Page: 1 of 12 Welcome to the Liberty University School of Aeronautics! We are so excited about your interest in pursuing an aviation degree and how the Lord has directed your path to us. Whether you are planning to become a professional pilot, a UAS operator, an aviation maintenance technician, or an aviation administrator, we know God will use your time at Liberty to prepare you for entry into an industry in great need of the knowledge, skills, and Christ-centered mentoring you will acquire here. You have chosen more than just an immensely gratifying career path; you are embarking on an extraordinary way of life! Please know that our team is committed to helping you become the best aviation professional you can be while supporting and encouraging you in your walk with the Lord. You can count on being trained by the best instructors and professors in collegiate aviation; flying new state-of-the art aircraft and simulators; and learning life lessons from people with widely varied backgrounds who want to share their wisdom and experiences with you. Furthermore, you can depend on a team of caring professionals with servant hearts who will be praying for you throughout your college career and beyond. While there is so much for you to look forward to during your training and collegiate experience at Liberty University, please understand that much will be expected of you as an aviation student. Earning a bachelor s degree from the School of Aeronautics (SOA) is a significant achievement that requires intensive study, hard work, discipline, and commitment. The training programs offered by the SOA will require a substantial amount of your time each week. Consequently, you will need to develop and apply extremely strong time management skills to balance your time efficiently between your academic classroom courses, your flying courses, and the many student activities that Liberty University has to offer. To help you understand more about our program and prepare for the start of your training with us, we have included some important information in this packet for you to review. Please take the time to read every page. If you will be joining us as a residential student soon, please follow all of the included instructions applicable to you. Then, if you have any additional questions or need further assistance, please contact us at (434) 582-2183 or via email at aeronautics@liberty.edu. On behalf of the entire School of Aeronautics family, I wish you the very best. Bob Hudson Assistant Dean Liberty University School of Aeronautics
Page: 2 of 12 1. DEGREE PROGRAMS SCHOOL OF AERONAUTICS (SOA) GENERAL INFORMATION A. The Liberty University School of Aeronautics offers the following degree programs: 1. B.S. Aeronautics Professional Pilot Cognate 2. B.S. Aeronautics Professional UAS Operator Cognate 3. B.S. Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Management Cognate 4. B.S. Aviation Administration Flight Cognate 5. B.S. Aviation Maintenance Management Cognate 6. B.S. Aviation Maintenance UAS Cognate 7. A.A. Airline Flight Attendant 8. A.A. Aviation Maintenance Technician 2. PILOT CERTIFICATES AND RATINGS A. The LUSOA offers training toward the issuance of the following pilot certificates and ratings: 1. Private Pilot Certificate 2. Instrument Rating 3. Multi-Engine Commercial Pilot Certificate 4. Single-Engine Commercial Pilot Certificate 5. Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) 6. Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII) 7. Certified Multiengine Instructor (MEI) 8. Airframe and Powerplant (A & P) License B. The B.S. in Aeronautics Degree Professional Pilot Cognate requires the completion of the Private Pilot Certificate, the Instrument Rating, and the Multi-Engine Commercial Pilot Certificate. Other flight courses may be completed as electives. Please refer to the applicable Degree Completion Plan (DCP) for more information about flight course requirements and options. C. The B.S. in Aeronautics Degree Professional Unmanned Systems Operator Cognate requires the completion of the Private Pilot Certificate, the Instrument Rating, and other UAS flight courses. Additional flight courses may be completed as electives. Please refer to the applicable Degree Completion Plan (DCP) for more information about flight course requirements and options.
Page: 3 of 12 3. LUSOA FLIGHT TRAINING FLEET A. The LUSOA currently operates a modern fleet of 28 aircraft, 10 training devices, and six unmanned aerial vehicles: 1. 20 Cessna 172 SP Skyhawks (Equipped with the Garmin G1000 Avionics System) 2. 2 Piper PA-28 Arrows (Complex, Single-engine Aircraft) 3. 4 Piper PA-44 Seminoles (Multi-engine aircraft, equipped with G1000 Avionics System) 4. 2 Cessna 150s 5. 3 Frasca C172 Level 5 Flight Training Devices (FTDs) 6. 1 Frasca PA44 Level 5 Flight Training Device (FTD) 7. 6 FlyThisSim Basic Attitude Training Devices (BATDs) - Multiple Aircraft Configurations 8. 6 3D Robotics Multi-rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 4. ACCEPTANCE TO THE LU SCHOOL OF AERONAUTICS A. Students intending to pursue a degree offered by the LU School of Aeronautics must first be accepted into Liberty University. There are no additional application requirements for acceptance into the School of Aeronautics. However, when speaking with the admissions office, please inform them of your intent to pursue an aeronautics degree. This will help us prepare for your arrival. In addition, after you have been accepted to Liberty University, we ask that you please go to the LUSOA webpage at www.liberty.edu/aviation and click the prospective student link. Then, please complete the new student information form (currently named Aeronautics Program Application ). You will need to use your LU email address and password to gain access to that form. B. Furthermore, please take note that academic prerequisites exist for the Private Pilot Flight Course AVIA 220. To be eligible to take this course, students must score at least a C on the Liberty University English and Math Assessment Tests and be eligible to take English 101 and Math 115 or higher. Students who are required to complete English 100, Math 100, or Math 110 are not eligible to begin Private Pilot flight training with the School of Aeronautics. However, these students may register for AVIA academic classroom courses regardless of their LU assessment test scores. 5. COST OF FLIGHT TRAINING A. All AVIA flight courses have an associated lab fee that must be paid during the financial checkin process through Liberty University s Automated Student Information Services Tool (ASIST) prior to the start of each semester. These fees are in addition to the fees for tuition, room, and board. The fees for each flight course are based on the minimum cost to complete each course per the course design. It must be understood that the fees of the flight-training courses described in this information packet are subject to change at any time during the year and that they represent the estimated cost to complete the applicable course based on the requirements of the FAA-approved syllabus. If students require additional training to achieve the requisite proficiency level required during a course, or if students require remedial training following an unsatisfactory evaluation, then they will incur additional charges. If additional funding for flight training becomes necessary, students may add funds to their training account via an online link.
Page: 4 of 12 B. Private Pilot Certificate Flight Courses 1. Total Lab Fee: $14,100* a) AVIA 220 (Private Pilot Flight I) Lab Fee: $8,550 b) AVIA 225 (Private Pilot Flight II) Lab Fee: $5,550 c) The Private Pilot Flight Courses include: 1) 32.2 Hours of Dual Instruction in the C172SP 2) 5.0 Hours of Solo Flight in the C172SP 3) 5.5 Hours of Dual Instruction in the C172 FTD 4) 62 Hours of Flight Preparation Training and Briefings d) Additional Costs outside of the programmed course: 1) FAA Knowledge Test: $150 2) FAA Designated Examiner Fee: $450 (Average) C. Instrument Rating Flight Course 1. Total Lab Fee: $11,050* a) AVIA 320 (Instrument Flight) Lab Fee: $11,050 b) The Instrument Rating Flight Course includes: 1) 22.5 Hours of Dual Instruction in the C172SP 2) 16.5 Hours of Dual Instruction in the Frasca C172 FTD 3) 49.5 Hours of Flight Preparation Training and Briefings c) Additional Costs outside of the programmed course: 1) FAA Knowledge Test: $150 2) FAA Designated Examiner Fee: $450 (Average)
Page: 5 of 12 D. Commercial Pilot Certificate Flight Courses 1. Total Lab Fee: $31,050* a) AVIA 325 (Commercial Flight I) Lab Fee: $9,050 b) AVIA 326 (Commercial Flight II) Lab Fee: $9,050 c) AVIA 327 (Commercial Flight III) Lab Fee: $9,050 d) AVIA 331 (Single Engine Add-On) Lab Fee: $3,000 2. The Commercial Pilot Flight Courses include the following: a) 53 Hours of Dual Instruction in the C172SP b) 25.5 Hours of Dual Instruction in the PA44 c) 3 Hours of Dual Instruction in an Extra 330 for Upset Prevention & Recovery Training d) 20 Hours of Dual Instruction in the C172 FTD e) 6 Hours of Dual Instruction in the PA28R FTD f) 8 Hours of Dual Instruction in the PA-44 FTD g) 102 Hours of Flight Preparation Training and Briefings 3. Additional Costs outside of the programmed course: a) FAA Knowledge Test: $150 b) FAA Designated Examiner Fees 1) For The Multi-Engine Check Ride: $450 (Average) 2) For The Single-Engine Check Ride: $450 (Average) E. Flight Instructor Course 1. Total Lab Fee: $7,500 2. The Flight Instructor Flight Course includes the following: a) 15 Hours of Dual Instruction in the PA28 (141 CFI) b) 1.0 Hours of Dual Instruction in an Extra 330LX for Spin Training c) 12 Hours of Dual Instruction in the PA28 FTD d) 94 Hours of Flight Preparation Training and Briefings 3. Additional Costs outside of the programmed course: a) FAA Knowledge Test (FIA, FOI): $220 b) FAA Designated Examiner Fees: $850
Page: 6 of 12 F. Instrument Flight Instructor Course 1. Total Lab Fee: $7500 2. The Instrument Flight Instructor Flight Course includes the following: a) 15 Hours of Dual Instruction in the C172S (141 CFII) b) Additional training in the C172 FTD is encouraged but not required c) 15 Hours of Flight Preparation Training and Briefings 3. Additional Costs outside of the programmed course: a) FAA Knowledge Test (CFI-I): $150 b) FAA Designated Examiner Fee: $450 G. Multi-engine Instructor Course 1. Total Lab Fee: $11,500 2. The Multi-engine Instructor Course includes the following: a) 25 Hours of Dual Instruction in the PA44 (141 MEI add-on) b) Additional training in the PA44 FTD is encouraged but not required c) 20 Hours of Flight Preparation Training and Briefings 3. Additional Costs outside of the programmed course: a) FAA Designated Examiner Fee: $450 H. Other Flight Course-Related Costs: 1. All aviation students completing flight courses will need to purchase the additional items below. Each item may be purchased at the Freedom Aviation Pilot Store at the Lynchburg Airport either separately or in a kit. If you wish to purchase a flight kit to have available upon your arrival, call Freedom Aviation at (434) 237-7002 to order. These items can also be bought at other pilot supply stores. a) Pilot Headset with Boom Microphone: Approx. $200 b) VFR Kneeboard: Approx. $20 to $30 c) Navigation Plotter: Approx. $10 d) E6B Flight Computer: Approx. $25 e) Aviation Charts and Flight Manuals: Approx. $50 to $100
Page: 7 of 12 I. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Flight Training Courses 1. Total Lab Fees: $13,000 Note: UAS Lab Fees are flat rate fees and no refunds are available upon the completion of each course. a) AVIA 235 (Small UAS Ground): $500 b) AVIA 236 (Small UAS Flight) Lab Fee: $1,000 c) AVIA 335 (Medium UAS Flight I) Lab Fee: $1,500 d) AVIA 446 (Medium UAS Flight II) Lab Fee: $5,000 e) AVIA 447 (Medium UAS Fight III) Lab Fee: $5,000 6. FINANCIAL AID & SCHOLARSHIPS A. The School of Aeronautics does not offer in-house financial aid or aviation scholarships towards flight training costs. However, many of our students have been successful applicants to other third party scholarships. Some of these are listed on our School of Aeronautics website at www.liberty.edu/aviation. 7. TRANSFERRING CERTIFICATES, RATINGS, AND COLLEGE CREDIT A. Most students enter our program with no prior flight experience and begin their private pilot certificate training during their first or second semester at LU. However, it is common for students to arrive at Liberty with some logged flight training already completed toward the completion of the private pilot certificate. Regardless of the number of flight training hours accomplished prior to attending Liberty University, students seeking the Private Pilot Certificate through the School of Aeronautics are required to complete LUSOA s FAA-approved private pilot theory and flight courses (AVIA 210, 215, 220, & 225) in their entirety. In other words, no credit is granted for previous training for students who do not hold a Private Pilot Certificate. B. However, pending a review and approval from the respective Department Chair, students who hold a Private Pilot Certificate prior to attending Liberty University may be granted full academic credit for completing the applicable private pilot ground and flight training courses, namely AVIA 210, 215, 220, and 225. This is referred to as Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) credit and it amounts to 12 academic credit hours. C. Professional pilot students are expected to earn the Instrument Rating and Commercial Pilot Certificate while attending Liberty University. If this rating and/or certificate are earned prior to attending Liberty University, students may be granted PLA credit by the department chair on a case-by-case basis after consideration of the students training records. However, it must be understood that earning PLA credit for the instrument rating and/or the commercial pilot certificate negates the student s eligibility to qualify for the restricted Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certificate. This means that students who complete these certifications outside of Liberty University must acquire 1,500 hours of flight experience to be eligible for the ATP Certificate instead of the reduced minimum of 1,000 hours or 1,250 hours applicable to students who complete these certifications and aeronautics degree through Liberty University. D. Transferring academic credit from another aviation college or university to be applied toward LUSOA AVIA courses may be granted only after the review and approval of such courses by the applicable School of Aeronautics Department Chair.
Page: 8 of 12 8. REGISTERING FOR FLIGHT COURSES A. Residential flight training is conducted at Liberty University s Flight Operations Center located at 310 Hangar Road at the Lynchburg Regional Airport (Please see information below about transportation to and from the airport campus.) B. When registering for AVIA flight courses through ASIST, you must also register for the corresponding flight-training block. This is what determines your flight-training schedule for the semester. Depending on the training block section you select, you will meet with your flight instructor either two days per week or three days per week. In addition, you are expected to fly on Saturdays or other days outside of your normal training block if anything has caused a disruption to your weekly schedule, such as poor weather or maintenance cancellations. C. To register for an AVIA flight course, you must first register for the training block corresponding to the days of the week and 3-hour period on each day you want to fly. Once you have registered for the specific training block, you can then register for the applicable flight course. For example, to register for Private Pilot Flight I (AVIA 220), you must first register for your desired Private Pilot Flight Training Block (AVIA 010). Registering for AVIA 010 will secure the training block while AVIA 220 will activate the lab fee you must pay to take the flight course. D. Here is a list of the AVIA flight courses and their corresponding training blocks: Flight Course AVIA 220 Private Flight 1 AVIA 225 Private Flight 2 AVIA 320 Instrument Flight AVIA 325 Commercial Flight I AVIA 326 Commercial Flight II AVIA 327 Commercial Flight III AVIA 331 Commercial Single Engine Add-on AVIA 440 CFI Initial AVIA 422 CFI Instrument Corresponding Training Block AVIA 010 Private Pilot Stage 1 Training Block AVIA 015 Private Pilot Stage 2 & 3 Training Block AVIA 020 Instrument Flight Training Block AVIA 025 Commercial Flight Stage 1 Training Block AVIA 026 Commercial Flight Stage 2 Training Block AVIA 027 Commercial Flight Stage 3 Training Block AVIA 031 Commercial S.E. Training Block AVIA 040 CFI Training Block AVIA 042 CFII Training Block E. Once you are registered for a training block and flight course, the LUSOA flight operations department will assign a flight instructor to you. Your flight instructor will contact you via email a few days before the start of the semester and provide you with important information regarding the start of your course. 9. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS A. Proof of Citizenship 1. U.S. Citizens a) The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires that valid proof of citizenship be on file for every student receiving flight training at LUSOA. To comply with the Department of Homeland Security, you must report to training with a valid passport (preferred) OR an original certified birth certificate and a current driver s license. Copies of these documents are not acceptable. The chief instructors of each flight course will verify the validity of your documents and make a copy for our files. Your flight course will not commence until your proof of citizenship is verified. Please remember to bring these documents with you to student orientation and at the start of the semester.
Page: 9 of 12 2. International Students a) If you are NOT a U.S. citizen, you are required to report to training with your valid passport with a current visa (w/ I-20 Form). In addition, you must complete a Training Request with the U.S. Transportation Security Agency (TSA). TSA approval for flight training is mandatory for all international students and must be completed for Private Pilot Students, Instrument Rating Students, and Multi-engine Students. b) TSA flight training approval is valid for one year for each of the above flight ratings and costs approximately $130 per application (paid to the TSA). If you do not complete the rating in that period, you will be required to repay the application fee to continue training. To create an Alien Flight Student Program (AFSP) user ID and password to begin the application process, go to www.flightschoolcandidates.gov. Obtaining TSA approval may take several weeks, so please start the application process at least 4 weeks prior to the start of each applicable semester at LU. If the TSA approval is not received by the end of the drop/add period during the first week of class, you may be asked to drop your flight course for the semester. If you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact the LUSOA international student liaison, Jonny Hewitt at jmhewitt@liberty.edu. c) International students may not begin flight training until Liberty University has all required information on file in the School of Aeronautics flight operations office. Failure to follow these procedures will delay the start of flight training or prevent students from remaining in the registered flight course. B. Pilot Medical Certificate 1. LUSOA requires every student engaged in a flight training course to hold a minimum of a Third Class Medical certificate issued by an FAA Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). To find an AME near you, please visit www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocator/. Flight students are required to provide a copy of their medical certificate to their flight instructor no later than the first day of classes. Therefore, students are highly encouraged to obtain the medical certificate prior to coming to Liberty. If you have any pre-existing medical conditions, you should schedule your appointment several months before coming to school so that you have time to submit any additional paperwork or complete any tests that may be requested by the FAA. 2. PLEASE TAKE NOTE: LUSOA recommends that prospective students obtain a First Class Medical Certificate rather than the Third Class Medical Certificate to ensure they can meet the requirements of the First Class Medical, which is a requirement for many aviation jobs. The average cost of an FAA Aviation Medical Exam is between $100 and $175 and it is not covered by medical insurance or Veteran s benefits. 10. DRESS CODE A. Students taking AVIA courses with the School of Aeronautics are expected to come to class dressed in a manner consistent with The Liberty Way. Additionally, LUSOA students must comply with additional grooming standards when on the premises of the airport campus. The specific grooming standards are described in the course syllabi. Generally, the standard requires shirts with collars, clean slacks, and prohibits the wearing of jeans and shorts.
Page: 10 of 12 11. TRANSPORTATION A. The Liberty University School of Aeronautics conducts the majority of its aviation academic courses and all of its flight courses at the Lynchburg Airport Campus. Although the Liberty University Transit Department provides limited bus service to and from the airport campus Monday through Friday during the morning and afternoon class period, aviation students are expected to provide their own transportation to and from the Airport Campus for their scheduled flight training blocks. In addition to the scheduled training blocks, flight students may need to adjust their training schedule in response to the weather and the objectives of the training course, such as night flying activities. Therefore, students are encouraged to have access to transportation they can use for early morning, late night, and weekend training sessions. Note: Currently, Liberty University policy requires all freshman students to park their vehicles in remote parking locations off campus. The LU Transit Office publishes bus schedules to and from these remote parking locations at www.liberty.edu/tranist. Freshman should consider this when registering for flight course training blocks. 12. MENTORING PROGRAM A. The LU School of Aeronautics has a strong mentoring culture that is foundational to our learning environment. One of the many ways we continue to nurture this culture is by pairing first year students with an upperclassman aviation mentor. Among other things, the aviation mentors will help their mentees prepare for and acclimate to life at Liberty University and the training rigors of the School of Aeronautics. New students should expect to receive an email welcome from their volunteer mentor prior to the start of their first semester. 13. TUTORING PROGRAM A. The LU School of Aeronautics provides multiple opportunities for students to receive free tutoring from upperclassmen volunteers. Group and individual tutoring sessions are offered several days per week to assist students in reaching their full potential in their aviation theory and flight courses. B. At the beginning of each semester, student leaders in the School of Aeronautics will post the tutoring schedule for the semester. All students are welcome to participate in these tutoring sessions as much as desired. These sessions serve as an excellent forum for collaboration, quizzing, and receiving answers to their questions. 14. LUSOA CLUBS A. All students are welcome to join and participate in one or all of the following aviation clubs: 1. Contrails Club (Focus: Airline and Business Aviation) 2. Serving Others using Aviation Resources (S.O.A.R.) Club (Focus: Mission Aviation) 3. Remote Control (RC) Club (Focus: Designing, building, and operating RC aircraft) 4. Women in Aviation Club [Open to Men and Women] (Focus: Scholarships and networking within all aviation career paths) B. Representatives for each club will be available at the first All Aviators Meeting of the semester to tell you more about their clubs and to help you register for membership.
Page: 11 of 12 15. FINAL CHECKLIST A. During your training at the School of Aeronautics, you will soon realize the importance of checklist usage. To confirm that you have completed all that is required before you arrive for classes, we have added this final checklist for you to complete. Complete the Liberty University Application Complete the LUSOA New Student Information Form Obtain an FAA First or Second Class Medical Certificate First Class is Recommended Obtain a Valid Passport OR Your Original Birth Certificate AND Driver s License Complete the AFSP Application (Applicable to International Students) Complete your Course Registration on ASIST Complete Financial Check-in on ASIST Secure Your Own Transportation for your Flight Training Block (If Applicable) Note: Flight training blocks fill up fast and are awarded on a first come basis, so register for your courses early. B. We look forward to you joining our family soon! Please contact us at (434) 582-2183 or via email at aeronautics@liberty.edu if you need any assistance or have additional questions.
Page: 12 of 12 Our Vision To impact the world for Christ as the preeminent center of aerospace education. Our Mission To equip, mentor, and send Champions for Christ into the aerospace community.