Except for an extremely small number of enlisted personnel selected to attend flight school subsequent to completing the STA-21, OCS, USMMA, USNA, or USCGA programs, all student naval aviators (SNAs) must first obtain an officer commission. To become a naval aviator, non-prior service personnel must be between the ages of 19 and 32 when entering flight training. Adjustments (waivers) can be made up to 24 months for those with prior service, and up to 48 months for those already in the military at the time of application or for Marine Corps platoon leader's course applicants with prior enlisted service. Navy and Marine Corps officers are currently commissioned through five sources - the
United States Naval Academy at
Annapolis, Maryland; the
United States Merchant Marine Academy at
Kings Point, New York;
Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) at a number of colleges and universities across the country;
Navy Officer Candidate School at
Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island;
Marine Corps Officer Candidates School (to include the
Platoon Leaders Class [PLC] program) at
Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. A smaller number were previously commissioned via the Navy's
limited duty officer or
chief warrant officer programs, but this track has since been discontinued. Coast Guard officers receive their commissions either from the
United States Coast Guard Academy or
Coast Guard Officer Candidate School, both located in
New London, Connecticut; or via the
United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. Graduates of these programs are commissioned as
ensigns in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Coast Guard, or as
second lieutenants in the Marine Corps. All individuals must pass an aeronautical screening, to include successful completion of the USN/USMC/USCG
Aviation Selection Test Battery and be selected for pilot training prior to being designated as student naval aviators. Student naval aviators progress through a significant training syllabus—typically 18 to 24 months for initial winging (designation) as naval aviators via either the advanced strike pipeline for those destined for fixed-wing aircraft such as fighter/bomber jets; the maritime pipeline for those en route to multi-engine, land and sea-based aircraft (with a slightly modified pipeline for prospective
E-2 Advanced Hawkeye or
C-2A Greyhound pilots); and the rotary wing pipeline for those who will fly helicopters or tilt rotor aircraft (with a slightly modified pipeline for
MV-22 Osprey pilots). The longest of these "pipelines" is the E-2 or C-2A pipeline, averaging over three years from initial pre-flight training to designation as a naval aviator. All pipelines include ground and flight training at numerous locations. Following designation as a naval aviator, all newly designated aviators report to a designated Navy or Marine Corps
fleet replacement squadron (FRS), the
Coast Guard Aviation Training Center at Mobile, Alabama.
Introductory flight screening (IFS) IFS is the first step to becoming a naval aviator. After passing a medical screening, all new flight school students are enrolled in one of five civilian flight schools near
NAS Pensacola. For those students requiring IFS, they will complete 2 weeks of ground training and around 14 hours of flight training in single-engined
general aviation aircraft. Coast Guard students complete 25 hours of flight training. A student must solo and pass the FAA private pilot knowledge test. IFS screens a student's flight aptitude prior to beginning the Navy training syllabus and is waived for students reporting to
NAS Pensacola with a private pilot's certificate or better, or those
United States Naval Academy midshipmen who have completed the powered flight program.
Aviation preflight indoctrination (API) :
Notable dramatization of API/AOCS, in media: An Officer and a Gentleman All SNAs start at the "Cradle of Naval Aviation",
NAS Pensacola,
Florida. API classes consist of Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard SNAs, student
naval flight officers,
flight surgeons, and foreign exchange military pilots. Students receive four weeks of classroom instruction in
aerodynamics, aircraft engines and systems,
meteorology,
air navigation, and flight rules and regulations. Following academics, students spend two weeks learning land survival, first aid, physiology, and water survival and egress. Following the end of academic instruction, API students hold a social event known as Flight Suit Friday at the Mustin Beach officers club. From that point onward, the students are authorized the wear of flight suits (with service-specific garrison cap) as their daily uniform instead of Navy service khakis, Marine service Charlies or Coast Guard tropical blue. Prior to its disestablishment, Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) at NAS Pensacola incorporated the entire API syllabus into the nominally 15-week AOCS curriculum. AOCS students were commissioned only after they completed API requirements.
Naval Introductory Flight Evaluation (NIFE) In November 2020, The Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) combined IFS and API into a singular program. As of today, NIFE is the new first step to becoming a naval aviator. All prospective SNAs begin the course with the API academic instruction, involving aerodynamics, flight rules and regulations, meteorology, navigation, and aircraft engines and systems. Following successful completion of the academic portion and Flight Suit Friday, SNAs will begin the IFS portion of the course, conducted with civilian flight schools at either
Pensacola Regional Airport or
Jack Edwards Airport in Orange Beach, Alabama. Students will complete approximately 10 hours of basic flying and will mimic the expectations needed to succeed in primary flight training. Upon completion of a check ride by a CFI, students will spend a week learning physiology and water survival and egress before graduating and heading to primary flight training.
Primary flight training Following NIFE graduation, SNAs are assigned to
Training Air Wing Five at
NAS Whiting Field,
Florida or Training Air Wing Four at
NAS Corpus Christi,
Texas, where they learn to fly the
Beechcraft T-6B Texan II (
JPATS). Primary teaches the basics of flying in approximately six months and is divided into the following stages: • Ground school (aircraft systems, local course rules, emergency procedures) • Contact (takeoff and landing, limited maneuvers, spins, emergency landing pattern (ELP), emergency procedures) • Basic instruments (common instrument scans, generic instrument flight procedures) • Precision
aerobatics (
aileron roll, loop,
Cuban eight,
barrel roll, wingover,
split S,
Immelmann, cloverleaf) • Formation (basic section flight, cruise formation flight) • Radio instrument navigation (VOR, holding, ILS/LOC, PAR/ASR, RNAV) • Night familiarization • Visual navigation
Advanced flight training Upon successful completion of primary flight training, SNAs are selected for one of five advanced flight training paths: Strike, E-2/C-2 (Navy only), multi-engine, rotary, or tilt-rotor. Selection is based on the needs of the military service, an SNA's performance, and an SNA's preference. Previously, students were given the option to select tailhook and trained in the T-45C before learning if they would continue in either strike or E-2/C-2. • SNAs selected for the strike pipeline complete
centrifuge training before reporting to
NAS Kingsville, Texas or
NAS Meridian, Mississippi. Intermediate and advanced strike training is conducted in the
T-45C Goshawk at
VT-7 or
VT-9 at
Training Air Wing One, NAS Meridian, MS, or
VT-21 or
VT-22 at
Training Air Wing TWO, Kingsville, TX. This syllabus is the foundation upon which all future tailhook aviators begin to build their experience. The strike pipeline fills fleet seats for the
F/A-18C/D Hornet (USMC) and
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (USN),
EA-18G Growler (USN),
F-35B Lightning II (USMC), and the F-35C Lightning II (USN and USMC). • SNAs selected for the E-2/C-2 pipeline (USN only) at the completion of primary flight training report to Training Air Wing FOUR in Corpus Christi, Texas, for multi-engine training in the
T-44C. Upon completion, students will report to Trawing One or Trawing Two to complete a syllabus that culminates in T-45C carrier qualification prior to reporting to
VAW-120 at
NS Norfolk, Virginia. • SNAs selected for multi-engine training are assigned to
NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, for training in the
T-44C Pegasus. These SNAs move on to NAS Jacksonville to train on the
Boeing P-8 Poseidon, MCAS Cherry Point or MCAS Miramar to train on the
Lockheed KC-130, or to their destined stations for Coast Guard SNAs. Previously, Navy SNAs assigned to the
E-6B Mercury were sent to
Vance AFB, Oklahoma, for training in the
T-1 Jayhawk. • Those selected for
helicopter training are assigned to
NAS Whiting Field, Florida, for training in the
TH-57B/C or the
TH-73A Thrasher. • SNAs selected to fly the
MV-22 Osprey and the
CMV-22 Osprey after primary flight training are assigned first to
NAS Whiting Field in Pensacola, Florida for abbreviated advanced helicopter training and then to NAS Corpus Christi for multi-engine training in the
T-44C Pegasus. With exposure to both helicopter and multi-engine flying, the SNA has a diverse background to transition to tilt-rotor aircraft. Upon successful completion of flight training and designation as a Naval Aviator (NA) (earning the Wings of Gold), NAs will head to either
VMMT-204 at
MCAS New River or
VRM-50 at
NAS North Island to learn how to fly the Osprey.
Strike syllabus Student naval aviators selected for strike training are assigned to
NAS Kingsville, Texas or
NAS Meridian, Mississippi, flying the T-45C. The intermediate syllabus incorporates basic instrument flying, formation, night familiarization, and airway navigation over approximately 58 graded flights lasting approximately 27 weeks. Advanced strike students continue with approximately 67 additional graded flights lasting approximately 23 weeks in the T-45 Goshawk. The syllabus covers bombing,
air combat maneuvering (ACM), advanced instruments, low-level navigation, tactical formation flying (TACFORM), and carrier qualification (CQ) (see
Modern US Navy carrier operations). Graduates of advanced strike fly the F/A-18C/D Hornet (USMC), F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (USN), EA-18G Growler (USN), F-35B Lightning II (USMC), and the F-35C Lightning II (USN and USMC). Advanced strike training previously produced pilots for the now-retired
F-8 Crusader (to include RF-8 variants),
F-4 Phantom II (to include RF-4 variants),
F-14 Tomcat,
A-3 Skywarrior,
A-4 Skyhawk,
A-6 Intruder,
EA-6B Prowler,
A-7 Corsair II,
RA-5C Vigilante, and
S-3 Viking.
E-2/C-2 pipeline E-2/C-2 students go to NAS Corpus Christi to complete multi-crew and multi-engine training (approx. 16 weeks) in the
T-44A with VT-31, followed by CQ in the
T-45 Goshawk. Following winging, they proceed to the E-2/C-2 Fleet Replacement Squadron VAW-120, NS Norfolk for aircraft qualification before assignment to a carrier air wing (CVW) VAW (E-2C Hawkeye) or VRC (C-2A Greyhound) squadron. The VAW squadrons are home-ported at either NS Norfolk, Virginia,
NAS Point Mugu, California, or
NAF Atsugi, Japan, and deploy as a squadron of four aircraft aboard their respective aircraft carrier. The VRC squadrons are based at either NS Norfolk, or NAS North Island, and deploy in detachments of two aircraft aboard their respective aircraft carrier.
Rotary-wing pipeline SNAs selected for helicopter training report to
NAS Whiting Field, Florida, and complete advanced training in the
TH-57 Sea Ranger or the
TH-73A Thrasher. Students receive over 100 hours of instruction learning the unique characteristics and tactics of rotary-wing aviation. Students progress through several phases of training including basic helicopter familiarization, tactics, basic and radio instruments, visual, instrument, and low-level navigation, formation, night familiarization (including use of
night vision goggles), and search and rescue. Upon completion, students will receive their wings of gold and are designated naval aviators. Previously flight training for rotary wing aircraft was divided into two stages, primary and advanced. Primary helicopter flight training was conducted at HT-8 using the TH-57A. Advanced helicopter flight training was conducted by HT-18 using several variants of the UH-1. During the 1980s the UH-1 was replaced by the TH-57B and TH-57C. Once they receive their wings of gold, Navy helicopter pilots report to their respective
fleet replacement squadron (FRS) for training:
HSM-41 for the
MH-60R Seahawk or
HSC-3 for the
MH-60S Knighthawk (HSC) at NAS North Island;
HSM-40 for the MH-60R Seahawk at
NS Mayport;
HSC-2 for the MH-60S Knighthawk or
HM-12 for the
MH-53E Sea Dragon at Norfolk, or
VRM-50 at NAS North Island for the CMV-22 Osprey. Marine Corps helicopter/tiltrotor pilots report to
HMHT-302 at MCAS New River for the CH-53E/K Super/King Stallion;
HMLAT-303 at MCAS Camp Pendleton for the
AH-1Z Viper,
UH-1Y Venom; or
VMMT-204 at MCAS New River for the MV-22 Osprey. Coast Guard helicopter pilots report to the Coast Guard Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Alabama for further training, or the "T-Course", on the MH-60T Jayhawk and MH-65D Dolphin. The Navy also trains pilots from several NATO and other allied nations as military and naval helicopter pilots.
Multi-engine pipeline Maritime multi-engine students complete their advanced training at
NAS Corpus Christi, flying the twin-engine
T-44A/C Pegasus. Particular emphasis is placed on single-engine flight in varying conditions and instrument flying. Upon receiving their wings of gold, Navy pilots report to VP-30, the
P-8 Poseidon FRS, for further training in the P-8A. Marine Corps pilots report to the
Lockheed KC-130 FRD at either
MCAS Cherry Point or
MCAS Miramar. Previously
VMGRT-253 served as the KC-130 FRS until its deactivation in 2006. Coast Guard pilots destined for the
HC-130 or
HC-144 proceed directly to their assigned air station. As budget and time allow, the HC-130 pilots report to an Air Force C-130 formal training unit (FTU) at
Little Rock Air Force Base,
Arkansas or
Dobbins Air Reserve Base,
Georgia. As of 2012, VT-31 and VT-35 no longer train
United States Air Force student pilots bound for C-130 duty. Coast Guard HC-144 pilots report to the Coast Guard aviation training center (ATC) in Mobile, Alabama for a transition course after reporting to their assigned air station. Similarly, Navy
E-6 Mercury TACAMO pilots complete advanced training in the
T-44C Pegasus at NAS Corpus Christi, TX. TACAMO-bound students no longer train on the
T-1A Jayhawk, a militarized version of the Beechcraft 400, at the Air Force's 32nd Flying Training Squadron at
Vance Air Force Base,
Oklahoma as of 2012. Training Air Wing FOUR has converted analog T-44As to digital T-44Cs which is the perfect lead-in trainer for the digital / glass cockpit of the P-8A Poseidon, MV-22 Osprey, E6-B Mercury, and C-130J Hercules aircraft. High fidelity T-44C visual simulators will follow the upgrade which will enable the perfect mix of ground and air training. ==Insignia and winging==