3 answers
jamal
Student
Rock Hill, South Carolina
1
Question
Asked
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how hard is aviation?
how hard is it to be qualified to fly in the navy force or to fly for commercial or the u.s? army
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3 answers
Pamela Taylor
Retired teacher
37
Answers
Mansfield, Ohio
Updated
Pamela’s Answer
My brother wanted to be a pilot but his eyesight was not good enough. Not sure if this is still an issue in today's world. Just a suggestion to ask
Zach Whittle
Military Pilot; MBA
13
Answers
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Updated
Zach’s Answer
Hi Jamal
Your question may be interpreted 2 ways. First, becoming a pilot requires a thorough medical examination called a Class I flight physical. Becoming medically “qualified” involves eyesight and hearing tests among others. There is not much you can do to prepare for this other than eat healthy, exercise, and take care of your body. It is a common mistake for people to think they would not qualify for aviation because their vision isn’t stellar, but this is not true. Many pilots wear glasses.
Second, becoming “qualified” as a pilot (or on a specific type of aircraft) means you have completed the necessary courses that teach you how to fly. There are many different ways to be a pilot including military, commercial, or private, and they each have unique opportunities and responsibilities. In order to become a pilot private you simply need to enroll at a local flying club, complete their academic curriculum and then fly a few times with an instructor before they let you “solo”, which is flying all by yourself!
To become a military pilot you must go to a 4 year college and commission as an Officer in one of the military services (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard). There are 3 ways to earn a commission: ROTC, Academy, or OTS/OCS. If you perform well (academically) in college and your military training you can earn a pilot slot which allows you to attend pilot training. This is where the fun begins!
Pilot training takes 1 year to complete at which point you will get assigned to an aircraft. A perk of the military is the wide variety of type of aircraft you can fly and the various missions you will support. For example, you could fly a cargo plane, a helicopter, or a fighter jet!
I am not familiar with the path to become a commercial pilot (i.e., airline pilot) other than starting as a military pilot and then swapping over to commercial which is very common, but I imagine it is pretty similar.
The bottom line is that if you want to be a professional pilot you should focus on getting good grades in school and living healthy!
Explore what type of pilot you want to be: military or commercial (or private)
If military, explore what path you want to pursue to get a commission (ROTC, Academy, OTS)
If commercial, do internet research to find a university that has a robust flying program such as Embry-Riddle University
Get good grades in school and build good study habits!
Eat healthy, exercise plenty
Your question may be interpreted 2 ways. First, becoming a pilot requires a thorough medical examination called a Class I flight physical. Becoming medically “qualified” involves eyesight and hearing tests among others. There is not much you can do to prepare for this other than eat healthy, exercise, and take care of your body. It is a common mistake for people to think they would not qualify for aviation because their vision isn’t stellar, but this is not true. Many pilots wear glasses.
Second, becoming “qualified” as a pilot (or on a specific type of aircraft) means you have completed the necessary courses that teach you how to fly. There are many different ways to be a pilot including military, commercial, or private, and they each have unique opportunities and responsibilities. In order to become a pilot private you simply need to enroll at a local flying club, complete their academic curriculum and then fly a few times with an instructor before they let you “solo”, which is flying all by yourself!
To become a military pilot you must go to a 4 year college and commission as an Officer in one of the military services (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard). There are 3 ways to earn a commission: ROTC, Academy, or OTS/OCS. If you perform well (academically) in college and your military training you can earn a pilot slot which allows you to attend pilot training. This is where the fun begins!
Pilot training takes 1 year to complete at which point you will get assigned to an aircraft. A perk of the military is the wide variety of type of aircraft you can fly and the various missions you will support. For example, you could fly a cargo plane, a helicopter, or a fighter jet!
I am not familiar with the path to become a commercial pilot (i.e., airline pilot) other than starting as a military pilot and then swapping over to commercial which is very common, but I imagine it is pretty similar.
The bottom line is that if you want to be a professional pilot you should focus on getting good grades in school and living healthy!
Zach recommends the following next steps:
Kacey Polisky
Outside Plant Engineer
11
Answers
Columbus, Ohio
Updated
Kacey’s Answer
Being a pilot takes a lot of skill. If you join the military they will provide you with the training that you need. There is a lot of mental math and calculations involved so make sure you like math first! I only have experience with the Navy so I personally feel like they are actually more prestigious to be a pilot for but that's a personal bias. If you dream of being a blue angel plan to become a Navy officer.