First of all, the Navy calls their “pilots” aviators. (This is because in nautical terms the “pilot” is the guy who drives the boat.) It is also worth noting that the majority of “naval aviators” fly helicopters or heavies.
Still, it depends.
The choice of schooling is truly a personal one. Both of the academies have good academic reputations. The “other” issues of the life of a cadet / midshipman (military, physical, etc.) can be daunting. That said, it is likely that you will increase your chances of getting a pilot slot if you attend the Academy, but it is by no means guaranteed. Over the past several years, the number of Air Force Academy pilot slots has been equal to or greater than the number of physically qualified cadets who wanted to become pilots. Most years there have been more slots to fill than cadets willing to fill them.
Statistically speaking, you have a better chance of flying in the Air Force, given that there are more aircraft in the Air Force and thus more opportunities to fly. Still, that does not guarantee that you will become a fighter pilot.
Ultimately, the choice of higher education should be based on more than just your ability to get a pilot slot. If you are indifferent as to your college choice, the service academies may present more opportunities. If you dislike the idea of the military academies or you are leaning towards a particular civilian school, it is probably better for you to attend the school you would enjoy rather than “suffer” through years at the academy for the remote possibility it will give you a better chance at flying.
There are reasonably good answers to this question on both the Air Force and Navy websites, including basic qualifications. The short version is:
There are no fighter pilots in the Army or Coast Guard. Marine Corps pilots wear Navy wings.
The Air Force and Navy have similar means by which you can become a fighter pilot. In general, you must first become an officer, either by attending one of the service academies, completing ROTC, or graduating from Officer Training/Candidate School (OTS/OCS). In most cases, just prior to your commissioning you will be able to request what your desired job will be. If you select and receive the opportunity to become a pilot, you will then have to attend Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT).
You may get a “pilot slot,” but, in most cases, you will not know whether you will fly helicopters, heavies, or fighters until well into pilot training in both the Navy and Air Force (except in rare circumstances, or if you are a Guard/Reserve pilot).
(The Navy doesn’t technically fly “heavies,” per se, like the KC-135, though it does fly several large, non-fighter aircraft including C-130s (Marines), E-6s, and a variety of other patrol and cargo aircraft.)
Prior to UPT, you may have to attend a flight screening program. The Air Force currently conducts Initial Flight Screening (IFS) at Pueblo, Colorado.
In the Air Force, you will have to complete the first 3-4 months of pilot training before your class is split into those who will fly fighters, heavies, and helicopters. Your ability to get the fighter track (T-38s) will depend on your relative class ranking, your instructors’ input, the needs of the Air Force (how many of each type of pilot they need), and the desires of your classmates. For example, if the Air Force needs more C-130 pilots than F-15 pilots, your class might get 2 fighter slots and 10 heavy slots. On the other hand, you could be ranked #10 in your class, but if the 9 guys in front of you want to fly heavies, then you’ll get the chance to fly a fighter.
If you do choose and receive the fighter track, near the completion of the T-38 course you will be given the opportunity to rank-order the fighters you would like to fly. The jet that you get will depend on your class rank, the input of your instructors, the needs of the Air Force, and the desires of your classmates (See a pattern?). For example, the Air Force may need 8 F-16 pilots but no F-15 pilots, meaning you won’t be able to get an F-15 even if its your first choice. It is also worth noting that the Air Force has alternately put bombers into/out of the T-38 track, meaning that you could complete T-38s and end up flying a B-52. The location of bombers (fighter vs. heavy track) has oscillated over the years. At one point, even UAVs were assigned out of the T-38 track.
After you graduate pilot training you will need to complete your survival training and pass the centrifuge. Your next course will be IFF, which is taught in T-38s. After you graduate IFF, you will then go through the basic course (B-Course) for your fighter.
Once you complete the B-course, you will transfer to an operational unit. Depending on what jet you go to, you will then go through another 2 to 6 month upgrade. At the completion of that upgrade you will be a “Mission Ready” (MR) wingman, able to fly on the wing of a more experienced pilot into combat.
On average, in the Air Force it takes 2 years from the start of pilot training to being a “true” fighter pilot.
In the Navy, you attend Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Pensacola, Florida, followed by a six week “Air Indoctrination” course. Primary flight training follows (6 months at Whiting or Corpus Christi), and the split track occurs after initial flight training. Intermediate flight training builds on navigation, and advanced training is mission specific. Wings are awarded after advanced training. Pilots then go to Fleet Replacement Squadrons (FRS) to learn their specific aircraft.
For questions regarding Ed Rush’s Fighter Pilot Power Pack (an aid to becoming a fighter pilot), see this commentary.
An official Navy article documented a US military “gay pride” event at Patuxent River, Maryland, on June 2nd that was hosted by BrigGen Tammy Smith — the “first openly gay US general.” While some have said the concept of “gay pride” celebrates sexuality by its very nature, BrigGen Smith said it wasn’t about people’s personal lives [emphasis added]:
Pride is not about anyone’s personal life; it’s a celebration of authenticity. We celebrate pride because we value being a meritocracy, because we want to be an organization that attracts and retains the best talent…We celebrate pride because no one has the right to tell others who they should be or who they should not be.
Gen Smith did not elaborate, so it’s unclear how she views “lesbian, gay, and bisexual pride” correlating with the military’s emphasis on merit.
Her final sentence was somewhat ironic, because Read more
A Navy article describes how retired Chaplain (Rear Adm) Harold Robinson, now of the Jewish Welfare Board’s Jewish Chaplains Council, personally presented the USS George Washington with a new, handmade Torah for its Jewish community: Read more
Tim Prudente of the Capital Gazette wrote a short piece on the traditional hat toss that accompanies the graduation of each of the US service academies:
In the seats, children fidgeted because where else can an 8-year-old boy score $20 and a military hat, maybe as many as he can carry…?
Many midshipmen tucked $20 and 15 cents for the Class of 2015.
This and other traditions have been noted here before, including the veritable plethora of traditions from a single photo during an Air Force Academy graduation in 2010.
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A Navy public affairs article talks about the services of the (New York) Times Square Church hosting services for 2,000 during fleet week — including US service members in town for the event: Read more
The Navy Recruit Training Command has reportedly allowed some civilians to return to the base to lead religious services for recruits. Not all of the previously banned leaders were allowed to return as religious leaders because, according to the Navy, uniformed leaders were found instead — which the Navy said met the priority guidance on who was supposed to help lead services:
Following the sudden dismissal of a half-dozen religious leaders last month, commanders at the Great Lakes naval training center began the process Thursday of inviting back civilian volunteers to serve recruits who are Unitarian Universalists, Baha’is, Buddhists and Christian Scientists.
In the meantime, a spokesman said, the Navy Read more