Initial Flight Training (IFT) is a preliminary

flight training Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills. Flight training can be conducted under a str ...

course for

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

officers, to include active-duty Regular Air Force,

Air Force Reserve The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a MAJCOM, major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of ...

, and

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

, who have been selected for

Pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

training. Attendance consists of both newly commissioned USAF officers (i.e.,

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

s) and prior-commissioned USAF officers (e.g.,

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

captains Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

and in very rare instances

majors Jonathan Michael Majors (born September 7, 1989)Majors in is an American actor. He rose to prominence after starring in the independent feature film ''The Last Black Man in San Francisco'' (2019). In 2020, he garnered wider notice for portraying ...

) with no previous rated flight experience. IFT consolidated three separate programs: These three programs were originally for pilot candidates who did not have at least an

FAA The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

Private Pilot Certificate A private pilot licence (PPL) or, in the United States, a private pilot certificate, is a type of Pilot licensing and certification, pilot licence that allows the holder to act as pilot in command of an aircraft privately (not for remuneration) ...

(e.g. current pilots and navigators/combat system operators), and were consolidated into the current single civilian contractor-operated program under direct USAF auspices and oversight of the

12th Flying Training Wing The 12th Flying Training Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. The wing is the parent organization for the 479th Flyin ...

(12 FTW) of the

Air Education and Training Command Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was established 1 July 1993, with the realignment of Air Training ...

(AETC) at

Randolph AFB Randolph Air Force Base was an United States Air Force base located at Universal City, Texas ( east-northeast of Downtown San Antonio). Opened in 1931, Randolph has been a flying training facility for the United States Army Air Corps, the Uni ...

, Texas, and its subordinate

306th Flying Training Group The 306th Flying Training Group (306 FTG) is a unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The group is stationed at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) near Colorado Springs, Colorado. T ...

(306 FTG) at the

USAF Academy The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academies, United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Colorado Springs. It edu ...

, Colorado. IFT is conducted at

Pueblo Memorial Airport Pueblo Memorial Airport is a public airport located six miles east of Pueblo, in Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. It is primarily used for general aviation. Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 4,345 passenger board ...

, Colorado and is most similar to the former FSPOT for OTS graduates since it is conducted at a single site and all students are commissioned USAF officers. IFT students must be undergraduate flying training (UFT) candidates and be medically qualified with a Federal Aviation Administration Class III airman medical certificate and a USAF Flying Class 1 or 1A flight physical, as appropriate. The IFT curriculum is highly structured and very fast-paced. The IFT program began operations on 1 October 2006. Contractor Doss Aviation conducts flight screening for 1,300 to 1,700 USAF officers annually. As the gateway to USAF aviation, IFT provides initial flying training allowing students to successfully transition to the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program (ENJJPT), Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT), Undergraduate Helicopter Pilot Training (UHT), and Undergraduate Combat Systems Officer Training (UCSOT) at their associated air force bases, naval air stations, or army air field throughout the United States. The IFT campus is located immediately adjacent to the

, Pueblo, Colorado. A single-building facility provides all students need, never having to step outside except to access their aircraft: *Hotel-style doubles rooms with desks and dressers for personal belongings *Gym with workout rooms, volleyball and basketball courts, weightlifting equipment and treadmills; cafeteria *Small communal room (the Tiger Den) *Large auditorium (used during the first week of training to teach students the basics of aviation) *Classrooms where students study and meet with their instructor pilots before performing their graded flights.

References

{{Reflist

External links

USAF Initial Flight Screening WebsiteIFS Information and Study AidsSpecialized Undergraduate Pilot TrainingDOSS Aviation
Flight training American military aviation United States Air Force military education and training