Expert: Rod Powers - 7/24/2006

Question
I'm planning to join the navy after college to, someday, become a fighter pilot. I was wondering if you could answer some of my questions pertaining to the field of naval aviation. From the time I enlist with a navy recruiter, how long will it take to become a fighter pilot? Could you also explain to me the process of becoming one. What kind of physical training will be involved? When I start flying, will I get to pick which aircraft carrier I want to be assigned to? How much flying, "sortie", do navy pilots do per day? What are the benefits of becoming a pilot?  

Answer
Hi Kevin,

All Navy fighter pilots are commissioned officers.  To become a commissioned officer, you must first have a 4-year college degree, and to be competitive you must hold a pretty high college grade point average (3.0 or above).

You'll first apply for Navy OCS (assuming you are not currently in ROTC in college).  You would not be "enlisting" (enlisted members are not commissioned officers and cannot be pilots).

Don't let an enlisted recruiter tell you it will be easier to get into OCS as an enlisted member.  This simply isn't true.  You'll want to ask to speak with an "Officer Accessions Recruiter."

OCS (Officer Candidate School) takes about 3 months.  This is the commissioned officer's version of enlisted basic training.

Assuming you qualify to become a Naval Aviator, and are selected for the program, you'll then go to basic flight training.  This is the equivalent of getting a private pilot's license, and allows the Navy to see if you have the aptitude to go farther in training.  The course lasts about 9 months.  Assuming you graduate, your class-standing determines the type of aircraft you'll be assigned to.  In other words, those in the top 10 percent of the class stand a better chance of getting their choice, than those in the bottom 10 percent of the flight training graduation class.  Graduates will be assigned to one of the following programs: Rotary (helicopter), jets (fighters and tankers), or prop (transportation and cargo).

You'll then enter advanced flight training in the type of aircraft you've been assigned to (rotary, jets, or props).  Again, your class standing will determine exactly what aircraft you will be assigned to upon graduation.  This course lasts between 6 and 10 months, depending on the airframe type.

Finally, you'll advance to qualification training in your specific aircraft (F-18, A-6, or whatever).  Upon completion of qualification training, you'll be assigned to a flying squadron as a "nugget." (a "newbie-pilot" that still has to go through several months of "qualification flights" within the squadron before he/she is considered "fully qualified."

You get to list your preferences of flying squadrons, but the overall assignment is made primarily based on the "needs of the Navy."

Pilots don't really get any "benefits" that are not available to others in the military (other than obvious things, such as flight pay).  For details about military pay and benefits, see my article, "What the Recruiter Never Told You" at: http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/joiningup/a/recruiter.htm

For more information about the United States Military, see my Military information website at:  http://usmilitary.about.com

Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com