Summarize the following:
You will need an undergraduate degree from a university to become a pilot post-military service. It is recommended you get a degree in an aviation-related discipline. Aviation-related degrees include Aviation Maintenance Management, Aeronautical Engineering, and Airline and Airport Management. There are 3 ways to become a commissioned officer. You can join the ROTC program at your school, go to the Navy’s Officer Candidate School or the Officer Training School at the Air Force, or graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy or Air Force Academy. Becoming a commissioned officer does not automatically mean you’ll selected for pilot training. You’ll have to complete other requirements as well. You will have to pass a variety of tests to be chosen for flight training. These exams will test your physical stamina and mental agility. They will also test your knowledge of aviation. You’ll have to know things like the history of aviation, how different planes work, and what to do in an emergency situation. If you’re at least 16 and fluent in English, you’re eligible for the certificate. To begin, submit your application online at the IACRA website. Then, arrange to meet with a certified flight instructor so they can confirm your age and fluency. Once you finish this up, you’ll get a certificate in the mail from the FAA Airman Certification branch in about 3 weeks. Student pilot certificates do not expire, so you only need to do this step once. AME stands for Aviation Medical Examiner. These FAA-approved doctors have a deep understanding of the physiological aspects of flying. Once you sign up for an exam, the AME will ask you about your health history and perform tests on your eyesight, coordination, and hearing. If everything checks out, the AME will certify you as fit to fly.  You can search for AME’s in your area by going to the FAA’s website. A first-class certificate is required for airline pilots. If you’re under 40, your certificate remains valid for 1 year. If you’re over 40, you have to renew the certificate every 6 months. The final requirement for getting into flight school through military training is to get a letter of recommendation from a current or previous commanding officer. You can also get a reference letter from a former professor. You can get a reference letter from a former supervisor or manager as well. To offset the shortage of commercial pilots, the Department of Transportation has implemented an accelerated program to help veterans become commercial pilots in a matter of months. Once you have a student pilot certificate, a first-class medical certificate, and a reference letter, you can apply to this program. If you are eligible for the GI Bill and are not already a licensed private pilot, you can do this program for free. If you are not eligible for the GI Bill, you’ll have to pay $13,526 out of pocket. There are 4 schools in the U.S. that offer this program: Leading Edge Aviation in Bend, Oregon; CTI Professional Flight Training in Millington, Tennessee; U.S. Aviation Group in Denton, Texas; and CTI Professional Flight Training in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Spots are limited for this program, so go to the Department of Transportation’s Forces to Flyers website to sign up. Some students have completed this program in as few as 4 months. If you have to relocate, you’ll only need to do so for a few months. Over the course of the program, you’ll mix academic coursework with hands-on experiences to earn multiple certificates and ratings. You’ll get your Private Pilot Certificate, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot Certificate, Multi-Engine Rating, Certified Flight Instructor Certificate, and CFI-Instrument Certificate. Once you earn your CFI-Instrument Certificate, you can become a flight instructor. During this time, you can log the flight hours necessary to qualify for an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate and become an airline pilot.
Get a bachelor’s degree to become an Air Force or Navy pilot. Become a commissioned officer to get chosen for pilot training. Pass physical, psychological, and aptitude tests. Apply for a student pilot certificate to get into flight school. Obtain a first-class medical certificate from an AME. Get a reference letter from a commanding officer. Join the Forces to Flyers program to become a commercial pilot. Apply to the Forces to Flyers school closest to you. Earn certificates and ratings to become a commercial pilot.