How to Become a Navy Pilot

The adrenaline rush of an aircraft catapulting off the deck of an aircraft carrier or the challenge of landing at night on the deck of ship tossing in the sea would excite almost anyone. But only those with the desire, determination and ability to make it through flight training ever get to be naval aviators. There are many things you must accomplish in order to become a Navy pilot.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

1. Make sure you want to be a naval officer, not just a pilot. Although many Navy pilots eventually have jobs with the airlines, they first serve for many years as a naval officer. Not everyone who wants to be a pilot gets to be a pilot.

2. Apply to the officer program you would like to attend. Navy officer programs are competitive and you must be an officer in order to fly. The United States Naval Academy, Navy ROTC and Officer Candidate School (OCS) are the choices.

3. Go to college. You must be a college graduate to fly in the Navy.

4. Graduate from the Naval Academy, NROTC or OCS. Graduates from these programs are ensigns in the Navy. You will be able to request a career specialty at this point.

5. Request Navy pilot as your career specialty. Some years nearly everyone who is physically qualified and would like to fly gets to fly, but in other years this is not the case. Be prepared with a back-up plan if you do not get to become a pilot.

6. Attend flight school in Pensacola. The school involves flight training, classroom work and physical activity. Following initial flight training, you will be able to request if you want to fly helicopters, jets or propeller aircraft.

7. Choose the type of aircraft you would like to fly and finish flight training. Become a Navy pilot.

Tips & Warnings

• Performance matters every step of the way. Competition is fierce from applying to the Naval Academy all the way through choosing which aircraft you want to fly.

• Stay in good physical shape. You do not want an injury to derail your process.

• The entire process can take six years if you choose NROTC or the Naval Academy. The service commitment will begin after flight school.

• The Navy will take your preference into account, but they have the final say on if you become a pilot and what you fly.

• You must meet the medical requirements at the time flight school starts, not just four years earlier when you begin your commissioning process.