Interested in flying? Below are some general qualifications. Categorization, the process that determines who is selected for pilot and navigator, occurs during your junior or senior year of college. After being selected you will need to take a Flying Class 1 physical.

Pilot

• Vision
  • Normal color vision
  • Distant vision - pilots, uncorrected to 20/70
  • Near vision - pilots, uncorrected to 20/20
  • Meet refraction, accommodation and astigmatism requirements
  • Corrective eye surgery could be a disqualifier
• Have no history of hay fever, asthma or allergies after age 12
• Meet Air Force weight and physical conditioning requirements
• Have standing height of 64 to 77 inches and sitting height of 34 to 40 inches

Navigator

• Vision
  • Normal color vision
  • Distant vision - pilots, 20/200 but corrected to 20/20
  • Near vision - pilots, 20/40 but corrected to 20/20
  • Meet refraction, accommodation and astigmatism requirements
  • Corrective eye surgery could be a disqualifier
• Have no history of hay fever, asthma or allergies after age 12
• Meet Air Force weight and physical conditioning requirements
• Have standing height of 64 to 77 inches and sitting height of 34 to 40 inch

The Selection Process

To compete for a pilot or navigator allocation you need to:

• Be enrolled full-time in a school offering Air Force ROTC and qualify for the program
• Meet all physical requirements
• Achieve qualifying scores on the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test
• Maintain a minimum 2.0 grade point average
• Receive a waiver for any civil involvement (for example, speeding tickets, minor infractions, etc.)
• Be commissioned prior to reaching your 29th birthday

If you are interested in becoming an Air Force pilot or navigator, start talking to your detachment admissions officer (for college students) or Regional Director of Admissions (for high school students) as soon as possible. If you are medically qualified and desire a flying career, you must compete for pilot and/or navigator allocations about 15 months prior to graduation and commissioning. Your junior year in college is when things really take off.

Junior Year of Air Force ROTC

Fall Term

Make sure you talk to the detachment staff and let them know you are interested in flying. There are a number of tasks that you need to get accomplished to make sure that you are qualified to compete for a pilot or navigator slot.

1. Have a completed physical, coordinated with Air Force ROTC, that establishes you are medically certified to be a pilot or navigator. This must be completed by November of your junior year.

2. Take the AFOQT and achieve qualifying scores.

• Pilots need minimum Pilot and Navigator scores of 25 and 10, respectively
• Navigators need minimum Pilot and Navigator scores of 10 and 25, respectively

3. Take the Basic Aptitude Test (BAT)

Spring Term

The cutoff date for submitting updated information to your package is normally the second week of February.

Senior Year of Air Force ROTC

Once selected, Air Force ROTC pilot candidates have the opportunity to complete the Introductory Flight Training Program as an AFROTC cadet. This program consists of 50 hours of flying time culminating in earning a Private Pilot Certificate. You must finish this program prior to beginning Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training.

Air Force ROTC navigator candidates have the opportunity to complete the Navigator Introductory Flight Training Program as an AFROTC cadet. This program consists of 20 hours of instruction covering basic navigation skills. You must finish this program prior to beginning Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training.

Specific duty assignments must be made prior to commissioning, based on the needs of the Air Force, individual qualifications, and desires.