Professional Aeronautics Certification (PAC) Programs
Aviation career pathway programs at these partner colleges (click logo to learn more):
OVERVIEW
The Professional Aeronautics Certificate (PAC) is a career pathway program for aspiring professional pilots. Program duration is 12, 16 or 20 months for part-time students working 15-20 hours per week on flight training, depending on the number of licenses sought.
PAC can be completed in as short as 6-8 months for full-time students working 40 hours per week, but the part-time program is designed to accommodate traditional college students, returning adult students seeking a career change, military Veterans, and high-school juniors and seniors who want to get started early start on the an explosive aviation job market.
Each PAC program includes ground school that is hosted by the partner college (click logo above or link below for program details), and flight training is conducted at partner flight school within driving distance of the college (see list and map of locations below).
Partner colleges include:
1) Madison College in Madison, WI and Wisconsin Dells, WI
2) McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, IL and Wonder Lake, IL
3) Black Hawk College in Moline, IL
4) Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, IA; Harlan, IA; and Omaha, NE
5) College for Technical Education in Lexington, KY; Danville, KY; and Georgetown, KY
6) Beaufort County Community College in Washington, NC and New Bern, NC
7) St Johns River State College in Ormond Beach, FL; St Augustine, FL; and Jacksonville, FL
Curriliculum
The Professional Aeronautics Certificate (PAC) includes 3 CORE COURSES: Private Pilot License (PPL), Instrument Flight Rating (IFR) and Commercial Pilot License (CPL) that can be completed in 12 months for students who work ~20 hours per week in Fall, Spring and Summer semesters. Optionally, students can extend the curriculum to 16 months and work ~15 hours per week, taking an additional 4-month semester of flight training.
PAC students can also choose to add a fourth course to earn their Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) and Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII) ratings in the same 4-month course. PAC also offers optional Multi-Engine Pilot and Multi-Engine Instructor courses as well.
CORE COURSES
PPL
Semester 1: Prepares students to earn their FAA Private Pilot License (PPL) in a single-engine airplane, allowing them to safely operate in visual conditions. PPL includes ~70 flight hours + 5 simulation hours (front-loaded training) for a strong foundation.
IFR
Semester 2: Prepares students to earn their Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) rating for their PPL, allowing them to safely fly in clouds and limited visibility. IFR includes ~60 flight hours + 25 simulation hours...again, front-load to hone foundational skills.
CPL
Semester 3: Prepares students to earn their Commercial Pilot License (CPL) in a single-engine airplane with a minimum of 200 flight hours + 50 simulation hours total experience: PPL + IFR + CPL. Graduates will be employable as commercial pilots.
OPTIONAL COURSES
CFI+
CFII
Semester 4: Allows students to earn Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) and Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII) ratings in a single course, allowing them to work as instructor pilots to build time toward an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL).
ME+
MEI
The optional Multi-Engine course is self-paced, and it allows students to earn their Multi-Engine certificate to fly twin-engine airplanes. Students will also have the option to earn their Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI) rating or pursue time-building flights.
Graduation & Employment
Aviation is one of the most fun, exciting and rewarding careers available, and it costs less than most reputable bachelors degrees. Currently, the industry is facing a global pilot-shortage crisis, driven primarily by a mass exodus of aging pilots. Specifically, aviation is one of very few industries that has a mandatory retirement age, which is 65, and Baby Boomers started turning 65 in recent years and will continue to exit the workforce in mass over the next 10-15 years, creating the most stable, high paying job market in the history of aviation. There has never been a better time to become a professional pilot, and more and more financing options are becoming available. Please contact us for details.
PAC graduates will complete the program with 250-300 total flight hours, and they can expect to be immediately employable by private or charter aircraft operators or by flight schools as instructor pilots. PAC graduates will finish after earning their commercial pilot license in the third semester and enter the workforce flying commercial charter or corporate aircraft, but most graduates will complete the fourth and final semester to become instructor pilots and build their hours as instructors before applying for an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATP), which requires 1500 hours of total flight time.
In fact, PAC students who successfully complete the CFI / CFII course in Semester 4 will be offered preferential hiring for open instructor-pilot positions at partner flight schools.