Aviation: How to Become Pilot in the Army

Army pilots operate helicopters like the Blackhawk UH-60.

Becoming an Army pilot is a long process that can take up to two years. After successfully completing training, students will become fully competent aviation warrant officers. Almost all U.S. Army aviators are warrant officers and they fly helicopters. Potential aviators should start working toward making themselves competitive candidates well in advance of applying to the flight school program.

Instructions

1. Take plenty of math and science courses in high school and college. Though the Army has a program in which high school graduates can become warrant officers, very few applicants are admitted. Most incoming warrant officers have college degrees. The Army gives preference to candidates who demonstrate strong math and science skills, which will prepare them for military training in aeronautics, navigation and mechanics.

2. Take flying lessons and log as many hours as possible. Because the flight school training pipeline lasts two years, the Army wants to know its money will not be wasted on new students. Flying lessons demonstrate to the Army selection committee that you have at least a basic aptitude for flying. A private pilot's license is even better.

3. Join the Army through the warrant officer program. A recruiter will assess if you qualify for flight school and help you prepare your application. During the application process you will take such assessment tests as the Flight Aptitude Selection Test and undergo a flight medical examination. If you are approved for flight school, you will be sworn into the Army as a warrant officer candidate.

4. Attend basic training and Warrant Officer Candidate School. Like enlisted officers and commissioned officers, warrant officers must begin their military careers with nine weeks of basic combat training. During training soldiers learn basic skills like marching, marksmanship and hand-to-hand combat.

   After basic comes warrant officer school, a two-phase course designed to help new soldiers develop as technically proficient leaders for the warrant officer corps. Warrent officer school teaches such courses as military writing, briefing and small unit tactical leadership.

5. Attend Initial Entry Rotary Wing training. This is the first school within the Army aviation pipeline dedicated exclusively to flight training. It is divided into four parts: primary, instruments, basic combat skills and night-vision goggles. During the primary phase students learn basic aerial maneuvers like takeoff, landing, hovering and autorotation. The instruments phase is dedicated to flying in low-visibility weather conditions using only the cockpit's electronic navigation equipment. Students learn about simple combat maneuvers and establishing a simple command and control site in the field during the basic combat skills phase. Finally, during the night-vision goggles phase, students will perform all the tasks of the previous phase, this time at night using goggles.

6. Attend the Aviation Officer Basic Course. Here pilot candidates are taught how to become effective leaders. They learn how to plan operations and brief their subordinate soldiers. Pilot candidates also take a course on survival evasion resistance and escape.

7. Complete the Advanced Aircraft Transition course. After primary flight training, a student is assigned to a specific helicopter model. The Army was using four helicopter models as of early 2011: the CH-47 Chinook, the UH-60 Blackhawk, the OH-58 Kiowa and the AH-64 Apache. During the transition course students will learn the mechanical specifications of their helicopters and how they are used in battle with ground combat forces. After this training, the students will become fully certified Army aviators.

References

• GoArmy: Warrant Officer
• U.S. Army Warrant Officer Candidate College: Warrant Officer Candidate School
• Global Security: United States Army Aviation Center