Program Requirements

Eligibility Requirements

  • Be at least 16 years of age to begin flight labs.
  • Be at least 18 years of age to complete Commercial Pilot Flight.
  • Meet the minimum placement scores on the PERT, ACT, SAT, or other approved placement exams.
  • Hold at least a current and valid FAA Third Class Medical (First or Second Class Certificate recommended) prior to beginning flight training.*
  • All Veterans’ Affairs (VA) students must hold at minimum, a current and valid FAA Second Class Medical Certificate (First Class Certificate required for ATP) prior to beginning flight training.*
  • Provide proof of U.S. citizenship prior to beginning flight training.**

Enrollment Requirements

  • Complete a Flight Lab Request Form and submit it prior to the Financial Aid Guarantee Deadline for the intended semester of enrollment.
  • Flight students must attend Flight Indoctrination prior to commencing flight training.
  • Flight labs may not be scheduled unless the previous requisite flight lab has been completed with a passing grade, if applicable.

Flight Training Requirements

  • All flight students are required to complete three (3) training events each week.
  • Failing to attend scheduled flight labs will jeopardize your ability to complete the course in the time allotted by the academic semester and may result in your being withdrawn from the lab with a grade of F. Absence tolerances and corrective actions are addressed in the program’s Attendance, Preparation, and Grading Policy, which is covered in detail during Flight Indoctrination.
  • The Polk State College Aerospace Program uses a rigorous ground-, flight-, and simulation-based training curriculum. You are expected to prepare for flight labs in the same way you prepare for on-campus courses. Failure to maintain knowledge proficiency throughout the course of training by completing homework assignments, preparing in advance for flight activities, and other needs as they shall arise may result in your being withdrawn from the lab with a grade of F.
  • To participate in flight training activities, all students must have their Polk State College ID on their person at all times. It must be worn prominently whenever you are on the airport property.
  • Minimum lab costs for each flight lab the student is enrolled in must be on deposit with the Polk State College Business Office by the end of the first week of the academic semester. An incomplete balance at this time, and failure to make ongoing payment arrangements, will result in forfeiture of the student’s flight lab slot.

*You can only obtain a medical certificate from aviation medical examiners (AMEs). You can find AMEs near your location by searching for them on the FAA website at faa.gov/pilots/amelocator.

**U.S. citizenship can only be verified using a government-issued, original birth certificate or with a U.S. Passport. If you are not a U.S. citizen, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires that you complete a background check complete with fingerprinting. This process can take several weeks to complete. If you are not a U.S. citizen, contact the program director for additional instructions on how to complete the TSA security requirements. You will not be able to begin flight training until these requirements are met.