General Information
What is the total cost of the Academy?
Due to the backing of the University of Central Arkansas, total costs are mitigated by efficiencies and grants and scholarships. The outright cost is estimated at around $75,000 over the two-year period. Costs include fuel, plane, flight instruction, ground instruction, supplies, equipment and testing.
Is there an option for campus housing?
Students seeking on-campus housing options should email a request to aviation@uca.edu.
How much payment is required upfront, and what is the refund policy?
The UCA Aviation Academy requires a $10,000 deposit before training begins. This will be used against the flight training as your bank account. Ground school is $1,000 and flight training is $230 per hour for airplane use and $70 per hour for the instructor.
Your account will be monitored, and when funds are low, an additional amount will be required to be deposited. All unused flight hours will be refunded 100%.
When will applications be accepted?
A link will be provided to all who have signed up for more information. The application will be ready in January 2024. There are only 30 slots available for the first class in March 2024. All applicants will be screened. The screening will include a short aptitude test, possession of the required Aviation Medical Certificate from an Aviation Medical Examiner, and proof of required funds with a deposit deadline for training.
What financing options are available?
Traditional college student loans for credit-based activities are not available for the UCA Aviation Academy. However, other student loan options are available, and we are working with financial institutions and our state to provide as many as possible. This is the current one with more to come. https://uca.edu/aviation/financial-aid/
What scholarships and grants are available?
We anticipate having several options for scholarships and grants. Scholarships will be available through the UCA Foundation, and we are actively pursuing their funding. Grants will be through our state and aviation foundations. We are engaged in many conversations with those entities. We do not anticipate these will be available for our March 2024 enrollees, but they may be for our later participants in 2024 and 2025. We will report back here soon.
Can Governor’s scholarships and other academic college scholarships be used for the UCA Aviation Academy?
These types of state credit-based academic scholarships do not apply to the UCA Aviation Academy.
Do UCA employees receive the UCA Tuition Remission?
The UCA employee discount is not available for the UCA Aviation Academy. The planes and fuel are hard costs and are not covered by the tuition remission program.
Will the UCA Aviation Academy offer CFI, CFII, and MEI instructor certificates?
The academy will not; however, our partner Central Flying Academy does offer these instructor certificates.
If I complete these certificates in two years or less, can I get my instructor certificate and start building time by instructing?
Yes! That is an advantage of this program. There is no four-year wait to begin instruction and building logbook flying time.
Can the GI Bill be used for the UCA Aviation Academy?
We are working with the Office of Veteran Affairs to establish guidelines and procedures. The GI Bill does not provide funding assistance for the Private Pilot License. It does provide assistance for subsequent ratings and licenses. Contact your VA Administrator for more information.
What Aviation Degree programs are offered? Is there aviation management or aviation maintenance?
The UCA Aviation Academy is flight training only. There is not an academic degree program in aviation at UCA. Students can consider flight training while working on an academic degree of their choice. This provides extreme flexibility for our students as their degree can be in any of our great academic offerings. Students can also decide to simply flight train only. Either way, this program provides great flexibility and the quickest path to the Airline Transport Pilot program (ATP).
If I am enrolled in courses at UCA or have a full-time job, do I have time to flight train?
Yes. Training is flexible and can be prescribed at a time convenient to you and your instructor.
What resources are available for career planning and placement?
The UCA Aviation Academy aims to help all students achieve their aviation goals. Many will want to pursue a career in the airline industry. We are working with airline partners to help achieve a seamless path for all students. Our administration is committed to assisting with these goals.
What class of aviation medical certificate should I obtain?
There are three classes of medical certificates: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Any will allow an individual to operate as a private pilot. However, if your goal is to be an airline pilot, you should obtain a 1st class certificate to ensure that can be accomplished. That is the class required for the profession. A 2nd class is required for corporate pilots to be paid for their private flights for companies and individuals.
About the Academy
What is the name of the Aviation Academy, and where is it located?
UCA Aviation Academy, Conway Municipal Airport, 3250 Sand Gap Rd, Conway, AR 72032
Who can enroll in courses at the Aviation Academy?
Enrollment is open to everyone, regardless of university student status.
What type of courses does the Aviation Academy offer?
Ground school and flight school. The first four licenses/ratings of Private, Instrument, Multi-Engine and Commercial.
Are there any prerequisites for enrolling in the courses?
There are no prerequisites.
What is the duration of the courses?
Most should be able to complete this program in two years.
Can I visit the Academy before enrolling?
The academy will begin in March using the City of Conway’s Airport facilities. The Academy is building a hangar and classroom space, but it will not be ready until 2025. So the academy is not ready to visit.
Is the Academy affiliated with any aviation organizations or regulatory bodies?
The UCA Aviation Academy partners with Central Flying Academy out of Little Rock, AR. Central Flying Academy, under their FAA-approved Part 141 certificated training programs, will supply all the instructors for the UCA Aviation Academy. Central Flying Academy is a highly rated FAA Part 141 Flight School. This provides a higher standard of instruction and a more efficient path to the licenses/ratings.
Course Information
What courses are available, and what topics do they cover?
There are ground school courses to assist with all FAA-required written exams. There are flight school requirements for each of the three licenses/ratings.
How often are courses offered?
Ground school courses will be offered regularly as the courses fill with students. So far these have started every three months.
Are there any age restrictions for specific courses?
The FAA requires all students to be 16 years or older for solo flight and 17 years or older to obtain a private pilot license.
What are the course fees, and how are they structured?
Course fees are based on the cost of the airplane and the instructor fee. Solo flight requires the airplane fee only. Dual flight with an instructor adds the instructor fee. The fee for the airplane is $230 per flight hour. The fee for an instructor, whether ground or in flight is $70 per hour. For a dual flight, the fee together is $300 per hour.
Are there any discounts for group bookings or multiple courses?
There are discounts for ground school depending on the number of students enrolled. There are no discounts for flights.
Instructors and Facilities
Who are the instructors at the Aviation Academy, and what are their qualifications?
Central Flying Academy will supply all the instructors for the UCA Aviation Academy.
Is there a simulator available for flight training?
A certified simulator is on-site at the UCA Aviation Academy at the Conway Municipal Airport. It is the Gleim Flight Experience Trainer (FET) and is widely used by flight schools nationwide.
Enrollment Process
Can I enroll in more than one course at a time?
Sequential training is required.
What is the cancellation and refund policy?
Cancellations can be made at any time. Refunds will be issued for any unused flight and instructor expenses.
Is there a waiting list for popular courses?
Due to the demand for pilots, the UCA Aviation Academy has generated a great deal of interest. There is a list of applicants but admission is not on a first-come-first-served basis.
Are there any medical or physical requirements for enrollment?
All students must receive at least a FAA third class medical certificate from a certified Aviation Medical Examiner. You may find a local examiner at https://www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocator.
Payment and Billing Policy
How can I make payments for the courses?
All payments are made to the University of Central Arkansas. The first payment is for the first 30 hours of flight and instruction and will be banked at the University. At any time the student withdraws from the program, a refund will be issued for any unused flight and instructor time.
Course Content and Schedule
What can I expect to learn in each course?
Students will learn all things aviation and gain the ability to fly airplanes safely to earn the appropriate licenses/ratings.
What is the daily schedule like for full-time courses?
Ground school will be offered at consistent intervals. Flight training will be scheduled at the student’s desired times. However, consistency contributes to the efficiency of learning and costs.
Are part-time or evening courses available?
Ground school may be offered in the evening or on weekends, depending on class size and student availability. However, consistency contributes to the efficiency of learning and costs. While some lessons are late in the training stages that must be completed at night, most flight training requires good weather during daylight hours.
How long in advance should I book a course to secure a spot?
We recommend enrolling a month before ground school or flight training starts.
Certifications and Licensing
Will I receive a certificate upon course completion?
Upon successfully completing a training course, students will receive a graduation certificate allowing them to conduct the written or practical examination. Graduating from the ground course, the student will be endorsed for, and eligible to take the FAA written examination for the license or rating they are working toward. Upon graduation from the flight training course, the student will be endorsed for, and eligible to take the FAA practical test with a FAA designated examiner. Successfully completing this check-ride awards the student with the appropriate pilot license and rating.
Can I get a pilot’s license through this Academy?
Yes, the UCA Aviation Academy offers the Private License, the Commercial License, the Instrument Rating and the Multi-Engine Rating.
What other certifications or endorsements can I obtain?
The UCA Aviation Academy currently offers private licenses, commercial licenses, instrument and multi-engine ratings.
Job Placement and Opportunities
Does the Academy offer job placement assistance after course completion?
The UCA Aviation Academy has partnered with several aviation companies to assist with career placement.
What career opportunities can I pursue after completing the courses?
After completing your commercial pilot certificate/license, the pilot will be eligible for hire to fly for individuals or companies for flights. If the student decides to achieve their multi-engine rating and obtain the requisite 1500 total flight hours, the student may be eligible to fly for the airlines.
Additional Services
Do you provide off-campus accommodation options for out-of-town students?
Currently, we do not provide off-campus accommodations for students. However, on-campus housing may be available by emailing aviation@uca.edu. Otherwise, students will need to seek their off-campus accommodations.
Is there any guidance on finding and applying for an aviation job?
There will be guidance for all students for future opportunities in aviation.
Are there any resources for ongoing professional development?
There will be many resources available for professional development.
Safety and Security
How do you ensure the safety of students during training?
Safety is the top priority of the UCA Aviation Academy and Central Flying Academy. Safety will be paramount for the instructor and the student. Safety will be discussed at every session.
What safety measures are in place for flight training?
Aviation training is as much about managing safety as it is about flying itself. Much of the training and instruction will contain safety measures and responding to flight issues.