Air Force Pilot Training: The Process

Congratulations! You are one step closer to becoming an AF Pilot. At this point we will assume you studied your butt off, stayed out of trouble and earned a commission in the US Air Force. Not only that, you excelled so much in the commissioning training program you selected that you were awared a pilot training slot. So what's next?

There are four primary bases at which you can attend pilot training: Columbus AFB, Laughlin AFB, Vance AFB, and Sheppard AFB. Each offer a unique training environment but they all follow the same syllabus for the most part. This website will focus on Columbus AFB and the training this base provides to young aspiring pilots.

The JSUPT program offered at these bases takes students through 13+ months of academics, simulator training, and sorties (flights). Due to the nature of the program and its length, this is one of the most difficult training programs in the entire militay. The Air Force breaks the syllabus down into several stages that we will talk about in depth. Those stages are:

Pre-Stage 1: Initial Flight Screening (IFS) ~1 Month
Stage I: Academics ~5 Weeks
Stage II: T-6A Texan ~6 Months
StageIII: T-1A, T-38C or the UH-1 ~6 Months

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