How to Become an AF Pilot

Air Force pilot training

Becoming an Air Force pilot is not easy. First you have to get a slot in pilot school, which is tough, and then you have to make it through pilot training, which is tough in a different way. There are three possible routes for you to get accepted to pilot training, but all three routes require you to become an officer.

Instructions

1. Get accepted to the Air Force Academy. This is the only surefire route to becoming a pilot. All academy cadets who want to be pilots and pass a flight physical get pilot slots. It is the major perk of going to USAFA for four years. Every year, the Air Force will determine the total number of pilot slots available, and the Academy automatically gets as many slots as they have qualified cadets.

2. Apply to the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. If you do not already have a college degree and do not choose to go to USAFA, you can join the AFROTC program at you local university. AFROTC is easier to get into than the Academy. The downside is that pilot slots are much tougher to get.

   A high rating from your ROTC commander will make you a more competitive candidate, as will a high college GPA, a technical major, high pilot and navigator scores on the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (80 or higher), and having a private pilot's license with lots of flight hours.

   Pilot training slots remaining after the Academy cadets are accepted are distributed to AFROTC and Officer Training School. AFROTC candidates who are physically qualified to become pilots but don't get a slot are chosen for navigator training instead.

3. Join Officer Training School. If you already have a college degree, the best option for you is OTS, although you could still attend ROTC while pursuing a graduate degree. Submit an application with the nearest OTS recruiter and compete against other candidates for the pilot slots allotted to OTS recruits that year. Admission to Air Force OTS is itself very competitive, so good grades, a technical major and a solid interview will be key.

   A good interview with your OTS recruiter will make you more competitive for a pilot training slot. You should also have a high college GPA, pursue a technical major, achieve high pilot and navigator scores on the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (80 or higher), and have a private pilot's license with lots of flight hours.

4. Complete pilot training. Undergraduate Pilot Training is 15 months of rigorous training. Expect 12-hour days as the norm. It is more difficult than college, and much faster paced. Solid study skills are needed, which is why the Air Force recruits good students from difficult majors.

   You will select either the fighter or the heavy track based on your performance and preferences. Later, you will be selected for your eventual aircraft based on availability, class rank and preference, in that order.

5. Complete the additional required training. Once undergraduate training is complete, you get your wings. You must then complete survival and resistance training, water survival, Introductory Fighter Training if you were chosen for fighters, Initial Qualification Training in your aircraft, and Mission Qualification Training. Upon completion of training, you are officially a fully qualified Air Force pilot. The entire process can take as much as three years from the date you get commissioned, depending on your aircraft.

Tips & Warnings

• Your odds of being selected from either OTS or ROTC will vary every year, depending on the number of available slots.

References

• BaseOps.net: USAF Pilot Training FAQs