Becoming a Navy Pilot

At the end of primary flight training, you’ll specialize in a particular aircraft. If you’re selected to fly helicopters, you’ll stay at Whiting for six months of training in the Bell TH-57 Sea Ranger. If you’re chosen to fly tactical jet aircraft, you’ll go either to the Naval Air Station in Kingsville, Texas, or Meridian, Miss. Training begins with ground school, including meteorology and more aerodynamics. Then, you’ll progress to the T-45 Goshawk for hands-on training. If you’re assigned to fly the P-3C Orion four-engine maritime patrol aircraft, you’ll train on the T-44A or the TC-12B at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas. Or you’ll go the Naval Air Station in Kingsville, Texas, to learn how to fly one of two turboprop planes that operate from aircraft carriers: either the E-2C Hawkeye or the C-2A Greyhound. The actual flight time required varies depending on the aircraft, but is more than 100 hours in all cases.