u/SapperBravo1969

I just graduated from flight school, and these are my "wish I had known beforehand" and tips for new incoming students.

1. Flight school is not one school. It's a series of different schools with different schedules and start times. Depending on these start and end dates, there is absolutely no way to know how long you will be there, or even what class you will end up with. I am NG, so I had some help along the way, but it still took me 15-16 months to complete. Active-duty students sometimes had to wait longer for things than NG students.
2. Bubbles are no joke. I got hung up in that Oct 2025 government shutdown crap, which delayed us even longer on top of the regular bubbles. Be prepared to spend a lot of time on hold for one reason or another. It seemed like with each step I took, there was a 2-3-week bubble right after. The 64 guys have it the worst. My friend started flight school a year before me, and I still passed him up and graduated from the 60 course, while he still has a few months to go. He will end up spending 2.5 years at Rucker.
3. SERE was not fun, but not terrible either. I was desperately afraid to start that school because of all the things you hear, but it was a great school, and I learned a lot of things that I would have never learned anywhere else. Dont get me wrong, I never want to do that again, but it definitely has value, and I see why it's required for all pilots.
4. Stay on top of your medical readiness. I let that lapse, so I was scrambling at the end to get all that current.
5. If you have a IP that you absolutely cant work with, requst a change! 90% of the IPs are good to work with, but some are loud and rude and still believe negative reinforcement is the best way to teach. I've seen and heard some of them for sure. As a student, it's natural to take the punishment, but don't tolerate it if it's affecting your ability to learn. REQUEST A CHANGE!
6. Dont get down on yourself if you have some bad days, and dont try to compete with the superstars in the class. I was average, with good days and bad days. I would beat myself up sometimes, then I learned that this is normal. Yes, you will have a few students who consistently excel and ace everything, but that isn't the norm. Please don't compare yourself to them, do and learn your way, and dont be afraid to express your opinion and questions to your IP. Being afraid to ask questions was a problem I had at first because I didn't want to seem like I wasn't getting it. ASK!!
7. Study and prepare for each day! This may seem simple, but some students don't do it. I didn't at first, then quickly realized that studying and preparation made things a hell of a lot easier each day. Go to the simulators during hold or on the weekends, but dont burn yourself out.
8. Stay fit! Unless you are on hold, you will not do any formal PT with your class, and even that is not much. You will have to find time to stay fit during this course. A few students let themselves go and couldn't pass the PT test at the end!
9. Dont do crazy, dangerous shit during off-duty hours or while on hold. There were a few guys here and there who were either arrested or had to drop out because of "bad habits". When you're on hold, it's tempting to venture out on expeditions, but try to hold off on those urges. Idle time can definitely be the devil's playground.
10. Be prepared for international students. These guys/ gals are great, very intelligent, and sometimes make you feel inferior to them, but they are great role models and even a lot of fun to be around. One of my friends was from Finland, and I was better just being around him.
11. Enterprise is not exactly the most exciting place in the world, but it serves the purpose. I made frequent trips to Dothan, Panama City, Destin, and Pensacola Beach. Get away when you can and clear your mind. Dont study 7 days a week, or you will burn out. You will need at least 1 day off a week to just clear your mind and get away from everything.
12. Message me in the comments if you have any specific questions and good luck!!

I just graduated from flight school, and these are my "wish I had known beforehand" and tips for new incoming students.

1. Flight school is not one school. It's a series of different schools with different schedules and start times. Depending on these start and end dates, there is absolutely no way to know how long you will be there, or even what class you will end up with. I am NG, so I had some help along the way, but it still took me 15-16 months to complete. Active-duty students sometimes had to wait longer for things than NG students.
2. Bubbles are no joke. I got hung up in that Oct 2025 government shutdown crap, which delayed us even longer on top of the regular bubbles. Be prepared to spend a lot of time on hold for one reason or another. It seemed like with each step I took, there was a 2-3-week bubble right after. The 64 guys have it the worst. My friend started flight school a year before me, and I still passed him up and graduated from the 60 course, while he still has a few months to go. He will end up spending 2.5 years at Rucker.
3. SERE was not fun, but not terrible either. I was desperately afraid to start that school because of all the things you hear, but it was a great school, and I learned a lot of things that I would have never learned anywhere else. Dont get me wrong, I never want to do that again, but it definitely has value, and I see why it's required for all pilots.
4. Stay on top of your medical readiness. I let that lapse, so I was scrambling at the end to get all that current.
5. If you have a IP that you absolutely cant work with, requst a change! 90% of the IPs are good to work with, but some are loud and rude and still believe negative reinforcement is the best way to teach. I've seen and heard some of them for sure. As a student, it's natural to take the punishment, but don't tolerate it if it's affecting your ability to learn. REQUEST A CHANGE!
6. Dont get down on yourself if you have some bad days, and dont try to compete with the superstars in the class. I was average, with good days and bad days. I would beat myself up sometimes, then I learned that this is normal. Yes, you will have a few students who consistently excel and ace everything, but that isn't the norm. Please don't compare yourself to them, do and learn your way, and dont be afraid to express your opinion and questions to your IP. Being afraid to ask questions was a problem I had at first because I didn't want to seem like I wasn't getting it. ASK!!
7. Study and prepare for each day! This may seem simple, but some students don't do it. I didn't at first, then quickly realized that studying and preparation made things a hell of a lot easier each day. Go to the simulators during hold or on the weekends, but dont burn yourself out.
8. Stay fit! Unless you are on hold, you will not do any formal PT with your class, and even that is not much. You will have to find time to stay fit during this course. A few students let themselves go and couldn't pass the PT test at the end!
9. Dont do crazy, dangerous shit during off-duty hours or while on hold. There were a few guys here and there who were either arrested or had to drop out because of "bad habits". When you're on hold, it's tempting to venture out on expeditions, but try to hold off on those urges. Idle time can definitely be the devil's playground.
10. Be prepared for international students. These guys/ gals are great, very intelligent, and sometimes make you feel inferior to them, but they are great role models and even a lot of fun to be around. One of my friends was from Finland, and I was better just being around him.
11. Enterprise is not exactly the most exciting place in the world, but it serves the purpose. I made frequent trips to Dothan, Panama City, Destin, and Pensacola Beach. Get away when you can and clear your mind. Dont study 7 days a week, or you will burn out. You will need at least 1 day off a week to just clear your mind and get away from everything.
12. Message me in the comments if you have any specific questions and good luck!!