Becoming a fighter pilot in the US military requires a four-year degree, good physical health, correctable vision, and being relatively young. US Air Force Academy offers the most fighter pilot positions, while ROTC programs are another option. After obtaining officer status, candidates must complete Naval Aviator training and become a Qualified Pilot.
There is no guaranteed path to becoming a fighter pilot in most modern military services, but there are some essential requirements one would hope for if anyone could have a chance at the career. Most fighter pilot requirements include being a commissioned officer, which requires earning a four-year degree from a university system and/or completing a military officer training school program. Pilots must be in good physical health, with correctable vision to 20/20, with no record of past criminal violations, and relatively young. In the US military, the age limit to become a fighter pilot in the Air Force is 29 at the time of application, 28 for the Marines and 27 for the Navy.
The US Air Force Academy offers the largest number of fighter pilot positions to applicants in the US military overall. To enter the Academy, you must have proficiency in math and science and an above-par high school grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.7. The US Navy and Marines also have academies that are four-year programs like those in the Air Force, and they all require you to be under 23 when you apply. Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs are another avenue for earning an officer commission to become a fighter pilot in the US, either in the Air Force ROTC (AFROTC) or the Navy ROTC (NROTC). The only exception to pilot positions in the U.S. military is the Army, where war officers can fly who are not commissioned officers, although the U.S. Army does not have fighter wing squadrons as of 2011.
Once you have obtained Academy training and officer status, the next step in becoming a fighter pilot involves military training to become a Naval Aviator (NA). These programs begin in the US with Prior Aviation Indoctrination, also known as Graduate Pilot Training (UPT), for six weeks of physical training, emergency procedures and learning the basics of aerodynamics and navigation. Candidates learn the same skills needed to earn a private pilot’s license, which involves up to 66 hours of flight training, plus substantial classroom time in technical and engineering disciplines.
Many men and women enter US military academies with the goal of becoming a fighter pilot, but completing training at the academy is not enough. A candidate needs to become a Qualified Pilot (PQ), which they discover within their first year, and disqualifications can occur for a variety of reasons, including vision limitations involving depth perception or astigmatism that cannot be corrected by LASIK surgery. Entering the Air Force Academy also requires a nomination from a US Senator, Congressional Representative, or Appropriate and Very Important Person (VIP) whom the Academy recognizes for their stature and accomplishments. Due to the difficult path and requirements to become a fighter pilot in the US, it is recommended that high school students start planning early and speak with local military recruiters to ensure they are doing everything necessary to improve. your chances of winning. one of the limited spaces available.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
