Air Force Strategies Chipping Away at Pilot Shortfall

Ramped-up retention efforts and new training programs are helping, slowly.

Monday, January 17, 2022 at 10:22 AM ET

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U.S Air Force Lt. Col. Cheryl Buehn, 71st Fighter Training Squadron T-38A Talon instructor pilot, prepares for takeoff at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, March 13, 2018. Buehn commissioned through the U.S Air Force Academy and, while there, she was selected to train in the Euro-NATO Joint-Jet Pilot Training Program. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt. Natasha Stannard)

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force faces a significant pilot shortage, currently over 1,600 pilots, a persistent issue driven by years of underproduction and attrition to the commercial sector, most acutely impacting fighter pilot communities.
Despite maintaining current operational readiness, the shortage limits career-broadening opportunities for senior officers and creates staff vacancies.
To combat this, the Air Force is accelerating training pipelines and implementing the Rated Preparatory Program (RPP).
The RPP provides foundational flight and ground training to active-duty airmen and enlisted personnel with little prior experience, significantly increasing their success rate for selection into rated pilot positions.