Pilot Training Vr

[Kerrie Gingrich]

Becoming an Air Force Pilot requires you to meet strict physical, medical, vision and academic requirements. Applicants must achieve qualifying scores on the AFOQT exam, meet all requirements and pass a selection board prior to age 33. A final determination on your eligibility will be reached by working with a recruiter through the full application process.

For pilot and aircrew positions, height specifications vary by aircraft and most applicants can successfully pursue a career in aviation with the U.S. Air Force. Applicants who are significantly taller or shorter than average may require special screening to ensure they can safely perform operational duties. Applicants of all heights are encouraged to apply.

Pilots must have normal color vision, near visual acuity of 20/30 without correction, distance visual acuity of no worse than 20/70 in each eye correctable to 20/20 and meet other refraction, accommodation and astigmatism requirements. Corrective eye surgery may also disqualify applicants for pilot or other specific roles.

In addition to vision requirements, becoming an Air Force Pilot requires you to meet strict physical, medical and academic requirements. A final determination on your eligibility will be determined by working with a recruiter through the full application process.

Since we pioneered the first three-day ground school in the early 1960s, Sporty's has been a leader in aviation education. We've come a long way since then. The free to download Pilot Training App is the new home to Sporty's Courses. Pilot training now goes with you, wherever you are on whatever device you want to train with. The app, available on iOS, Android, Roku, AppleTV, and online at sportys.com/mycourses, is where pilots go for online ground school, flight reviews, new ratings, and advanced avionics training. All of the courses below are accessible via The Pilot Training app. Plus, you can demo each course in the app before you buy.

Download the Pilot Training App for iPad and iPhone here.
Download the Pilot Training App for Android here.
Use Sporty's online courses at Sportys.com/mycourses.

The fast-paced training environment of ATP was almost identical to the type of training I received from the airline. I was able to use the study skills I learned at ATP to successfully prepare myself for the airline life.

All trademarks, trade names, service marks, product names, company names, logos, and brands used or mentioned herein are property of their respective owners in the United States and other countries. Mention of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.
14 CFR part 142 programs provided by ATP Jet Simulation, Inc.

2nd Lt. Ryan Potter, an 80th Flying Training Wing Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program student pilot, flies a T-6A Texan II during a training sortie near Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, in late August 2020. Potter and 18 other members of ENJJPT Class 20-04 graduated April 10, 2020. (U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Ryan Potter)

The Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program, established in the spirit of NATO, is conducted by the 80th Flying Training Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. ENJJPT is the world's only multi-nationally manned and managed flying training program chartered to produce combat pilots for NATO. The 80th FTW is the official U.S. Air Force designation of this flying training organization, but it is better known as ENJJPT by its members.

In 1973, the rapidly rising cost of pilot training and the need to improve interoperability of NATO air forces led a group of European nations to examine the feasibility of conducting a consolidated undergraduate flying training program. While pursuing this initiative, the participating countries also hoped to solve other problems such as predominantly poor weather conditions and restricted airspace, which impacted the flying training programs of many NATO air forces.

In 1974, the United States joined the working group and, in addition to the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey and Canada, proposed a plan to host a joint undergraduate pilot training program. After a thorough review of all the proposals, it was agreed that the United States could offer the best combination of good flying weather, adequate training airspace, existing facilities and growth potential to accommodate proposed annual requirements. Consequently, in 1978, the United States was formally selected to host the ENJJPT program for 10 years as a short term solution, while studies on relocation to a European base continued.

A multi-national working group visited Sheppard AFB to survey the facilities and organization of the 80th FTW, which was already conducting undergraduate pilot training for the German and Dutch air forces. In June 1980, Secretary of Defense Harold Brown announced the selection of Sheppard as the site for the proposed program, and the ENJJPT Program held its official opening ceremony Oct. 23, 1981. In 1987, the program was extended to 1989, and in 1989, the program was again extended to 2005. As of 2016, the program added Romania as its 14th partner and has been extended through 2026.

The ENJJPT is a uniquely manned multi-national organization with a USAF wing commander and vice commander and an operations group commander in the top three leadership positions. The OG commander is based on country participation. Command and operations officers' positions in the flying training squadrons rotate among the participating nations, while the commander of the 80th Operations Support Squadron is always from the USAF. Additionally, officers from all 14 participating nations fill subordinate leadership positions throughout the wing. Five nations -- Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway and the United States -- provide instructor pilots based on their number of student pilots. Canada, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Turkey do not have student pilots in training, but do provide one instructor pilot. As an example of this totally integrated structure, an American student pilot may have a Belgian instructor pilot, a Dutch flight commander, a Turkish section commander, an Italian operations office, and a German squadron commander.

ENJJPT is also unique with its four distinct training programs. In addition to Undergraduate Pilot Training, ENJJPT also provides for its own Pilot Instructor Training (a program that teaches pilots to be instructor pilots), Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, and IFF Upgrade Instructor Pilot training. About 200 student pilots earn their wings at ENJJPT annually after a 55-week, three-phased training regimen. About 80 new instructor pilots are trained annually and up to 150 pilots transition through IFF each year. All this training is supported by a staff of more than 1,400 military, civilian and contract personnel employing 201 T-6A, and T-38C training aircraft.

The benefits of the ENJJPT Program are many -- lower cost, better training environment, enhanced standardization and interoperability, to name a few. Another important aspect of ENJJPT is the bond of friendship and respect developed among all participants in the 80th FTW. The student pilots and staff instructors of today will be the leaders of NATO's air forces of tomorrow. Having trained together, they will be much better prepared to fight and win together when the need ever arises.


(Current as of July 2017)

Air Education and Training Command conducts flying training and is responsible for training aircrews and air battle managers, as well as conducting cadet airmanship programs at the United States Air Force Academy for more than 3,400 cadets per year.

Air Force pilot, Remotely Piloted Aircraft pilot, and combat systems officer candidates begin with Initial Flight Screening/RPA Flight Screening at Pueblo, Colorado, to gauge aptitude for flight and introduce candidates to the rigors of military aviation and training. Pilot candidates then attend either Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard AFB, Texas, or Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus AFB, Mississippi, Laughlin AFB, Texas, or Vance AFB, Oklahoma.

At ENJJPT, students learn with, and are taught by, U.S. Air Force officers and officers from various air forces of our NATO allies. Student pilots fly the T-6 Texan II mastering contact, instrument, low-level and formation flying. Then they move onto a fighter-trainer, the T-38 Talon, and continue building the skills necessary to become a fighter pilot.Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training is divided into three phases, Academic/Ground Training, Primary Flying Training, and Advanced Flying Training.

Primary Flying Training is designed to teach the basic flying fundamentals necessary to safely operate any U.S. Air Force aircraft and lays the foundation for the advanced phase and for future responsibilities as military officers and leaders.

After the primary phase of specialized training, student pilots are selected for one of three advanced training tracks based on needs of the Air Force and their class standing. Prospective airlift and tanker pilots are assigned to the airlift/tanker track and train in the T-1 Jayhawk. Student pilots headed for bomber or fighter assignments are assigned to the bomber/fighter track and train in the T-38. Both airlift/tanker track and fighter/bomber track training continues at Columbus, Laughlin, or Vance Air Force Bases. Students selected to fly helicopters train in the TH-1H at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Approximately 160 students per year will be selected for duty flying Remotely Piloted Aircraft.

New to the AETC flight training programs, the RPA pilot training program, known as Undergraduate RPA Training or URT, was built around the lessons learned from more than 65 years of U.S. Air Force pilot training and designed to train Pilot-in-Command skills to the fledgling RPA pilots. Unlike traditional pilots who would expect to be wingmen or co-pilots in initial combat mission ready status, the RPA pilots are immediately solo and in charge of their mission upon reaching mission ready status. They are also thrust straight into actual combat upon reaching mission ready status, so it was essential that AETC trained as many basic skills as possible in the undergraduate training to prepare the RPA pilots for flight in National/International Airspace and readiness to enter the Formal Training Unit for their assigned RPA.

c80f0f1006