How to Become a Fighter Pilot

Become a Fighter Pilot

Becoming a fighter pilot is not an easy task; it is in fact a long and arduous process, and does not always end with you becoming a pilot, much less piloting the aircraft of your choice. However, for those that possess the right amount of brains, determination, leadership skills and patriotic spirit, the job itself can be one of the most exciting. Read on to see if becoming a fighter pilot is right for you.

Fighter Pilot Training School

This video documentary discusses fighter pilot school, featuring boot camp at the Cold Lake Fighter School. It focuses on seven aspiring fighter pilots as they go through training, and suggests that the most important thing to remember about becoming a fighter pilot is that it is not a job, but a way of life. The decision to become a fighter pilot is considered a calling, not a decision that is made on a whim. Throughout the video, you learn different traits that fighter pilots should possess if they want to succeed.

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Introduction
Are you an adrenaline junkie that loves the freedom of flight; someone that longs to be inside the cockpit of an airplane with the control panels at your hands? Do you have a strong sense of patriotism, a fearless spirit and a natural ability to lead? If so, then you are well on your way towards becoming a fighter pilot. The job of a fighter pilot is much more than piloting a plane though. It is first and foremost about the love you have for your country, because your country is the one that is actually employing you. Continue on to learn more on how to become a fighter pilot.
Step 1: Become an Officer
- In order to become a fighter pilot you must first be designated as an officer, preferably in the Air Force or Navy, as these are the two factions that utilize fighter pilots. In order to become an officer you must first receive your college degree, and then go on to officer training school. Although some people combine both college and officer training school through programs at Reserve Officer Training Corps, also known as ROTC, or at an Air Force or Naval Academy, the benefit of Officer's Training School is that once you are accepted to the program, graduating from it increases your chances of becoming a fighter pilot.
Meet Officer Training School Requirements
- Whether you choose to attend ROTC, Officer's Training School or the Air Force or Naval Academy, you will have to meet each institution's respective requirements. The academic requirements for the ROTC and one of the academies are rigorous, while Officer Training School has a lengthy application process. Here is what you can expect:
- 1. Meet the physical specifications - vision will be important in all of the training programs
  2. Intellectual - high GPA and SAT scores are especially important for ROTC and the Academy, while a lengthy test similar to the SAT is issued for Officer's Training School
  3. Psychological
Step 2: Attend Flight School
- Keep in mind that although you will enter flight school as an officer, you will still be considered a lesser rank until you receive your pilot wings. At this stage it is essential that you work hard, as you want to leave a lasting impression. Flight school is not easy, and is a combination of the following:
- 1. Academics - classes include aeronautic theory, principles of flight, meteorology, etc.
  2. Flying - this includes both fight simulations and actual flying
- Throughout your tenure at flight school you will constantly be evaluated and ranked. In order to increase your chances of becoming a fighter pilot, you need to make sure you are ranked at the top. This is your big chance! When fighter jet assignments become available, it is those ranked at the top of the class who are given the first opportunity.
Step 3: Attend Advanced Training as a Fighter Pilot
- When high-ranking officers are given fighter jet assignments it usually means they are promoted up to advanced training. It is here where you will experience some of the more brutal, real-life tests such as:
Wilderness Survival School
- Wilderness survival school gives you a more realistic glimpse into the career you have chosen. The training is divided into two sections:
- 1. Surviving on the land - this tests your ability to take care of yourself should you become stranded in the wilderness. After several days of survival training, you are given hands-on experience when you are left in the woods and expected to put the training to use, knowing what plants and insects are edible and how to build a shelter.
  2. Surviving as a prisoner of war - this is the more strenuous of the two. While still living off the land, you will suddenly have to try and keep the enemy at bay. Once you have been captured, you will then undergo all the traumatic experiences of a real prisoner of war soldier. This includes both the physical and psychological implications of the experience.
Aircraft Training

This is the final stage before you become a fighter pilot. This is when you physically train in the actual aircraft you will be flying. By completing the training and finishing this school, you will be classified as an official fighter pilot, which is one of the most prestigious jobs in the Air Force.
Conclusion
- If you are able to complete all the steps and become a fighter pilot, you are one of the elite. Even with hard work and dedication, not everyone is able to rank at the top of their class and be handed the more revered assignments.
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