United States Naval Aviator < onlyinclude > A United States Naval Aviator is a commissioned officer or warrant officer qualified as a pilot in the United States Navy , United States Marine Corps or United States Coast Guard . < / onlyinclude > Naming conventions . In the U . S . Navy , most Naval Aviators are " Unrestricted Line Officers " ( URL ) , eligible for command at sea ; however , a small number of Limited Duty Officer s and Chief Warrant Officers are also trained as Naval Aviators . A small number of URL officers trained as Naval Aviators who hold technical degrees at the undergraduate and / or postgraduate level may also opt to laterally transfer to the Restricted Line ( RL ) as Aeronautical Engineering Duty Officers ( AEDO ) . AEDOs are frequently test pilot school graduates and retain their flying status , with most of their billets being in the Naval Air Systems Command ( NAVAIRSYSCOM ) . An even smaller number of Naval Aviators are in the U . S . Navy Medical Corps , primarily as Flight Surgeon s . These are either former URL officers previously designated as Naval Aviators who later attend medical school and transfer to the Medical Corps , or an even smaller percentage of " dual designator " Naval Flight Surgeons who are selected to be Student Naval Aviators as Medical Corps officers . The U . S . Marine Corps does not categorize its officers in line and staff corps categories as does the Navy , however all of its Naval Aviators are considered combat officers and are analogous to the Navy ' s URL officers . Like the Marine Corps , the U . S . Coast Guard also categorizes all of its officers generally , with its Naval Aviators also being considered " operational " officers in the same manner as its Cutterman officers in the Coast Guard ' s surface cutter fleet . Until 1981 , the U . S . Navy and U . S . Marine Corps also had a small number of senior enlisted personnel trained as pilots . Such individuals were referred to as " Naval Aviation Pilots " , colloquially " NAPs " or " APs " . The since retired NAPs also continue to have a professional organization known as the " Silver Eagles " , which remains informally aligned with other Naval Aviation professional organizations such as the Association of Naval Aviation , the Tailhook Association , and the Naval Helicopter pilot Association , among others . The U . S . Navy still has an unknown number of NAVCADS ( Naval Aviation Cadets ) on active or reserve duty who entered service via the NAVCAD program during the late 1980s and early 1990s . NAVCADS were uncommisioned cadets who required to have a minimum of 60 college credit hours to enter training ( rather than the Bachelors Degree normally required for entry into the flight training program ) and were accessed only through the now defunct AOCS ( Aviation Candidate Officer School ) . Upon completion of AOCS , NAVCADS would enter into flight training and upon successful completion of training be commissioned as active reserve officers . NAVCADS who failed to successfully complete flight training were contractually obligated to enter fleet service as undesignated enlisted personnel . The Naval Aviation Pilot insignia was identical in design to the Naval Aviator insignia worn by commissioned officers except that it was silver instead of gold ( hence the " Silver Eagles " ) . Prerequisites . Except for an extremely small number of enlisted personnel selected for flight school under STA - 21 or OCS programs , Student Naval Aviators must first obtain an officer commission . To become a Naval Aviator , one must be between the ages of 19 and 27 when entering flight training . Adjustments ( waivers ) can be made up to 24 months for those with prior service , and up to 48 months for those already in the military at the time of application or for Marine Corps PLC ( Platoon Leader ' s Course ) applicants with prior enlisted service . Naval Officers are commissioned through six sources : The United States Naval Academy in Annapolis , The United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point , Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps ( NROTC ) at a number of colleges and universities across the country , Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport , RI , Marine Corps Officer Candidates School in Quantico , Virginia or via the Navy ' s Limited Duty Officer ( LDO ) or Chief Warrant Officer ( CWO ) programs . Coast Guard Officers receive their commissions either from the United States Coast Guard Academy or Coast Guard Officer Candidate School , both located in New London , Connecticut ; or via the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point , NY . Graduates of these programs are commissioned as Navy Ensign s in the U . S . Navy or U . S . Coast Guard , or as Second Lieutenant s in the Marine Corps . Individuals must pass an aeronautical screening and be selected for pilot training prior to being designated as Student Naval Aviators ( SNAs ) . Student Naval Aviators ( SNAs ) progress through a significant training syllabus ― typically 18 months to two years for initial " winging " as a Naval Aviator via either the Advanced Strike pipeline for those destined for sea - based fixed - wing aircraft ( with a slightly modified pipeline for prospective E - 2 Hawkeye pilots ) , the Maritime pipeline for those en route to multiengine land - based aircraft , and the Rotary Wing pipeline for those who will fly helicopters or tilt rotor aircraft ( with a slightly modified pipeline for MV - 22 Osprey pilots ) . The longest of these " pipelines " is the Advanced Strike pipeline , averaging over two years from initial pre - flight training to designation as a Naval Aviator . All pipelines include ground and flight training at numerous locations . Following designation as a Naval Aviator , all newly designated aviators will report to a designated Navy or Marine Corps Fleet Replacement Squadron ( FRS ) , the Coast Guard Aviation Training Center at Mobile , Alabama , or , for pilots destine to fly Navy C - 130 , Marine Corps KC - 130 or Coast Guard HC - 130 aircraft , the U . S . Air Force ' s 314th Airlift Wing at Little Rock AFB , Arkansas . Introductory Flight Screening ( IFS ) . IFS is the first step to becoming a Naval Aviator . All new flight school students first enroll in a civilian flight school ( normally near NAS Pensacola , but also located near Marine Corps Base Quantico and the United States Naval Academy ) for 14 ( previously 25 ) hours of flight training in single engine general aviation aircraft . The student must solo and pass the FAA Private Pilot knowledge test . IFS is a screening of a student ' s flight aptitude prior to beginning the Navy training syllabus and is waived for students reporting to NAS Pensacola with a Private Pilot certificate or better . Aviation Preflight Indoctrination ( API ) . " Notable dramatization in media : An Officer and a Gentleman " All SNAs start at the " Cradle of Naval Aviation " , NAS Pensacola , Florida . API classes consist of Navy , Marine Corps and Coast Guard SNAs , Student Naval Flight Officers , flight surgeon s and foreign exchange military pilots . Students receive four weeks of classroom instruction in aerodynamics , aircraft engines and systems , meteorology , air navigation , and flight rules and regulations . Following academics , students spend two weeks learning land survival , first aid , physiology , and water survival and egress . Prior to its disestablishment , Aviation Officer Candidate School ( AOCS ) at NAS Pensacola incorporated the entire API syllabus into the nominally 15 week AOCS curriculum . AOCS students were still in a pre - commissioning status when they completed API requirements . Primary Flight Training . Following API graduation , SNAs are assigned to Training Wing Five at NAS Whiting Field , Florida or Training Wing Four at NAS Corpus Christi , Texas where they learn to fly either the Beechcraft T - 6B Texan II ( JPATS ) or the T - 34C Turbo Mentor . ( VT - 28 is the last squadron to fly the T - 34C and will continue to train SNAs until fully transitioned to the T - 6B in late 2014 ) . Primary teaches the basics of flying in approximately six months and is divided into the following stages : Advanced Flight Training . Upon successful completion of Primary Flight Training , SNAs are selected for one of four Advanced Flight Training paths : E - 6B Mercury , multi - engine propeller / maritime aircraft , helicopters , or Tailhook aircraft . Selection is based upon the needs of the service ( USN , USMC , etc . ) , the SNAs performance , and finally , the SNAs preference . Tailhook syllabus . Student Naval Aviators selected for Tailhook training are assigned to NAS Kingsville , Texas or NAS Meridian , Mississippi flying the T - 45C or T - 45A . NAS Meridian uses only the T - 45C while NAS Kingsville is nearly completely transitioned to the T - 45C . The syllabus incorporates basic instrument flying , formation , night familiarization and airway navigation over approximately 58 graded flights lasting approximately 27 weeks . At the completion of the Tailhook syllabus , approximately 80 % of those SNAs are selected for Advanced Strike training , leading ultimately to tactical jets like the F / A - 18 or AV - 8B ( Marine Corps only ) . The remaining 20 % receive further training in the E2 / C2 pipeline , ultimately leading to assignment flying either the E - 2C or C - 2 Greyhound . Marine Corps SNA ' s automatically continue in the Advanced Strike syllabus and will ultimately fly either the F / A - 18 , AV - 8B , or the EA - 6B . Advanced Strike pipeline . Advanced Strike students continue with approximately 67 additional graded flights lasting approximately 23 weeks in the T - 45A / C . The syllabus covers bombing , Air combat maneuvering ( ACM ) , advanced instruments , low - level navigation , tactical formation flying ( TACFORM ) , and Carrier Qualification ( CQ ) ( see Modern US Navy carrier operations ) . Graduates of Advanced Strike will fly versions of the F / A - 18 Hornet and Super Hornet , EA - 6B Prowler , EA - 18G Growler and AV - 8B Harrier II . In addition to current aircraft , this pipeline will eventually produce pilots for the F - 35 Lightning II . Advanced Strike previously produced pilots for the since - retired F - 8 Crusader ( to include RF - 8 variants ) , F - 4 Phantom II ( to include RF - 4 variants ) , F - 14 Tomcat , A - 3 Skywarrior , A - 4 Skyhawk , A - 6 Intruder , A - 7 Corsair II , RA - 5C Vigilante , and the S - 3 Viking . E - 2 / C - 2 pipeline . E - 2 / C - 2 students go straight to CQ in the T - 45 Goshawk with approximately 20 additional graded flights over 8 weeks . Upon successful CQ , E - 2 / C - 2 students go to NAS Corpus Christi to complete multi - crew and multi - engine training ( approx . 16 weeks ) in the T - 44A . Following winging , they will go on to fly the E - 2 Hawkeye or C - 2 Greyhound . Rotary - Wing pipeline . Student pilots selected for helicopter training report to NAS Whiting Field , Florida and complete advanced training in the helicopter training squadrons there as well , flying the TH - 57 Sea Ranger . Students learn the unique characteristics and tactics of rotary - wing aviation , to include basic helicopter familiarization , instrument flying , night familiarization ( including use of night vision goggles or NVG s ) , low level flight , helicopter formation flight , and airways navigation . Once they receive their Wings of Gold , Navy helicopter pilots report to their respective Fleet Replacement Squadron ( FRS ) for training : NAS North Island , CA for the MH - 60R Seahawk ( HSM ) with HSM - 41 , SH - 60F / HH - 60H Seahawk ( HS ) and MH - 60S Knighthawk ( HSC ) with HSC - 3 , NS Mayport , FL for the SH - 60B Seahawk ( HSL ) and MH - 60R Seahawk ( HSM ) , HSM - 40 trains pilots for both aircraft , or NS Norfolk , VA for the MH - 53E Sea Dragon ( HM ) and MH - 60S Knighthawk ( HSC ) with HSC - 2 . Marine Corps helicopter pilots report to the FRS at MCAS New River for the CH - 53D Sea Stallion and CH - 53E Super Stallion , MCB Camp Pendleton for the AH - 1W Super Cobra , AH - 1Z Viper , UH - 1N Twin Huey , UH - 1Y Venom and CH - 46 Sea Knight , or MCAS New River for the MV - 22 Osprey . Coast Guard helicopter pilots will report to the Coast Guard Aviation Training Center in Mobile , Alabama for further training , or the " T - Course , " on the MH - 60T Jayhawk and MH - 65D Dolphin . The Navy also trains pilots from several NATO and other allied nations as military and naval helicopter pilots . Land - Based syllabus . Maritime pipeline . Maritime students complete their advanced training at NAS Corpus Christi flying the twin engine T - 44A / C Pegasus or TC - 12 Huron . Particular emphasis is placed on single - engine flight in varying conditions . Upon receiving their Wings of Gold , Navy pilots report to VP - 30 , the P - 3 Orion / P - 8 Poseidon Fleet Replacement Squadron ( FRS ) for further training in the P - 3 , EP - 3 or P - 8A . Marine Corps pilots report to the KC - 130 FRS , while Coast Guard pilots destined for the HC - 130 or HC - 144 proceed directly to their assigned Air Station . As budget and time allow , the HC - 130 pilots will report to an Air Force C - 130 Formal Training Unit ( FTU ) at Little Rock Air Force Base , Arkansas or Dobbins Air Reserve Base , Georgia . As of 2012 , VT - 31 and VT - 35 no longer trains United States Air Force student pilots bound for C - 130 duty . Coast Guard HU - 25 Guardian and HC - 144A pilots report to the Coast Guard Aviation Training Center ( ATC ) in Mobile , Alabama for a transition course after reporting to their assigned Air Station . The Coast Guard is in the process of eliminating the HU - 25 transition course . Similarly , Navy E - 6 Mercury TACAMO pilots complete advanced training in the T - 44C Pegasus at NAS Corpus Christi , TX . TACAMO bound students no longer train on the T - 1A Jayhawk , a militarized version of the Beechcraft 400 , at the Air Force ’ s 32nd Flying Training Squadron at Vance Air Force Base , Oklahoma as of 2012 . The maritime pipeline first began selecting pilots to fly Boeing P - 8 Poseidon in the summer of 2012 . Insignia and winging . < onlyinclude > The Naval Aviator Insignia is a warfare qualification of the United States military that is awarded to those aviators of the United States Navy , Marine Corps , and Coast Guard who have qualified as Naval Aviators . The Naval Aviator insignia is identical for all three branches , as are the similar Naval Astronaut and Naval Flight Officer badges . Naval Aviation Pilots were awarded the Naval Aviation Pilot badge which , while considered a separate award , was identical in design to the Naval Aviator badge . The badge was designed by John H . Towers c1917 , and consists of a single fouled anchor , surmounted by a shield with 13 stripes , centered on a pair of wings . Between January 1927 and October 1929 the design of Naval Aviation Observer Wings was the same as Naval Aviator Wings except the observer wings were silver . Observer wings after that were of a distinct design . To qualify for the Naval Aviator insignia , a service member must have completed flight training and be designated a qualified pilot of a military aircraft . Traditionally , Student Naval Aviators are awarded " soft wings " immediately after the completion of their final training flight . These soft wings are typically gold - leaf impressions on leather patches that Velcro to the flight suit . The official Naval Aviator insignia are later awarded at a " winging " ceremony . < / onlyinclude > Community selection . Upon completion of flight training , a final selection process takes place in which the Student Naval Aviators are assigned a particular fleet aircraft community ( e . g . , F / A - 18A + / C / D / E / F , EA - 18G , EA - 6B , AV - 8B or F - 35B / C for Strike ; E - 2 / C - 2 for Carrier AEW ; SH - 60 , HH - 60 , MH - 60 , MH - 65 , AH - 1 , UH - 1 , CH - 53 , MH - 53 or MV - 22 for Rotary - Wing , P - 3 , P - 8 , E - 6 , EP - 3 , C - 130 , KC - 130 , HC - 130 , HU - 25 or HC - 144 for Maritime , etc . ) . This selection is also based upon the needs of the service and performance . Newly - designated Naval Aviators ( no longer referred to as " students " ) are then assigned to a USN or USMC Fleet Replacement Squadron or other similar training organization under the cognizance of the US Coast Guard or the US Air Force , for training on their specific aircraft type . Currently , approximately up to 1 , 000 pilots are designated each year , and between 1910 and 1995 more than 153 , 000 Naval Aviators earned their " wings of gold " . Fleet assignments . Upon completion of FRS training , Naval Aviators are assigned to a fleet squadron – either ship or land based – in their type aircraft . In addition to flying , Naval Aviators also hold one or many “ collateral ” duties of increasing responsibility such as Legal Officer , Maintenance Division Officer , Training Officer , Safety Officer , etc . Initial fleet assignments typically last approximately three years . Shore rotation . After completing a successful tour in the Fleet , Naval Aviators complete a “ shore - duty ” tour typically as a flight instructor in the Naval Air Training Command or a Fleet Replacement Squadron , adversary pilot , or staff officer . Some complete further military schooling , such as the Naval Postgraduate School or U . S . Navy Test Pilot School , or are assigned specialized flight duty ( e . g . , foreign exchange pilot under the Personnel Exchange Program ( PEP ) , test pilot , U . S . Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron ( the Blue Angels ) , presidential support in HMX - 1 , etc . ) . Typical Navy and Marine Corps shore rotations are approximately two and a half years long , after which time personnel return to the Fleet for either a flying or a non - flying disassociated sea tour for two years , depending on aircraft background and Fleet requirements . Since 2002 , some individuals have been selected for what are now known as Global War on Terrorism Support Assignments ( GSA ) , which are one year in length and are typically to either the U . S . Central Command , U . S . Naval Forces Central Command or U . S . Marine Forces Central Command staffs , or forward deployed location supporting previously supporting the former Operation Iraqi Freedom ( OIF ) , the former ( OND ) , or the still - in - effect Operation Enduring Freedom ( OEF ) . In previous decades , Naval Aviators were considered ' Wings Plus Five ' in that they incurred a minimum 5 - year active duty service obligation . Today , all Naval Aviators are ' Wings Plus Eight ' , i . e . , they incur an 8 - year service obligation upon receiving their wings , so very few individuals are entitled to separate from active service off their initial shore duty rotation and , instead , have to accept new orders as described above . Service commitment . Because of the costly nature of flight training , Naval Aviators incur a longer minimum active duty service commitment than any other occupation in the Navy or Marine Corps . This service commitment begins on the day the Naval Aviator is winged . Student Naval Aviators incur an eight - year active duty service commitment . There was a discussion around December 2012 for Marine Corps SNAs to only incur a service obligation of 6 years . This would tackle the problem of newly minted Majors leaving the service since they had reached the end of their obligation . As of October 2013 this has not yet been implemented . Reserve Naval Aviators . Naval Reserve Naval Aviators all come from the active ranks . They fly fleet type aircraft ( such as the F / A - 18 Hornet , EA - 6B Prowler and P - 3 Orion ) as well as aircraft exclusive to the reserve force . These latter aircraft include the F - 5 Tiger II , primarily used for fighter adversary support , and the larger cargo or transport aircraft such as the C - 9 Skytrain , C - 20D Gulfstream III , C - 20G Gulfstream IV , C - 35 Citation , C - 40 Clipper , and C - 130 Hercules . These aircraft are used to transport cargo and personnel , including dignitaries and senior leaders . Squadron Commanding Officer . Naval Aviators and Naval Flight Officers who successfully complete a fleet tour as a squadron department head ( usually while successfully holding the ground position of either the Squadron Operations Officer , or Squadron Aircraft Maintenance Officer for lengths of a year or more and ranked as the top Lieutenant Commander or Major ) , are considered in a Navy - wide or Marine Corps - wide ( as applicable ) Aviation Command Screen Board for Squadron Command . Selectees must also have been selected and approved by the U . S . Congress for promotion to the rank of Commander or Lieutenant Colonel ( O - 5 ) . Those few selected participate in a variety of command , leadership , legal and safety schools , and required refresher flight training and ( if applicable ) carrier re - qualifications . Unlike other branches of the Navy , Squadron Commanding Officers ( CO ) start out the first half of their tours as the Squadron Executive Officer ( XO ) , then " Fleet up " to the top position during their tenure , at a formal change of command , while Marine Corps Squadron Commanding Officers proceed direct to the CO position , that service ' s Squadron XOs typically being Majors . Aviation Squadron Commanding Officers ( COs ) hold sea and shore squadron positions as a first command tour , and may move on to other commands , staff billets , or may retire from there . Typically this tour occurs in the eighteenth to twenty - second year of career service for the individual , shortly after which they will be considered for promotion to the rank of Captain or Colonel ( O - 6 ) . A small number will be considered for sequential O - 5 aviation command , while most will later be screened for major aviation command as O - 6s . The role of CO , as it similarly is for the Naval Service ' s Surface , Submarine , and Marine Corps non - aviation communities is considered a nexxus position for effective military operations . Aircraft Carrier Commanding Officer . US Code Title 10 requires that US aircraft carrier commanding officer s be Navy unrestricted line officers designated as either Naval Aviator s or Naval Flight Officer s . Prior to assuming command these officers first command smaller ships " and " serve as executive officer of an aircraft carrier and go through an extensive training syllabus in ship handling and nuclear propulsion . Naval Astronauts . Naval Aviators who fly in space are designated Naval Astronauts , and are issued the Naval Aviator version of the Astronaut Badge .