SQL-query

I have my querry reading correctly form mysql,

SELECT SUM(hours) AS Total FROM pirep where pilotid LIKE 'KVA001'

problem 1, i would like to select sum hours from one given pilotid, and "where pilotid LIKE 'pilotid" returns a NULL value.

problem 2: I am new so dont laugh at this, my php code to bring up the data looks like this:

<?php

mysql_connect (xxxx, xxxx, xxxx);

mysql_select_db (xxxx);
if ($pilotid == "")
{$pilotid = '%';}

$result = mysql_query ("SELECT * SUM(hours) AS Total FROM pirep where pilotid LIKE '$pilotid%'");
if ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
do {
print "<td>{$row['hours']}</TD>n";

?>


that doesnt work. any ideas????