Category: ULA

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Airline Pilots: Studies Shows $7 Million in Career Earnings

Right now is the perfect time to build towards a career in aviation, especially with the airlines.

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Enrollment Starting for MSJC’s Fall Private Pilot Course

Mt. San Jacinto College, in partnership with Upper Limit Aviation, is now accepting enrollment into their fall Professional Pilot Program, starting with their Private Pilot course.

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ULA Providing Flight Training at South Valley Regional Airport

Upper Limit Aviation is now providing flight training at the South Valley Regional Airport, in the heart of Salt Lake Valley in Utah.

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Upper Limit is Helping You Earn Your Remote Pilot Certificate

Upper Limit Aviation is hosting a two day training course to help you get your remote pilot certificate! The training course will be ran by one of Upper Limit’s professional and experienced flight instructors, and will cover such topics as:

  • FAA regulations
  • Aeromedical factors
  • Aeronautical decision making
  • Airport operations
  • Aviation weather
  • Aviation hazards
  • Airworthiness

Please keep in mind that this course DOES NOT include testing. You will need to schedule the proctored exam at a FAA approved facility for an additional cost. You can go to this link for testing center locations:

https://faa.psiexams.com/faa/login

This course is broadcast via Vimeo for two (2) 8 hour days, on December 8th and 9th. Students will be able to ask questions via chat.

REGISTER FOR THE UPPER LIMIT PART 107 TRAINING COURSE HERE

Get started with your flight training today!

If you would like more information, you can:

  • Call us at 801-596-7722
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Upper Limit and Mt San Jacinto are Teaming Up For Ground School

If you are thinking about an aviation career, or you want to learn to fly to accomplish a personal dream, now is the perfect time to start! Upper Limit Aviation and Mt San Jacinto College are teaming up to bring you a comprehensive ground school course, so you can earn your Private Airplane Pilot Ground School Certificate.

You will learn the ground training portion of the FAA Certification Process, including:

  • Navigation
  • Weather
  • Aerodynamics
  • Aeronautical Decision Making
  • Airplane Systems
  • Flight Physiology

The Ground School will be held at Upper Limit Aviation’s Murrieta / Temecula campus, located at:

37350 Sky Canyon Dr. #323

Murrieta, CA 92563

To register, go to this page on the Mt St Jacinto website: MSJC.EDU/FOCUS

For additional questions regarding the course, call 951-487-3711.

For a printable flyer, CLICK HERE.

Get Started with Your Flight Training Today!

For our Temecula/Murrieta, CA location, call 951-696-7722 or email [email protected]

And click here to fill out our online application!

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Upper Limit and AOPA are Teaming Up to Help Rusty Pilots

If you’re a rusty pilot, Upper Limit and AOPA can help get you safely back in the air!

If you’re ready to get back in the air, but it’s been a while since you’ve been behind the controls, AOPA and ULA are here to help! On Saturday, August 10, we’ll be hosting a rusty pilot seminar aimed at helping you get current, and back in the skies.

You might be like more than 500,000 other pilots (that’s right, half a million), who have taken a little breather from flying. The good news is that getting back to flying is easier than you think. So, what does it take to get back in the air?

  • No FAA check ride or test.
  • You might not even need a medical!

As a seminar participant, you’ll get:

  • 3 hours of ground instruction toward completing your flight review
  • Valuable take-home materials
  • Handouts so you can review what you’ve learned.

WHEN: Saturday, August 10, from 9:00am – 12:00pm

WHERE: Upper Limit Aviation, Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) 619 N. 2360 W. Salt Lake City, UT 84116

Register for the event today by clicking this link on the AOPA website.

In addition, AOPA and ULA are proud to offer WINGS credit for attendees at this event! In order to receive credit, be sure to register with the email address that is associated with your FAASafety.gov account.

We’re thrilled to host this event with AOPA, and we hope to see you there!

And for anyone who would like to save or share this information with others, here’s a downloadable flyer with all the details as well:

Get Started with Your Flight Training Today!

For our Salt Lake City, UT location, call 801-596-7722 or email [email protected]

For our Temecula/Murrieta, CA location, call 951-696-7722 or email [email protected]

And click here to fill out our online application!

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Upper Limit and SkyWest are Hosting an Aviation Career Lunch

Come Join Us and Learn From Recruiters What It Takes to Become a SkyWest Pilot!

Upper Limit Aviation and SkyWest are giving you an opportunity to take control of your aviation career, by meeting with the SkyWest Pilot and Cadet Advocates at a delicious career dinner and open house generously provided by Upper Limit Aviation and hosted by Robintino’s of Bountiful.

  • Date: Thursday, September 13, 2018
  • Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
  • Location: Robintino’s of Bountiful, 1385 South 500 West, Bountiful, UT 84010

Dinner is provided, so come hungry, and come with your questions for the SkyWest Pilot mentors and Cadet Advocates!

And if you can’t make the dinner, Upper Limit is hosting another lunch event with the SkyWest Pilot Recruitment team, at our Salt Lake Location.

  • Date: Wednesday, September 19, 2018
  • Time: 2:00 PM
  • Location: 619 North 2360 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116

Here are some of the benefits SkyWest Pilots enjoy in their career:

  • More opportunities and more exposure than any other regional airline pilot.
  • New key flying agreements with United, Delta, American, and Alaska!
  • SkyWest has more new aircraft that any other regional airline, and will have more than 145 E175s in their fleet by mid-2018.
  • More than twenty domicile options nationwide.
  • An upgrade time of around 2 years.
  • A strong culture of professionalism, teamwork, and success!
  • Excellent pay, multiple profit sharing programs, bonuses, and 401(k) match!

Don’t miss out on these incredible opportunities. By completing your flight training, from private pilot certificate to commercial pilot license, with Upper Limit Aviation, you’ll earn yourself the skills needed to fly with one of the most globally-recognizable airlines flying today. Call (801-596-7722) or email us ([email protected]) today and start your path to aviation greatness by doing your flight training at ULA. To fly with SkyWest, you should train with the best, and that means Upper Limit Aviation.

And for those who would like to save or share this information with others, here’s a downloadable flyer with all the details as well:

Featured Image: courtesy of SkyWest

Get started with your flight training today!

If you would like more information, you can:

  • Call us at 801-596-7722
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Your Remote Pilot Certificate is Just One Course Away with Upper Limit

Earn your remote pilot certificate with a thorough and comprehensive course developed by Upper Limit Aviation!

It’s the perfect time to get into the exciting world of flying unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, with Upper Limit Aviation providing you with a clear path to your remote pilot certificate. The field is currently projected to grow into a $140 billion dollar business by 2020, and there are a variety of exciting commercial uses for drones that are just taking off, including Event Photography and Filming, Scientific Research and Conservation, Rapid Response and Emergency Services, Real Estate and Construction, Law Enforcement, Agriculture, and Package/Supply Delivery.

Our course will prepare you on all aspects required to undertake the sUAS FAA Knowledge Exam for commercial drone operations. A variety of topics will be covered in the class, including:

  • FAA regulations
  • Aeromedical factors
  • Aeronautical decision making
  • Airport operations
  • Aviation weather
  • Aviation hazards
  • Airworthiness

Upper Limit’s instructors have condensed the course from 48 classroom hours spread over 16 nights to just 32 hours spread over four days. Once you’ve completed our course, you will be fully prepared to take the FAA Knowledge Test at a CATS testing facility, and once you pass the exam, you’ll be awarded your remote pilot certificate by the FAA.

WHEN

October 8 – 11, 2018

From 0800 – 1700

WHERE

Unified Police Special Operations Building – 3510 South 700 West, Salt Lake City

COST

Cost for the Course: $400.00, Payable to Upper Limit Aviation

There is also a $150.00 Testing fee, Payable to the FAA at the end of the course.

SIGN UP

You can pay for the class and reserve your spot by calling (801) 596-7722, or by visiting ULA’s online store here.

IMPORTANT: Payment to Upper Limit Aviation must be made by September 30th to guarantee a spot in the class. In addition, as the course has been condensed and a large amount of information is being put out, we recommend that participants arrive on time for the class and plan on attending the entire 32-hour block.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For further information on the course, contact:

Officer Mike Loyd: 801-946-4918, [email protected]

To download a brochure with the information, click here.

Get started with your flight training today!

If you would like more information, you can:

  • Call us at 801-596-7722

UAS Taking Off With Sheriff Departments Around the Country

Law enforcement officials are using UAS for a variety of purposes, from search and rescue to crime scene documentation.

With the FAA putting new rules and requirements for sUAS (Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems) operators into place on August 29, 2016, use of UAS is set for massive growth in a number of organizations and industries. And one of the most important areas rapidly adopting use of UAS is law enforcement. Around the country, Sheriff Departments are starting to use or are set to start using UAS to aid them in fighting crime, gathering evidence and helping out investigative efforts.

Upper Limit Aviation offers a course to help pilots and non-pilots earn their UAS certificate. Through Upper Limit Aviation you can also earn your private pilot certificate and commercial pilot license which makes it significantly easier and faster to then earn your UAS certificate. Call now to inquire about flight training for UAS, fixed-wing aircraft, or rotorcraft: 801-596-7722.

In a recent article in the San Diego Union-Tribune discussing drone use by Sheriff Departments in San Diego and Imperial counties, drones came into play during a recent homicide investigation when “two deputies flew the drone over the outdoor homicide scene, taking aerial photos and videos that would become evidence.

The article goes on to say that the UAS is one of four in use by the Sheriff’s Department. In addition to documenting crime scenes, the department uses the UAS to aid in missing person searches, to aid SWAT teams, and for certain situations in dangerous or unfavorable scenarios. Sheriff’s Lt. Jason Vickery described the UAS as “an extremely valuable tool, and potentially life-saving,” adding that the department had deployed them nine times since acquiring them last October. Upper Limit Aviation is proud to support such a cause.

In Ouachita County, AK, the Sheriff’s Department purchased a drone a UAS after seeing one in action. According to Sheriff David Norwood, the first real test for the UAS happened recently when the department used it in the execution of a search warrant for a known drug dealer. Norwood, who was controlling the UAS, was able to identify a pair of suspects with the video from the UAS before the drone was shot by the suspects. Norwood said that “Without the drone, we may not have known there was a man there with a gun.”

And in Stafford County, VA, the Sheriff’s Department hopes to start using UAS this coming spring for a variety of purposes, “including search and rescue; Amber, Senior and Blue Alerts; training programs; damage assessment; traffic assessment; crime scene documentation; and execution of search warrants.

Vickery said that four deputies are currently trained and certified with a remote pilot certificate from the FAA to fly the UAS and that five more are undergoing training. According to Vickery, “This is going to be something that is going to be mainstream in a relatively short amount of time among law enforcement.

Earning a Remote Pilot Certificate With Upper Limit

Law enforcement is just one of many rapidly growing areas for UAS use, and Upper Limit is excited to offer a course helping people advance in their career or start exciting new careers by earning a remote pilot certificate. Email us with any questions about getting your remote pilot certificate and how it can work for you now: [email protected].

Click here to register for the program, and get started on earning your remote pilot certificate today!

Get started with your flight training today!

If you would like more information, you can:

  • Call us at 801-596-7722

Upper Limit Aviation Open House Featured on KUTV

Anders Clark

Upper Limit Aviation’s recent open house was featured on KUTV News, as one of their featured STEM stories.1 Upper Limit staff headed into the 2News studio to show off some aviation related tools and discuss what would be covered at the aviation open house.

ULA started by showing sectional charts, flight plans, and an iPad, and discussing the recent advances in aviation technology aimed at making navigation more streamlined for pilots.

We’ve really progressed a lot from the paper and pencil charts, and technology has come forward leaps and bounds, and now we’re using iPads, we’re using computers … before you’d have to carry five or six paper charts just to make a flight, now you can just move around the country simply by the scroll of a finger.

Also discussed in the video were the importance of the weight and balance and center of gravity calculations for an airplane and how they affect flying, and some more details on the upcoming aviation open house.

We’ll have pathways to careers, from piloting to air traffic control, and all aspects of aviation.

The open house, which took place on Saturday, April 30th, at Upper Limit’s Salt Lake campus, featured access to aviation professionals such as pilots (including commercial airline pilots), mechanics, air traffic controllers, airport operations personnel, flight attendants, military veterans, FAA representatives, and aerospace engineers. A large number of aviation-related businesses and organizations had representatives in attendance as well, including Boeing, Delta Airlines, and the US Air Force.

The aviation open house was a success, with crowds of people in attendance, and Upper Limit hopes to host another one soon.

Get Started With Your Flight Training Today

You can get started today by filling out our online application. If you would like more information, you can call us at (844) 435-9338, or click here to start a live chat with us.

Footnotes:

1 – The STEM stories are done in partnership with the Utah State Office of Education, which works to develop Utah’s future workforce in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

ULA Goes Before Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs

Testimony of Michael Mower, Chief Operating Officer of Upper Limit Aviation before the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs for the Hearing on Pending and Draft Legislation – September 16, 2015

Chairman Isakson, Ranking Member Blumenthal, and Distinguished Members of the Committee:

Thank you for the opportunity to submit a written statement on the draft legislation related to VA education benefits for flight training that is the subject of this legislative hearing today.

Put simply, the draft bill before you today will slash veteran benefits for degree programs that include flight training at public colleges and universities.

This bill, as currently written, would cap the tuition for flight training at a number that is significantly below the actual cost to provide the training.

Although the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) consistently lists aviation as a high demand career, this proposal would essentially serve as a financial impediment for veterans seeking a career in the aviation industry while the U.S. faces of one of the worst pilot shortages in history.

The intent of this bill is to prevent schools from taking advantage of GI Bill reimbursements. However, it is ill-conceived and duplicative, since valid and effective rules and regulations already exist that curtail potential abusesby schools seeking to take advantage of student veterans and the taxpayers.

In the end, this legislation will destroy well-planned degree programs at public institutions of higher learning across the country that offer flight training to deserving veterans and will eliminate aviation careers for veterans in an industry that is in desperate need of well-trained pilots.

Pilot Shortages

Demand for pilots will increase at a rapid pace over the next several decades, as the United States is currently facing its worst pilot shortage since the 1960’s. [1]

As global economies expand and tens of thousands of new aircraft come online, the aviation industry will need to supply more than 500,000 new pilots by 2033. [2]

Nevertheless, total pilots holding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certificates fell at a CAGR of 0.36% from 2004-2013 (see chart, “FAA Estimated Total Pilots”) [3]

In 1989, a total of 110,541 FAA flight tests were conducted in the United States, compared to only 42,440 FAA flight tests in 2014. [4]

Adding to the pilot shortage will be the aging U.S. pilot population, as pilots over the age of 50 years old currently hold approximately 42% of FAA pilot certificates (see chart, “FAA Certificates by Age”) [5]

Moreover, a study conducted by a subgroup of collegiate aviation researchers, including professors from Embry Riddle and 5 other universities [6], explains that a sharp increase is occurring in the training of foreign pilots in the United States.

Using data provided by the FAA’s certification branch, the study determined that in 2004 the ratio of U.S. citizens to foreign citizens training in the United States for their commercial pilot certificate was 4.80 to 1.00. In 2012, that ratio had dramatically declined to 1.19 U.S. pilots trained to every one foreign pilot trained (see chart, “US and Foreign Citizens Completing the Commercial Written”).

This fact is staggering because many of these foreign pilots will take jobs outside of the U.S., further intensifying the current pilot shortage.

The 85-15 and Two-Year Rules

The “85-15” and “Two-Year” Rules are valid exercises of Congress’ power intended to curtail abuses by schools seeking to capitalize on veterans and American taxpayers.

While the Two-Year Rule bars VA education dollars from going to institutions that have been open for less than two years, the 85-15 Rule prohibits VA education dollars from going to schools unless at least 15% of enrolled students are not using GI Bill funds to pay for the cost of their education at the school.

These rules have been in place for decades, and when enforced correctly and consistently by the VA, the rules effectively allow the open market to determine worthwhile and valuable programs – and program prices – for veterans.

This bill, which seeks to artificially and arbitrarily legislate a cap on flight training, is unnecessary and flies in the face of the longstanding and legitimate purposes of the 85-15 and Two-Year Rules.

Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Report

The sponsors of this legislation in the House of Representatives believed that imposing a cap on flight training education for veterans would generate sufficient savings to pay for other favored legislative initiatives. However, based on CBO’s subsequent score of the overall bill, those assumptions were grossly inaccurate and the assumed savings from rolling back this benefit fell short by nearly $150 million.

The same CBO cost estimate for the bill also recognized that aviation training necessarily has a high cost of delivery, stemming from the costs of aircraft, fuel, insurance, and rigorous FAA-imposed safety standards.

CBO itself determined that reasonable flight training costs averaged out to around $62,000 per year, per student. But the cap proposed by this draft is nearly one-third of the real cost for student veterans to receive this type of advanced professional aviation training.

Conclusion

Mr. Chairman, this bill as currently proposed will not only eliminate benefits and aviation career opportunities that were earned through honorable service by veterans, but it will also exacerbate one of the worst pilot shortages in the history of the United States.

The bill is also duplicative and unnecessary, as the 85-15 and Two-Year rules are already valid and effective tools for reigning in abusers within program of education.

There is simply no need for additional legislative action on this topic. The VA merely needs to consistently enforce the long-standing and valid statutes and regulations currently in place that already effectively deal with the issues and concerns that have been raised.

Thank you again for the opportunity to share our views with the Committee.

[1] Wall Street Journal

[2] Boeing Study

[3] FAA Airmen Certificate Statistics

[4] FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) Program Under Watch

[5] FAA Airmen Certificate Statistics

[6] An Investigation of the United States Airline Pilot Labor Supply

Get Started With Your Flight Training Today

You can get started today by filling out our online application. If you would like more information, you can call us at (844) 435-9338, or click here to start a live chat with us.

Upper Limit Aviation Student and Instructor Report Fire

Upper Limit Aviation Flight Instructor, John Jackson was conducting a helicopter training flight mission yesterday morning with Upper Limit Aviation student, Albert Wood, when they spotted a fire on Pine Valley Mountain. Mr. Jackson called the fire into the flight service station around 10:30 AM. Jackson and Wood were flying a routine training flight between Cedar City and St George when they spotted the fire.

For the past three years ULA has assisted in dozens of search and rescue missions on behalf of Iron County Sheriff Search and Rescue, and assisted other law enforcement agencies in Southern Utah when called upon.

Last year thirteen Upper Limit Aviation pilots were sworn in as official “special deputies” with the Iron County Sheriff’s Department. As special deputies, the ULA pilots can land and pick up accident victims in support of search and rescue missions for the county.

Oak Grove wildfire near Pine Valley Mountain Forces Evacuations

Washington County, Utah – Fire spotted in the Dixie National Forest near the Oak Grove campground on Tuesday. Fire managers were alerted to the Oak Grove Fire, located about 13 miles north of St. George, after 11 a.m. The blaze is estimated to be around 100 acres – the equivalent of 100 football fields – and, as this report is published, the fire is zero percent contained.

The 100 acres was the estimate as of 2 p.m. The Forest Service later reported that the fire had grown to 200 acres by Tuesday evening.

To read the full article, check it out on St George News, by Mori Kessler, on September 8th 2015.

Get Started With Your Flight Training Today

You can get started today by filling out our online application. If you would like more information, you can call us at (844) 435-9338, or click here to start a live chat with us.

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