<p>I got the impression that those who already have their private pilots license tend to do better at primary. Does this hold any merit or is my hunch wrong?</p>
<p>From what I've heard, it may help a little, but don't expect to be leaps and bounds ahead of the rest. UNcynical, any trends that you noticed during UPT?</p>
<p>The people who had their PPLs (and even additional ratings) tended to have an advantage at the very beginning since they had some background experience. However, the military way of doing things coupled with the differences between planes types, regulations, etc. meant that as the program progressed, there was less difference between these people and their less experienced counterparts. Also, keep in mind that as a prerequisite for pilot training, individuals must go through flight screening, so everyone has had some exposure to flying by the time they get to pilot training. Additionally, some people just "pick up" flying more quickly than others, regardless of previous flying experience.</p>