Air Force Pilot recruitment

Royal Australian Air Force Pilot recruitment is handled by Defence Force Recruiting; call 13 19 01 or see:

There are two ways to become an Air Force Pilot:

  1. earn your degree at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) before undertaking pilot training
  2. apply for direct entry after Year 12.

The pilot selection process is explained on the ADF Pilot Selection Agency website. Pilot selection is very competitive; all requirements should be read as minimum standards.

Men and women aged 17–43 can apply, but we prefer if you are under 27.

Citizenship: Air Force Pilots must be Australian citizens or permanent residents.

Aptitude: you must demonstrate enthusiasm for a career in the Air Force, willingness and capability to learn, leadership potential and interest in flying.

Education: you must have passed Year 12 English, maths and two other academic subjects. Full details are given on the ADF Pilot Selection Agency website. Some elementary maths courses are not acceptable, and minimum grades are required for certain subjects (if taken as electives). If you did not study the required subjects at school, TAFE or similar tertiary studies in those subjects are generally acceptable at the ADF Pilot Selection Agency's discretion. If you are applying to ADFA, you must be eligible for undergraduate entry to the University of New South Wales.

Health: your health will be assessed as part of the normal recruitment medical process described on Defence Force Recruiting Medical Requirements. Pilot applicants undergo additional testing but this will not be conducted unless all other selection criteria have been met.

Fitness: you will need to be reasonably fit to complete both recruitment and training, as described below:

Civilian pilot's licence: demonstrates enthusiasm for flying but otherwise does not affect your application or recruitment. Military aviation is very different to civil aviation, requiring much greater precision (for example, an airdrop from one or two metres altitude leaves little room for error). Some Pilot recruits have found past flying experience helpful, others have been unable to make the transition to military aviation. All Pilot recruits fly the same syllabus, and are assessed on their ability to learn as well as their demonstrated flying skills.

Helicopter pilots: Air Force does not fly helicopters. The Royal Australian Navy and Australian Army operate helicopters to support their operations. Helicopter pilot recruitment for Navy and Army is also handled by Defence Force Recruiting and the ADF Pilot Selection Agency.

Minimum period of service: if joining as a Direct Entry Officer, you must serve for a minimum of 11.5 years to repay our investment in your training. For ADFA applicants, this is 14.5 years from appointment.

Other aircrew careers: Air Force also needs Air Combat Officers, Airborne Electronics Analysts and Crew Attendants to operate navigation, sensor and weapons systems, and ensure payloads and passengers are carried safely; see Aviation Careers on the Defence Force Recruiting website.

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