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If you've been to an air show, you've seen a fighter pilot at work. They are the ones sitting behind the controls of aircraft like the F-16, the model plane for the Air Force Thunderbirds, or F-18s, the model aircraft for the Navy's Blue Angels.
But a fighter pilot spends a lot more time doing other essential things. This article will explain how a fighter pilot spends a workday. -
Fighter pilots spend a lot of time training on the ground, meeting not just pilot requirements but branch-of-service regulations. Air Force fighter pilots, for example, must still meet fitness standards for their branch. All Air Force members must be able to run 1.5 miles, do push-ups and sit-ups and maintain a waist standard to achieve a specific minimum composite score in order to remain in the Air Force.
It can take two hours a day, three days a week, just to meet basic fitness standards.
After exercise, fighter pilots will spend time training on other military standards, such as workplace and aircraft safety and operational security. This "block training" can take up to four hours a day, three days a week.
Fighter pilots must also spend a few hours a week studying for upcoming missions. Take the case of Operation: Northern Watch, in which pilots were assigned to patrol the enemy skies of Iraq after the First Gulf War. The Iraqi Army still had surface-to-air missile sites that frequently popped up out of nowhere and targeted U.S. aircraft. If the fighter pilots didn't review updated flight plans and terrain maps before seeking out the radar sites, they could have been killed from a missile or crashed into an unfamiliar mountain.
Fighter pilots also spend time in a flight simulator that enhances his flying skills. By practicing situations that can happen in real life, a fighter pilot can anticipate what the next move is. Many Air Force fighter pilots must meet stringent requirements on hours spent in the simulator before flying, so it isn't unusual for a pilot to spend at least two hours a day doing this. If you add up physical fitness, block training, mission briefings and simulator training, a fighter pilot can spend an average of 7 hours a day on just training...without getting into an aircraft! -
On flight training or real-world flying days, fighter pilots will spend a few hours preparing themselves and the aircraft before taking off. A pilot must make sure that his uniform meets all necessary requirements and that he's had enough rest to perform his flying duties. This includes not drinking any alcoholic beverages for at least 12 hours before flight.
Pilots will spend about 1 1/2 hours doing a pre-flight check on the aircraft. That involves reviewing aircraft maintenance forms, doing a basic maintenance inspection on the aircraft, and ensuring the right information has been inputted into the pilot's flying schedule. Once that is done, he's free to take off into the air at the control tower's discretion. He'll probably spend one or two hours flying his mission; if more time is required, a fighter pilot may have to do an in-air refuel with a fuel tanker aircraft like the KC-10.
The day doesn't end when the fighter pilot lands. He'll typically do a post-flight inspection of the aircraft and report any maintenance issues to the crew chief. From there, the pilot would go back to his command and give a report on his mission and status. He'll probably receive feedback on his flying and then be told when his next mission begins. If there isn't a mission in the near future, he'll get a few days off and it's back to ground training.
