Pre-indoctrination: This six-week phase includes an introduction to aerodynamics, aviation physiology, engines, navigation and land and sea survival in classrooms at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Fla.
Primary flight training: A candidate’s first in-air experience is at Whiting Field in Milton, Fla., in a T-34C. Prospective pilots each spend 67 hours in the air, including four solo flights, as well as 27 hours on a flight simulator. Another 166 hours of classroom work attending flight support lectures round out the instruction. At the close of this training, candidates are picked, partly based on grades and aptitude, for flight training on one of three aircraft: jets, helicopters or turbo-props.
