Fighter Pilot Requirements

You must have seen them in some Hollywood movie or maybe on CNN during the Afghanistan or the Iraq war. The job of a fighter pilot is dangerous, but exciting. There are people who despite the risks involved in this kind of a profession, desire to be a fighter pilot and help their country at the time of need. But, getting into this post (let me be very honest), is not a cake walk. It's a major responsibility and your whole country depends on you, thus, while the selection is on, people have to go through tough exams and fulfill certain conditions. There are certain fighter pilot requirements that all aspiring pilots needs to maintain in order to be one. Here are some of the requirements that one needs to pass before being eligible for this post.

Requirements for Fighter Pilots

There are many who wants to be a fighter pilot, but unfortunately many cannot because they do not meet the requirements. Here are some of the requirements that you need to keep in mind and also that will guide you through this whole process.

Age Factor
Age is one of the most important thing that is considered when applying for this post. Coming to the Navy fighter pilot; the age required at the time of application is 27 years; for fighter pilot in the Marines, the age that is required is 28 years and in the Air Force, the age at the time of application is 29 and 29 ½ years during the time of training and board meets. If you fulfill the above the age criteria, then read on.

Citizenship
The next most important requirement (and this is an important US air force fighter pilot) is that you have to be a US citizen. Keeping these two important points in mind, let us now move on to the next requirements.

Health and Fitness
Pilot job as a fighter pilot, is a job that demands loads from you. It will stress you out beyond your imagination. Hence it's important that you have a healthy and fit body as well as mind. Excellent heart condition is of course important and one also needs to have strong muscles as well as better than average eyesight. The person should also not be color blind and they must have 20/20 vision. Height should be around 6 feet and not too tall otherwise it will be difficult for you to fit into the cockpit. During your medical checkup tell your examiner everything regarding your health and DO NOT lie.

Air Force Academies
One needs to be a college graduate in order to be a fighter pilot. After that one needs to join one of the best Air Force academy. Choosing the right school is very important as it will be of great use to you in the future. You need to sit for certain exams in order to get through the officer training. The tests are mainly psychological tests and the candidate needs to have enough knowledge in this field. While in high school, you need to have a GPA of at least 3.8 and you must be good at maths. SAT score should also be around 1300 and all these will make you eligible for entering a good fighter pilot school. In short, what are some of the major Navy or air or jet fighter pilot requirements are that the candidate needs to be excellent in their educational field.

Flight School
Once the officer training is completed, the candidate will be sent to the flight school where you will be dealing with more serious issues of aviation related topics. You will also be watched for how stressed you get when in the flight school. People who are unable to take the stress, will be asked to leave. Depending on the basis of your class performance, you will be ranked and asked to choose the plane that you would like to fly.

Being a fighter pilot is not an easy task. But if you are dedicated, hardworking and meet all the requirements, then nothing and no one can stop you from achieving your dream. Payment here is also good. You can read about the fighter pilot salary to know more about the salary. Do not expect that flying will be as easy as 'Black Hawk Down' or 'Top Gun'. It's a tough road ahead but if you have the urge and the motivation, nothing can stop you.

"A fighter pilot is noted for intelligence, independence, integrity, courage, and patriotism. "Fighter Pilot" is a state of mind, not a job title. Therefore, not all people who fly fighters are fighter pilots, nor do all fighter pilots fly fighters, some of them drive trucks" - Unknown