Fighter pilot A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained to engage in air - to - air , and often air - to - ground , combat while at the controls of a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfight ing ( close range aerial combat ) . A fighter pilot with at least five air - to - air kills becomes known as an ace . Not all fighter pilots have experienced actual combat . Recruitment . Fighter Pilots are one of the most highly regarded positions in any air force . Selection processes only accept the elite out of all the potential candidates . An individual who possesses an exceptional academic record , physical fitness , healthy well - being , and a strong mental drive will have a higher chance of getting accepted . Candidates must also exhibit reputable leadership and teamwork abilities . As such , in nearly all air forces , fighter pilots , as are pilots of most other aircraft , are commissioned officers . Fitness . Fighter pilots must be in optimal health to handle the physical demands of modern aerial warfare . Excellent heart condition is required , as g - forces have a tendency to suck blood away from the brain . Fighter pilots also require strong muscle tissue along the extremities and abdomen , for mounting an anti - G straining maneuver ( AGSM , see below ) when performing tight turns and other highly accelerated maneuvers . Better - than - average visual acuity is also a highly desirable and valuable trait . Tactics . Offensive . Modern medium and long range active radar homing and semi - active radar homing missiles can be fired at targets outside or beyond visual range . However , when a pilot is dogfight ing at short - range , his position relative to the opponent is decidedly important . Outperformance of another pilot and that pilot ' s aircraft is critical to maintain the upper - hand . A common saying for dogfighting is " lose sight , lose fight " . If one pilot had a greater missile range than the other , he would choose to fire his missile first , before being in range of the enemy ' s missile . Normally , the facts of an enemy ' s weapon payload is unknown , and are revealed as the fight progresses . Some air combat maneuvers form the basis for the sport of aerobatics : Defensive . Pilots are trained to employ specific tactics and maneuvers when they are under attack . Attacks from missiles are usually countered with electronic countermeasures and chaff . Missiles like the AIM - 120 AMRAAM , however , can actively home in on jamming signals . Dogfighting at 1 to 4 miles is considered " close . " Pilots perform stressful maneuvers to gain advantage in the dogfight . Pilots need to be in good shape in order to handle the high G - Forces caused by aerial combat . A pilot flexes his legs and torso to keep blood from draining out of the head . This is known as the AGSM or M1 ; or , sometimes , as the " grunt . " Defense against missiles . Many early air - to - air and surface - to - air missiles had very simple infrared homing ( " heat seeking " ) guidance systems with a narrow field of view . These missiles could be avoided by simply turning sharply , which essentially caused the missile to lose sight of the target aircraft . Another tactic was to exploit a missile ' s limited range by performing evasive maneuvers until the missiles had run out of fuel . Modern infrared missiles , like the AIM - 9 Sidewinder , have a more advanced guidance system . Supercooled infrared detectors help the missile find a possible exhaust source , and software assists the missile in flying towards its target . Pilots normally drop flares to confuse or decoy these missiles . Radar homing missiles could sometimes be confused by surface objects or geographical features causing clutter guidance system of either the missile or ground station guiding it . Chaff is another option in the case that the aircraft is too high up to use geographical obstructions . Pilots have to be aware of the potential threats and learn to distinguish between the two where possible . They use the RWR ( radar warning receiver ) to discern the types of signals hitting their aircraft . The new AESA radar system , outfitted on the F / A - 18E / F Super Hornet can use its radar to actively detect inbound missiles . G Force . When maneuvering fiercely during engagements , pilots are subjected to high g force . G - Forces express the magnitude of gravity , with 1G being equivalent to Earth ' s normal pull of gravity . Because modern jet aircraft are highly agile and have the capacity to make very sharp turns , the pilot ' s physical body is often pushed to the limit . When executing a " positive G " maneuver like turning upwards the force pushes the pilot down . The most serious consequence of this is that the blood in the pilot ' s body is also pulled down and into their extremities . If the forces are great enough and over a sufficient period of time this can lead to blackouts ( called " g - induced Loss Of Consciousness " or G - LOC ) , because not enough blood is reaching the pilot ' s brain . To counteract this effect pilots are trained to tense their legs , arms and abdominal muscles to restrict the " downward " flow of blood . This is known as the " grunt " or the " Hick maneuver " , both names due to the sounds the pilot makes , and is the primary method of resisting G - LOCs . Modern flight suits , called g - suit s , are worn by pilots to contract around the extremities exerting pressure , providing about 1G of extra tolerance . Notable Fighter Pilots . Notable fighter pilots include :