Naval Aviator

To be eligible to enlist in the U.S. Navy, candidates must be between the ages of 18-34

The U.S. Navy operates more than 3,700 aircraft, making it the second largest air force in the world— second only to the U.S. Air Force. Below are the careers in aviation that work together to get our birds in the sky.

AVIATION JOBS IN THE NAVY 

FIGHTER PILOT
Complete complex air maneuvers while flying at Mach speeds. Catapult off carriers at 170 mph and land on moving runways only 300 feet long. Gather intel, drop ordnance and conduct defensive missions—all in the F/A-18 Hornet and the cutting-edge F-35C Lightning II.

AIRCRAFT HANDLING OFFICER
Every performance needs a choreographer and on the deck of an aircraft carrier, that person is you. You’re in charge of directing the movement of the entire flight deck from the jet launch sequence to aircraft recovery.

FIXED WING PILOT
In the C-2 Greyhound, you transport parts, personnel, and mail to the 5,000 people aboard. In the cockpit of the E-2C Hawkeye, you’re on patrol as the command control center in the sky. If you’re flying the P-3 Orion or the brand-new P-8 Poseidon, you hunt submarines using cutting- edge software, radar, sonar, and acoustics.

HELICOPTER PILOT
As a helicopter pilot, the sky is your domain. Hover over the sea for search and rescue, extract Sailors and Special Forces from a hot landing zone or track and neutralize enemy submarines in defense of your ship.

NAVAL FLIGHT OFFICER
In this role, you’re the navigator, the lookout and the weapon operator inside naval aviation. Whether you’re hunting submarines from a P-8 Poseidon, navigating an E-2 Hawkeye through enemy territory or dropping bombs from the backseat of an F-18 fighter jet .

AVIATION MAINTENANCE DUTY OFFICER
You’re in charge of managing the repair and upkeep of our most lethal aviation assets—over eighty different types of aircraft. In addition to that, you manage hundreds of personnel, making this a job that requires a level of organization and focus that few can say they’ve mastered.

PAY AND BENEFITS

From the day you start, you’ll receive:
• Competitive salary
• Free health insurance
• Free housing
• A retirement plan
• 30 days paid vacation per year

EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

Beyond professional credentials and certifications, the Navy can help ease your financial burdens and advance your career with generous financial assistance and continuing education programs, including:

• Post-9/11 GI Bill
• Navy Tuition Assistance Program
• Naval Postgraduate School (NPS)
• Navy College Program
• VOLED Assistance Center
• VOLED Region Advisors
• Navy War College (NWC)
• USAF Air University Air Command and Staff College

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
• Bachelor’s degree
• Students may apply in last 12 months of pursuing degree
• U.S. citizen or equivalent
• 17 years of age or older

General qualifications may vary depending upon whether you’re currently serving, whether you’ve served before or whether you’ve never served before.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

In the field of aviation, you’ll make the world your home. You may be assigned to sea or shore squadrons on almost any continent. You will have the opportunity to work in a variety of environments—airborne aircraft, hangars, flight decks, flight lines at air stations and on aircraft carriers.

PART-TIME OPPORTUNITIES

Some of the above aviation jobs in the Navy Reserve are open only to prior or current military aviators. 

Take a moment to learn more about the general roles and responsibilities of Navy Reserve Sailors.