Aviation Education

How to Become an Army pilot?

The steps below provide guidance on how to use this web site ( determine eligibility and if eligible, how to submit an application. Review the steps below and explore all of the pages in this web site to determine if you are eligible for any WO MOS before beginning an application.

1. Administrative Requirements:
   • US Citizenship. (No Waivers)
   • High school graduate or have a GED (No Waivers)
   • FINAL Secret or Top Secret Security Clearance - Interim clearances will not satisfy the requirement!
   • Pass the standard 3-event Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) and meet height/weight standards.
   • APFT must be current and not older than six months by the time the applicants packet will be boarded.
   • Pass the commissioning physical for technical specialties or the Class 1 (warrant officer candidate) flight physical for Aviators.
   • All applicants must have 12 months remaining on their enlistment contract.
   • Active Federal Service (AFS): All applicants must have 12 years of AFS or less prior to their packet being boarded.
   • Applicants must submit an AFS waiver request with the application if they have 12 or more years of AFS.
   • Age Requirements: For 153A, 33rd birthday or less prior to their packet being boarded.
   • For all other WO MOS', 46th birthday or less prior to their packet being boarded.
   • Applicants must submit an Age waiver request with the application if they exceed the age requirements specified.
2. Determine the Warrant Officer (WO) Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) for which you might be qualified. The most common MOS that personnel from other services are eligible to apply for is 153A (Aviator) because this MOS requires no prior skills or training. For this MOS you must be less than 33 years of age by the convene date of the board (or request a waiver) and have 20/50 distant visual acuity, correctable with spectacles to 20/20, also note there is an Aeromedical refractive error exception to policy (LASIK/PRK information). All other Warrant Officer (WO) Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs) require you to be at least pay grade E5 or higher with 4-6 years experience in a skill that is closely associated with a WO MOS. Review the Prerequisites and Duty Descriptions part of this web site to determine if you are doing very similar work to one of the WO MOSs.
3. To apply for any WO MOS you must meet the minimum prerequisites or ask for a prerequisite waiver. You must submit a separate waiver for each prerequisite you do not meet. In your prerequisite waiver(s) you must explain how you obtained the equivalent knowledge or experience required by the prerequisite through training or experience in your service. You can gauge the training/experience required by a prerequisite by first reviewing the WO MOS duty description. If you have been doing very similar work as that described in the WO MOS duty description, then you probably have good justification for requesting a waiver. Approval is granted only if the Army proponent for that MOS feels you have the skills and experience that justify approving the waiver.
4. The prime candidate for WO has 5 - 8 years of active federal service (AFS) and meets all other prerequisites. You can apply regardless of AFS but require a waiver if you have 12 years or more of AFS. The standard for approving an AFS waiver is more stringent than for a prerequisite waiver. The age limit for Technicians is 46 yrs old.
5. If either of these two waivers apply - prerequisite or AFS - you must submit them with your application to determine if the waivers will be approved. You cannot submit the waiver first and wait for the outcome to determine if you should submit an application. If any of the waivers are not approved, then you are not qualified and your application will be returned.
6. In addition to meeting the prerequisites for the WO MOS - or requesting a waiver, Non-Army personnel must complete the additional requirements described in the "Additional Requirements For Non-Army Personnel" section:
7. Download the sample application - this is the complete packet with forms and will serve as your guide and checklist. Once you have the sample packet you are well on your way to preparing an outstanding application.
8. If requesting MOS 153A (Aviator), you will need to:
   • Schedule an Selection Instrument for Flight Training (SIFT) and a Class 1A Army flight physical. You should first try to schedule the SIFT through your education services officer. Next option is to schedule at a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) through an Army recruiter. If you would like to look for locations authorized to give the SIFT near you click here to search the list of authorized Testing locations. The Army has DA pamphlet 611-256-2 regarding SIFT for more information. Your FINAL option is to contact the Army Personnel Testing (APT) Program at the Human Resource Command (HRC) to schedule testing. Click here to see what documents and information are required. You can contact APT at (703) They can assist you with scheduling your SIFT test. Please do not contact APT about other requirements for the WO program, instead you should contact a recruiter. You should get a study guide from an education center, library, bookstore, or online bookstore before testing and study diligently to achieve the best score, once you take and pass the SIFT that score will become your score for life.
   • The physical is scheduled and completed at your servicing hospital, but must be approved by the Aeromedical Center at Ft. Rucker before you can include a copy in your application.

   Commander

   USAAMC
   ATTN: MCXY-AER (AAMA)
   FORT RUCKER, AL

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