How to Become a Military Pilot

Highly precise and skilled, aviators in the armed forces fly aircraft from fighter jets to multiengine transports.

Tuesday, July 16, 2024 at 10:54 AM ET

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U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Raymond Bretana, UH-60 pilot for Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment, Assault Helicopter Battalion, attached to the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, prepares start-up procedures on a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter before conducting a training flight at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, November 3, 2022. [Courtesy: U.S. Army]

Key Takeaways:

Military pilots are highly skilled and respected aviators in various U.S. military branches, operating diverse aircraft from fighter jets to multi-engine transports.
Becoming a military pilot requires meeting stringent common requirements across branches, including a four-year degree, achieving officer status (e.g., via military academies, ROTC, or OTS), and passing rigorous physical, mental, and demographic criteria.
The training path involves initial eligibility, followed by comprehensive ground school and a phased flight training program, preparing pilots for diverse mission roles and offering opportunities for career advancement.

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Military pilots are among the most skilled and highly trained aviators in the world. Extremely precise and skilled, pilots flying aircraft from fighter jets to multiengine transports are held to lofty standards and respected for their work.

Becoming a fighter pilot is a dream for many. Military flying has been around since the world wars, but as technology advanced—and media representation in movies such as Top Gun increased—the general public’s fascination with military pilots, especially fighter pilots, has only increased.

John McDermott

John McDermott is a student at Northwestern University. He is also a student pilot with hopes of flying for the airlines. A self-proclaimed ""avgeek,"" John will rave about aviation at length to whoever will listen, and he is keen to call out any airplane he sees, whether or not anyone around him cares about flying at all. John previously worked as a Journalist and Editor-In-Chief at Aeronautics Online Aviation News and Media. In his spare time, John enjoys running, photography, and watching planes approach Chicago O'Hare from over Lake Michigan.