Air Force Flight Screening: Evolutionary Changes, 1917-2003

You are here: Homepage > Search

Air Force Flight Screening: Evolutionary Changes, 1917-2003

A. K. Hussey

It wasn't until Air Force leaders began worrying about the effects attrition had on meeting yearly pilot production requirements that flying training officials began to show any interest in a flight screening program to identify pilot candidates with poor potential of completing pilot training. In fact, a flight indoctrination program, which taught only the basic fundamentals of flying, didn't even exist until 18 February 1943 with the inauguration of a new college training program. A true flight screening program didn't exist for another 10 years. No matter what the Air Force called the program flight screening, flight indoctrination, light plane screening the ultimate goal was to reduce the number of candidates who did not successfully complete pilot training. That isn't to say the Air Force and its predecessors weren't concerned about attrition and the attempt to reduce the number of elimination from flying training, but the times and situations were very different.