How Much Time Did it Take to Become a Fighter Pilot

If a person joined up to become a fighter pilot and has never flown before how long did it take to go from signing up to flying a mission?

 

Yes, I am talking WWII.

 

Yes it did help. Didn't the potential pilots have to pass some tests first before beganing training.

 

Thank you

 

It varied a fair bit depending on the nation and the stage of the war. For a brief overview of the RAF:

WW2 Pilots | RAF Training | RAF Aircrew | RAF Museum

 

This chart shows how long ALL the various air trades (including flight training) took using the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan……..which used Base ALL over the world, but the vast majority in Canada

RCAF Sequence of Training Chart

And more info on BCATP with a video

The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP)

 

One could envision one's self being a fighter pilot, but one gets what one is assigned; that is, where the particular service priorities and needs and the individual's ratings through the course of training, govern where one gets assigned in terms of final aircraft type and duty. Of course, one can request assignment to fighters, but there were no guarantees. The cold truth was that not everyone gets to be the ace of the base. In fact, the biggest squadrons in the USN were the VR squadrons, the transports; for example, the squadron VR-11 in March 1945 had 586 pilots assigned, not to mention some 168 navigators. Figure a USN fighter squadron at the time, operating on the pointy end of stick, probably averaged in the mid-50's, picture VF-85 aboard USS Shangri La with 56 fighter pilots on its roster in March 1945 - note not even 10% of the strength of VR-11. Add the companion squadron VBF-85 also aboard Shangri La and sporting a similar complement and you'll still come out less than 20% of the number for VR-11.

Still other folks get switched around. When my father got his wings in 1940 and was sent to and finished VSB operational training he already knew he was headed a scouting or bombing squadron . . . in his case VS-41 aboard USS Ranger. Couple of months later long about March 1941, the Navy in its infinite wisdom decided that more fighter squadrons were needed and VS-41 handed off their SBU biplane dive bombers and drew nice new F4F-3 with a change of designation to VF-42. There was some small leavening from Ranger's existing VF-41, but the majority of the pilots were dive bomber types, suddenly, presto-change-oh, now fighter pilots. And in December 1941 went off to glory aboard USS Yorktown. Some of that sort of stuff happened in late 1944 - early 1945 when oversized VF squadrons were split into VF and VBF squadrons and the holes in their complements were filled with VB and VT folks where those type squadrons were reduced in size to make room for more fighters.

Anyway, rather search my files for various writings/musings on Navy aviator (and Marines, too, my latest count for them is up to 11,630) training, I stumbled on the site below which pretty much covers the entire gamut, including all the stuff before one is even allowed to sit in a service trainer. One guy's experiences, but fairly typical.

Ed Scharch, U.S. Navy WWII

Regards

Rich

 

Under the Air Training Agreement, Australia undertook to provide 28,000 aircrew over three years, representing 36% of the total number trained by the BCATP (British Commonwealth Air Training Plan). By 1945, more than 37,500 Australian aircrew had been trained in Australia; a majority of these, over 27,300, had also graduated from schools in Australia.

Empire Air Training Scheme. Slouch hats still visible...Ever seen a bunch of champions marching together..?

 

My significant other's stepfather, Peter Roland Cope, enlisted in the RAF at the beginning of hostilities. He had a degree in science and applied mathematics so was selected for pilot training but had to wait until August 1941, working as a research chemist, before the RAF found him found a pilot training slot...at Maxwell Field, Alabama. He proudly wore his USAAC wings until the end of his career.