Requirements to Be a Pilot in Navy
Becoming a pilot with the U.S. Navy is a highly competitive process. In addition to the normal requirements that all seamen face, a Navy pilot must also have at least a bachelor's degree and be a commissioned officer. Potential pilots must successfully complete pre-screening before attending the Navy's flight school. Only after passing all the hurdles can a Navy pilot then specialize in a particular aircraft.
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Basic Requirements
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Several basic requirements must be met before a person can become a Navy pilot. The first basic requirement is that you are a U.S. citizen. You must also be at least 18 years old when you enlist in the Navy and you must be commissioned as an officer before turning 28. Additionally, you will have to pass a number of physical, medical, psychological and background tests. Your uncorrected vision has to be better than 20/40 and be correctable to 20/20. Color-blindness and problems with depth perception will disqualify you from becoming a pilot.
Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
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To become a pilot in the Navy, a person must first become an officer. The first step in becoming an officer entails getting a bachelor's degree. To accelerate the process of being commissioned, you can enroll in a college's Naval ROTC program. This is a program that allows future ensigns to attend a civilian college while also taking military classes and participating in summer midshipman cruises.
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Officer Candidate School
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If you already have your bachelor's degree, signing up for Officer Candidate School is another route to commissioning. This is a 12-week course held at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Fla. The 12-week program drills the basic rules and procedures of the U.S. Navy into you while pushing you both physically and mentally.
Naval Academy
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The third and most rigorous route to a commission is attending the Naval Academy at Annapolis. The academy is extremely selective, and only about 10 percent of applicants are accepted every year. Those accepted typically have strong academic records, are active in their communities and participate in varsity sports. The Naval Academy is an intense four-year program that combines college academics with a focus on math, science and naval history along with physical conditioning.
Testing
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Once you have achieved a bachelor's degree and been commissioned as an ensign, you have to pass the Aviation Selection Test Battery. This tests your mathematics, aviation and nautical knowledge and also attempts to gauge your interest in aviation as well as your mechanical aptitude.
Personal Flight School
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Potential Navy pilots must undergo flight screening. This includes 25 hours of instruction from a certified flight instructor and the completion of at least three solo flights, including one cross-country. If you already hold a recreational or private pilot license or have already completed a solo cross-country flight, you can skip this step.
Navy Flight School
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Navy flight training involves three steps. The first step is pre-indoctrination. This involves six weeks of studying aerodynamics, aviation physiology, engines and navigation. It also includes training that teaches you how to survive if an accident causes you to end up in the water. The next step is primary flight training. This occurs at Whiting Field in Florida. Students get to log more than 100 hours in a T-34C, a turboprop that is the Navy's main trainer. The training covers basic flight skills, night and formation flying, and aerobatics. The final step is the specialization in a particular aircraft. The type of aircraft to which you're assigned--helicopter, tactical jet or cargo plane--will determine where you go for your specialized flight training.
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