Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, however, the private pilot certificate (license) is a pre-admission requirement for the Career Pilot Technology degree pathway. If you don’t have your private pilot certificate, you can enroll in the Aviation Management degree pathway first. The coursework in the first and second semesters is the same for both pathways. Once you earn your private pilot certificate, you can enroll in the Career Pilot pathway and progress to your instrument rating and commercial certificate flight training.
To get credit for your private pilot certificate, submit your official FAA pilot certificate to our Aviation Department Chairperson (who will also be your Academic Advisor). Credit for AER-151 Flight – Private Pilot will be awarded (via licensure) and will be posted to your college transcript.
We encourage anyone who needs to get the private pilot certificate to take advantage of Part 141 professional flight training at our FAA-certified flight training provider, WNC Aviation, LLC located at the Greater Asheville Regional Airport (21 Aviation Way, Fletcher, NC). While we recommend that you do your private pilot flight training at WNC Aviation, LLC, it is not required that you train there. You can complete your training at any FAA-certified flight school or with any FAA-certified flight instructor.
No. As noted in Question 1, the FAA private pilot certificate (license) is a pre-admission requirement for the Career Pilot pathway. As such, the flight training provided by the AER-151 course is not offered as part of the Career Pilot pathway. Technically, you get your private pilot certificate outside of the A-B Tech program. Credit is then awarded for AER-151 (via licensure).
For Career Pilot students enrolled in AER-161 Flight – Instrument Pilot or AER-171 Flight – Commercial Pilot must do their flight training at our FAA-certified, Part 141 flight training provider, WNC Aviation, LLC to take full advantage of the Career Pilot Technology degree, including the R-ATP benefit (see Question 4). As described in Question 1, private pilot flight training (AER-151) is not offered as part of the degree program. You can complete your private pilot flight training at any FAA-certified flight school or with any FAA-certified flight instructor.
For students eligible and wishing to use their VA/GI Bill benefits to complete their flight training at A-B Tech (for the instrument rating and commercial pilot certificate), you must complete this portion of your training at WNC Aviation, LLC at the Asheville Regional Airport.
If you do not wish to take advantage of the R-ATP benefit and/or you're not receiving GI Bill flight benefits to pay for your flight training, you can perform your flight training for the instrument rating and commercial pilot certificate at any FAA-certified flight school or with any FAA-certified flight instructor. If you do your instrument rating or commercial pilot flight training with another school or instructor, to get credit for your rating and/or certificate, submit your official FAA pilot credentials to our Aviation Department Chairperson. Credit for AER-161 Flight – Instrument Pilot and/or AER-171 Flight – Commercial Pilot will be awarded (via licensure) and will be posted to your college transcript. This process also applies to students who already may possess some or all of the FAA credentials required in the Career Pilot degree program.
R-ATP stands for “Restricted Airline Transport Pilot.” In order to fly for the airlines, you must have an ATP certificate. This is a certification beyond the Commercial Pilot certificate. Federal law mandates ATP candidates to have 1,500 hours of logged flight time to apply for the ATP certificate. The FAA, however, authorizes select institutions of higher education to certify graduates of approved aviation degree programs for a restricted privileges ATP certificate with reduced aeronautical experience.
This authorization allows pilots with fewer than 1,500 hours of flight time to obtain a restricted privileges ATP certificate. A restricted privileges ATP certificate allows a pilot to serve as an airline co-pilot until he or she obtains the necessary 1,500 hours. Since A-B Tech is a two-year institution with an approved aviation degree program, the FAA reduced the total time our graduates must achieve to 1,250 hours to qualify for an airline pilot position. Having to spend less time accumulating hours means entering the job market sooner!
Primary flight training at most flight schools is usually conducted in four-seat, single-engine aircraft. Our flight training provider, WNC Aviation, LLC has a fleet of five Cessna Skyhawk (C172 R/S models) and one Piper Arrow (PA28-200R) airplane.
The costs associated with flight training are very variable and depend greatly on each student’s ability to progress in the flight syllabi. Some will earn their certificates/rating near the FAA minimum required flight hours and others may take considerably longer. Flight training is billed by the hour, so the more hours it takes, the higher the costs. The estimates we publish are based on the FAA flight hour minimums.
For further details, contact our FAA-certified flight training provider, WNC Aviation, LLC at (828) 687-7540 or their website, Be Your Own Captain. You can also find pricing information at Aviation Management and Career Pilot Technology.
Students seeking to become pilots must obtain a medical certificate. To enroll in the Career Pilot Technology degree pathway, you must have at least a 2nd class medical certificate. Having a 2nd class medical certificate will allow you, as a commercial pilot, to fly people or cargo for hire. For private pilot flight training, only an RD class medical is required. The 3rd class medical will allow you, as a private pilot, to fly for pleasure, travel, or personal business. If your career goal is to be an airline pilot, however, it is recommended that you obtain a 1st class medical certificate, which is required to exercise ATP privileges, to ensure you’re medically qualified to be an airline pilot. To get your medical certificate, the FAA requires you to have a flight physical done by a doctor that is an FAA-approved Aeromedical Examiner (AME). More information about the flight physical and how to locate an AME can be found on the FAA website
Additionally, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires all prospective student pilots to provide proof of citizenship through either a current/valid U.S. Passport or a copy of their birth certificate with the raised seal. Non-U.S. citizens can perform flight training but must go through additional background checks. More information can be found on the AOPA Foundation website.
We recommend that you fly at least three times a week in order to achieve this goal. Keep in mind the more often you fly, the sooner you will qualify for your license/rating and the less money you will spend on your flight training. You need to fly regularly to retain the knowledge and skills you learn with each lesson!
If you’re enrolled in AER-161 Flight – Instrument Pilot or AER-171 Flight – Commercial Pilot and don’t successfully finish the course requirements in the semester in which you’re registered, including the FAA practical test (“check-ride”), due to reasons beyond your control, an incomplete grade or "I" will be assigned. Any remaining course requirements must be completed by the end of the next full 16-week term. Additional extensions of up to six months each may be approved only if a valid reason has prevented you from completing the course. Otherwise, the "I" grade will become an “F." If you complete the required stated flight hours but are still unprepared for, or do not pass the FAA practical test, you will be assigned an “F” grade for the course. This grade can be changed to a passing grade when you pass your check-ride.
No, our Career Pilot pathway students can switch pathways at any time in order to graduate as Aviation Management students. This allows you the opportunity to earn an A.A.S. degree and continue your flight training after graduation and still enjoy the perks of being an A-B Tech Aviation graduate, such as being eligible for the R-ATP benefit afforded to graduates who do their required Part 141 flight training (i.e., for the Instrument Rating and Commercial Certificate) at our FAA-certified Part 141 flight training provider, WNC Aviation, LLC.
For your private pilot classes (AER-110 Air Navigation and AER 150 Private Pilot Flight Theory), you will need to have a (Southeast) Chart Supplement (formerly Airport/Facility Directory), sectional chart (Atlanta), sectional plotter, current FAR/AIM, and manual flight computer (E6B). These items can be bought in our bookstore located on the main campus.
Flight students are required to have all of the items listed in Question 11 plus additional supplies that include a headset, kneeboard, Pilot Operating Handbook (POH), and Private Pilot Practical Test Standards. These additional supplies can be purchased at our FAA-certified flight training provider, WNC Aviation, LLC.
For AER-160 Instrument Flight Theory, you will need a low-altitude en route chart (L25/L26) that covers Western NC. In addition, you will need the Terminal Approach Procedures Publication for NC/SC. Both the low altitude en route chart and NC/SC approach procedures can be purchased at our bookstore on the main campus. Flight students training for the Instrument Rating will also need a cockpit view limiting device (e.g., IFR hood or “foggles”). These devices are available at our FAA-certified flight training provider, WNC Aviation, LLC.
No, you do not have to be a degree-seeking student to take aviation classes. However, you must select one of our certificate options in order to register for Aviation Department (AER) courses. The certificate options allow you to pick and choose the appropriate courses geared toward your particular interests. Veterans who are eligible and wish to use their VA/GI Bill benefits can only be certified for classes required for their program of study. Thus, they must declare the major to be certified for aviation classes.
Technically, you have up until right before the first class meeting to be registered. You should, however, start the application process at least one week before the first day of class to realistically have all required items completed to enroll in classes and to get seated in the sections that work best within your personal schedule.