
Admission Dates
Summer, fall, winter, and spring quarters
Completion Requirements
Prerequisite(s)
A mandatory orientation is required prior to admission to the program. Must be at least 16 1/2 years of age. Must comply with FAA licensing standards, and must obtain a second-class FAA medical examination prior to the first day of class. Please contact instructor for details.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires that U.S. citizens prove citizenship status before beginning flight training by providing a current passport or birth certificate and driver’s license. Non-U.S. students must submit to a background and fingerprint check from the TSA prior to beginning training. Contact instructor for details.
Program Course List
AAT Requirements
| Technical Course Requirements | 96 |
| AAT General Education Requirements | 18 |
| Computer Literacy Requirement | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 117 |
AAT General Education Requirements: See list above
Computer Literacy Requirement: Complete an approved computer literacy course or successfully pass the computer literacy exam
AAS-T Requirements
| Technical Course Requirements | 96 |
| AAS-T Degree General Education Requirements | 23 |
| Computer Literacy Requirement | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 122 |
AAS-T Degree General Education Requirements: See list above
Computer Literacy Requirement: Complete an approved computer literacy course or successfully pass the computer literacy exam
Note: Students complete the Professional Pilot Program requirements at different rates due to their own skills and abilities, availability of planes and weather conditions that can alter scheduled flying times. Thus, the number of quarters needed to satisfactorily complete all graduation requirements may exceed those listed above. Students must meet FAA flight time requirements prior to graduation.
Optional Training
| AVP 190 | Airline Multi-Engine CRM (Crew Resource Management) I | 3 |
| AVP 195 | Airline Multi-Engine CRM (Crew Resource Management) II | 3 |
| AVP 218 | Multi-Engine Instructor Certification MEI | 3 |
| AVP 260 | Certified Flight Instructor I | 4 |
| AVP 265 | Certified Flight Instructor II | 4 |
| AVP 268 | Certified Instrument Flight Instructor | 4 |
| AVP 271 | Multi-Engine Certification | 3 |
Optional Elective Courses
| AVP 118 | Private Pilot Practical Test Standards I | 4 |
| AVP 138 | Private Pilot Practical Test Standards II | 4 |
| AVP 152 | Instrument Pilot Practical Standards III | 4 |
| AVP 172 | Instrument Pilot Practical Standards IV | 4 |
| AVP 223 | Commercial Pilot Practical Standards V | 4 |
| AVP 257 | Commercial Pilot Practical Standards VI | 4 |