Hi
@Jon Gunther , welcome to POA and welcome to OKC!
It has been several years since I last used Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. I know they have changed some of the flight training rules in recent years due to a lot of abuse of the system. However, it does seem like you can use Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits while still on active duty:
https://gibill.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/938/kw/active duty/related/1
This may help you out greatly.
As you have likely read on the GI Bill website, the GI Bill will pay for flight training (post-private pilot), however it does have to be at a VA-approved school. In Oklahoma, there are three - University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Aviation (at Wiley Post airport), and Riverside Flight Center (in Tulsa).
Search tool here:
https://inquiry.vba.va.gov/weamspub/buildSearchInstitutionCriteria.do
It used to be that you could use the GI Bill to get your Private Pilot certificate, but only if you were getting it as part of a degree program at an approved college. This rule may have changed in the last few years, I see varying answers on a quick Google search. If I were you, I'd call the OU aviation department - they should know ALL about this topic.
I will mention something regarding OU. I have tried a few times over the years to enroll in "non-degree program" flight training there - to get a multi-engine rating or something like that, but not as a college student. Each time I ended up going somewhere else due to them requiring me to follow their regular scheduling methods - in other words, I would have to commit to being there, for example, M-W-F from 3:30 to 5:00 (that was the latest block they offered). I just couldn't pull that off with a full-time job. There was no indication of them allowing any flexibility like other schools do. I'm sure their system is based around most of the students being college students, and it probably works great for that - but not for me.
Oklahoma Aviation has a good program, I have flown a little with them and am friends with their Chief Instructor. Their fleet is mostly comprised of very new, very nice aircraft. This of course means their rates are higher than other places with older aircraft.
If you're not able to use GI Bill money, then it doesn't matter where you go. Sundance Airport has a flight school. Wiley Post has Oklahoma Aviation and Air One. Guthrie has Blue Skies Flight School. I think Shawnee has a flight school, I hear their airplanes on the radio often enough!
If you really want to get things knocked out quick, you can take some leave from the military and travel to one of the bazillion schools in Texas for a few weeks, but I am not able to give you advice on those.
It's good that you're planning ahead - you have 8 years to get things done. Just stay on target and you won't have a problem. Assuming you don't currently have a degree (judging by some of your statements), then I would definitely take advantage of Tuition Assistance to get that done while you're in. I always recommend people get a degree in something NOT aviation-related - something else you're interested in - so that there is a backup plan if being a professional pilot doesn't work out (you don't like it, or the economy tanks and everyone gets furloughed, or you develop a medical condition, or ... etc.)
I also recommend you listen to Carl Valeri's Aviation Careers Podcast,
www.aviationcareerspodcast.com. Carl is a friend of mine, a current airline pilot, and spends lots of time answering questions and discussing situations very similar to yours. Tons of useful information. (I have been a guest a few times and am also a regular co-host on his other podcast, stuckmicavcast.com)
Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!
