Admissions

We are thrilled that you're considering joining The Hornet School! Our program is designed for dedicated individuals ready to take their skills to the next level.

Application Process

Our program operates on a semester basis, with new enrollment periods announced throughout the year. Due to the limited number of mentor-to-student spots, we cannot accept applications at all times.

Join Our Discord: All of our admissions and communications are managed through our community Discord server. This is the first and most important step. You will find announcements regarding the next enrollment window here.
Submit Your Application: When an enrollment period is open, an application form will be made available on the Discord server. You'll need to fill this out with your information and your motivations for joining the school.
Wait for Review: Our team will review all applications. We look for individuals who are passionate about learning and committed to completing the syllabus.
Receive Your Acceptance: If you are accepted, you will receive a notification and be given access to the student-specific channels where the program begins.

Requirements

To be eligible for The Hornet School, you must:

Own a legitimate copy of DCS World and the F/A-18C Hornet module.
Be able to commit time to attend lessons and complete practice flights.
Have a microphone and be willing to use it for communication during lessons.

What to Expect

The Hornet School is a rewarding experience, but it requires effort. Our mentors are dedicated to your success, but the learning is on you. Expect a challenging curriculum that will push your skills and a supportive community that will celebrate your victories. We're here to help you become the pilot you want to be.

We look forward to seeing your application!

Serious Training for Serious Trainees

We run a rigorous training program designed to prepare graduates for any squadron they wish to join. The course is challenging, but entirely achievable with consistent effort and dedication. In fact, we have never removed a trainee who regularly applied themselves and met their deadlines.

However, we do remove participants who fail to put in the work or show disregard for our time—and unfortunately, this describes the majority of those who join. Roughly two out of every three lessons end up being delivered to people who will leave the program without graduating, often without notice. This drains valuable time from dedicated students and contributes to mentor burnout.

To address this, we are implementing two changes:

A $50 Refundable Deposit

Joining the program as a trainee will now require a $50 deposit.
If you complete the program within the allotted time, your deposit will be fully refunded.
If you fail to meet lesson milestones or leave without completing, your deposit will be used to cover program expenses—such as server costs, bot services, module/campaign raffles, gear giveaways, or charitable donations.
None of this money will go to mentors or admins for personal gain.
Our goal is not to collect deposits, but to ensure that only committed individuals join the program.

Cohort-Based Admissions

We will begin admitting trainees in groups of 10 from the waitlist.
This will streamline onboarding and foster a more cohesive group dynamic, allowing students to learn and progress together.

More details will be provided as we put these policies into effect. Ultimately, our mission remains the same: to give our time and expertise to those who are serious about learning—and to ensure that no one’s effort is wasted.

Have Questions?

If you have any questions about our policies, our curriculum, or the admissions process, please don't hesitate to reach out. We are happy to help!