![USAF Command Pilot Wings](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/USAF_Command_Pilot_Wings.svg)
U.S. Air Force aeronautical ratings are military aviation skill standards established and awarded by the
United States 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 ...
for commissioned officers participating in "regular and frequent flight",
[The standard by which flight status has been defined in law, executive orders, and regulations since 1913.] either aerially or in space, in performance of their duties.
USAF aeronautical badges, commonly referred to as "wings" from their shape and their historical legacy, are awarded by the Air Force in recognition of degrees of achievement and experience. Officers earning these badges and maintaining their requirements are classified as rated officers and receive additional pay and allowances.
The first U.S. military aviator ratings were awarded in 1912, and the issuance of badges for recognition of the award began in 1913. The division of ratings into multiple skill levels and categories began in 1914 and expanded during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. With minor variations in numbers and titles of ratings, the system remained largely unchanged until 1940, when the current system of pilot ratings was introduced. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, as many as 19 aeronautical ratings were recognized and awarded by the
Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
, but most were discontinued after the war when the USAF came into being.
USAF ratings gradually expanded until seven categories and 21 ratings exist currently. The most recent change added the ''RPA (
Remotely Piloted Aircraft
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
) Pilot'' rating, effective 13 December 2010. Although in much smaller numbers, enlisted personnel were historically eligible to be rated until 1949. Since the later 1950s, highly trained enlisted personnel, along with officers whose duties do not include flying, are recognized by the awarding of
Air Force Occupational Badges. In 2016, the Air Force opened RPA pilot positions to enlisted personnel, making them the first enlisted pilots since 1949.
Overview
For all categories of aeronautical ratings, to be eligible for the rating and to wear the appropriate badge, an officer must be medically qualified to fly and also be qualified by flying status proficiency. Certified flight officers who develop medical conditions that disqualify them from flying are classified DNIF (Duties Not Including Flying). DNIF may be temporary or permanent. Officers placed on permanent DNIF status are either cross-trained into another career field, or separated from the Air Force, depending on the severity of their medical condition.
The
Astronaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
"qualifier" is awarded only by the
Air Force Chief of Staff
The chief of staff of the Air Force (acronym: CSAF, or AF/CC) is a statutory office () held by a General (United States), general in the United States Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor to the United States Secretary of t ...
for rated officers formally qualified to perform duties at least 50 miles above the
earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
's surface and who have participated in at least one operational mission, and has a distinctive
Astronaut Badge
The United States Astronaut Badge is a badge of the United States, awarded to military and civilian personnel who have completed training and performed a successful spaceflight. A variation of the astronaut badge is also issued to civilians who ...
, consisting of a "shooting star" qualifier device superimposed on their rated badge.
The seven categories of aeronautical ratings, as authorized by
Title 10, U.S.C. 8691, are:
* Pilot: awarded by the Commander or delegated
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
commanders,
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)
*
Navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation.Grierson, MikeAviation History—Demise of the Flight Navigator FrancoFlyers.org website, October 14, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2014. The navigator's primar ...
: awarded by the Commander or delegated wing commanders, AETC
[Navigator remains a rated category, but is in the process of being phased out in favor of the more comprehensive and versatile CSO category. Kreisher, Otto]
"Versatile, Ready, and Rated"
. ''AIR FORCE Magazine
The Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) is an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit, professional military association for the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, its declared mission is " ...
'', August 2007 (vol. 90, no. 8). Accessed 11 December 2009.
*
Combat System Officer (CSO):
[AFI11-402 ''Aviation and Parachutist Service, Aeronautical Ratings and Aviation Badges''](_blank)
, p.2 Summary of Changes (2 February 2013). Retrieved 31 August 2015 awarded by the Commander or delegated wing commanders, AETC
[Added 25 September 2007. Under a program that began in the fall of 2004 to replace the "Joint Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training" course, portions of the previous navigator and electronic warfare officer training courses were combined into a curriculum with the objective of developing an aviator with cross-flow capability between the two positions on combat aircraft. The curriculum includes a wider range of topics, with an increased emphasis on warfighting, to develop leadership, decision-making and mission management skills. Navigators and CSOs wear identical badges.]
*
Air Battle Manager
Air battle manager (ABM) is a rated officer career field in the United States Air Force that provide command and control capability to airborne and ground units. The Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) for ABM is 13B.
Training
Undergraduate Air Batt ...
(ABM): awarded by the Commander or delegated air control wing commanders, AETC
[Added 1 October 1999. ]
* RPA Pilot: awarded by the Commander or delegated wing commanders,
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...
,
[Added 13 December 2010.] or Commander,
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a 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 commiss ...
[Commander AFRC presents to USAF officers who complete RPA Formal Training Unit in conjunction with Undergraduate RPA Training at ]March Air Reserve Base
March Air Reserve Base (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB) is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's Fo ...
, California.
* Observer: awarded by the Senior Air Force Officer,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding th ...
. Badge is identical to that worn by USAF Navigators and CSOs. In current practice, is awarded with the Astronaut distinguishing insignia to those USAF officer astronauts who are not previously rated USAF Pilots or USAF Navigators/CSOs. Although identical to the badge worn by Navigators and CSOs, recipients are not graduates of USAF Navigator or CSO training.
*
Flight Surgeon
A flight surgeon is a military medical officer practicing in the clinical field of aviation medicine. Although the term "flight surgery" is considered improper by purists, it may occasionally be encountered.
Flight surgeons are physicians ( MD ...
: awarded by the Commander,
USAF School of Aerospace Medicine
The United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM) is the United States Air Force (USAF) organization focused on education, research, and operational consultation in aerospace and operational medicine. USAFSAM was founded in 1918 t ...
Evolution of the USAF ratings system
![General of the Air Force Hap Arnold](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/General_of_the_Air_Force_Hap_Arnold.png)
From the Aviation Act (40 Stat. 243), 24 July 1917:
That officers detailed in or attached to the aviation section of the signal corps may, when qualified therefore, be ''rated'' as junior military aviator, military aviator, junior military aeronaut, and military aeronaut ... Provided further, that any officer attached to the aviation section of the signal corps for any military duty requiring him to make ''regular and frequent flights'' shall receive an increase of 25 per centum of the pay of his grade and length of service under his commission.
Civil ratings
Aeronautical ratings were established on 23 February 1912, by
War Department War Department may refer to:
* War Department (United Kingdom)
* United States Department of War (1789–1947)
See also
* War Office, a former department of the British Government
* Ministry of defence
* Ministry of War
* Ministry of Defence
* Dep ...
Bulletin No. 6, as a new measurement of pilot skill. Before that time most pilots of the
Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps soloed by the "short hop method" (also known as "grass-cutting"), in which student pilots, flying alone, learned to handle airplane controls on the ground, taxied in further practice until just short of takeoff speeds, and finally took off to a height of just ten feet, gradually working up to higher altitudes and turns. The practice resulted in the first pilot death only a month into training. At least three of these pilots had been previously instructed by
Glenn Curtiss
Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) was an American aviation and motorcycling pioneer, and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle racer and builder before moving on to motorcycles. As early ...
at
North Island field, California. Concurrently, two pilots (future
General of the Air Force
General of the Air Force (GAF) is a five-star general officer rank and is the highest possible rank in the United States Air Force. General of the Air Force ranks immediately above a general and is equivalent to General of the Army in the Unit ...
Henry H. Arnold
Henry Harley Arnold (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950) was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938–1941), ...
and
Thomas DeWitt Milling
Thomas DeWitt Milling (July 31, 1887 – November 26, 1960) was a pioneer of military aviation and a brigadier general in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was the first rated pilot in the history of the United States Air Force.
He received his flig ...
) were instructed by the
Wright Brothers and certified by the
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The (; FAI; en, World Air Sports Federation) is the world governing body for air sports, and also stewards definitions regarding human spaceflight. It was founded on 14 October 1905, and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. It maintai ...
(FAI) in July 1911.
Military Aviator
To establish formal standards of certification, the Army created the ''Military Aviator'' rating and published requirements on 20 April 1912. The first rating was awarded to Henry H. Arnold on 5 July 1912. The first rating requirements were:
*Attain an altitude of at least 2,500 feet;
*Pilot an aircraft for at least five minutes in a wind of 15 m.p.h. velocity or greater;
*Carry a passenger to an altitude of 500 feet, with a combined weight of pilot and passenger of 250 pounds or more, and make a
deadstick landing
A deadstick landing, also called a dead-stick landing, is a type of forced landing when an aircraft loses all of its propulsive power and is forced to land. The "stick" does not refer to the flight controls, which in most aircraft are either ful ...
to within 150 feet of a designated point; and
*Make a military reconnaissance flight of at least 20 miles cross-country at an average altitude of 1,500 feet.
![USA - Aviator Wings - 1913](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/USA_-_Aviator_Wings_-_1913.png)
War Department General Order No. 39, dated 27 May 1913, certified 24 officers including Arnold as "qualified", and authorized issuance of a certificate and badge. A number of designs for the badge were considered before the War Department chose that of an eagle holding Signal Corps flags in its talons, suspended from a bar embossed with "Military Aviator", and had the dies manufactured. A group of 14 aviators still detailed to the Signal Corps was recommended on 29 September 1913 to receive the badge, and the two gold
proof
Proof most often refers to:
* Proof (truth), argument or sufficient evidence for the truth of a proposition
* Alcohol proof, a measure of an alcoholic drink's strength
Proof may also refer to:
Mathematics and formal logic
* Formal proof, a con ...
s were issued 16 October 1913, to Captain
Charles DeF. Chandler and Lt.
Thomas D. Milling
Thomas DeWitt Milling (July 31, 1887 – November 26, 1960) was a pioneer of military aviation and a brigadier general in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was the first rated pilot in the history of the United States Air Force.
He received his fligh ...
, both of whom had also received the first ratings with Arnold on 5 July 1912. All 24 officers certified by G.O. 39, or their survivors,
[One (1st Lt. J. D. Park) was killed in an accident before G.O. 39 was issued, and two (1st Lts. E.L. Ellington and H.M. Kelly) were killed together in the Philippines before theirs were delivered.] were eventually issued the badge.
Two levels of qualification were specified in War Department Bulletin No. 35 on 4 May 1914, with aviators below the rank of
captain
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 ...
to be rated as ''Junior Military Aviator'' and those captain and above to be rated as ''Military Aviator''. Similar ratings were created for the
lighter-than-air branch of aviation, termed ''Military Aeronaut''. On 18 July 1914, Congress established the
Aviation Section, Signal Corps, incorporating, expanding and superseding the Aeronautical Division, and established in law both flight pay ( called the "aviation increase") and the awarding of ratings. The Act of 1914 authorized an aviation increase of 25% in pay to student pilots, 50% to those rated JMA, and 75% to those rated MA. Rated lieutenants who flew "regularly and frequently" were given the temporary rank, pay, and allowances of the next higher grade.
Because a provision also required three years' experience as a JMA in order to become eligible to be rated MA, all remaining Military Aviators had their ratings changed to JMA. None re-acquired the rating (and its "aviation increase") before July 1917.
[Nine of those whose ratings were reduced and were still in the ASSC were re-rated the MA in July 1917 and four who had left aviation and returned—Arnold, ]Frank P. Lahm
Frank Purdy Lahm (November 17, 1877 – July 7, 1963) was an American aviation pioneer, the "nation's first military aviator", and a general officer in the United States Army Air Corps and Army Air Forces.
Lahm developed an interest in flying f ...
, Joseph E. Carberry
Joseph Eugene Carberry (July 20, 1887 – November 12, 1961) was a pioneer aviator. He won the Mackay Trophy in 1913 with Fred Seydel.
Biography
He was born on July 20, 1887, to John M. Carberry in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He graduated from West Poi ...
, and Robert H. Willis—were awarded the higher rating under the 3-year requirement after a ruling that their time away from aviation also counted. (Hennessey, p. 229) The
National Defense Act of 1916
The National Defense Act of 1916, , was a United States federal law that updated the Militia Act of 1903, which related to the organization of the military, particularly the National Guard. The principal change of the act was to supersede provi ...
eliminated pilot age and rank eligibility restrictions and allowed captains to also draw the temporary rank, pay, and allowances of the next higher grade if required to participate in regular and frequent flight.
World War I and Air Service revisions
![USA - Aviator Wings WWI era](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/USA_-_Aviator_Wings_WWI_era.png)
The Military Aviator badge was superseded on 15 August 1917 by authorization of a new embroidered "wings" badge,
the first sketches of which are attributed to Arnold. A new rating, ''Reserve Military Aviator'', was authorized on 3 June 1917 to rate pilots during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, with all ranks and grades being temporary.
[Candidates for Reserve Military Aviator had to pass a medical examination to become an aviation cadet at a civilian flying school, then a preliminary flying test. Nearly all aviation cadets receiving the rating were commissioned as first lieutenants, Signal Officers Reserve Corps, awarded upon successful completion of the "Reserve Military Aviator" test, supervised by an Aviation Section officer or agent. (Only those few rated officers not assigned in orders to the "Aviation Section, Signal Reserve for regular and frequent flights" were commissioned as second lieutenants.) The test in seven parts included a takeoff and climb in a constricted area, gliding and spinning, making a deadstick landing, landing over an obstacle, flying a triangular course by compass, flying a 30-mile cross-country flight by map, and completing a 45-minute endurance flight at 4,000 feet altitude. (''Aviation and Aeronautical Engineering'', 15 May 1917, Vol. II, No. 8, p. 355.)] The Aviation Act of 24 July 1917 authorized those holding a pre-war JMA rating to advance to MA rating by the three-year rule, and along with RMA holders, by "distinguished service."
A wartime ''Reserve Military Aeronaut'' rating for balloon pilots was also created,
[No one was ever rated a Reserve Military Aeronaut, all balloon ascensions during the war being tethered and manned by observers. (1920 ''Aircraft Year Book'', p. 278)] as was a rating of ''
Observer
An observer is one who engages in observation or in watching an experiment.
Observer may also refer to:
Computer science and information theory
* In information theory, any system which receives information from an object
* State observer in con ...
'' for both airplanes and balloons, bringing the total number of aeronautical ratings to seven.
After the creation by executive order in 1918 of the
Army Air Service
The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial war ...
, a standard wings-and-shield design for the rating badge, still in use today, was created by sculptor
Herbert S. Adams of the
United States Commission of Fine Arts
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) is an independent agency of the federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the U ...
and approved on 25 January 1919.
Army regulations regarding ratings underwent a major revision by the
Director of Air Service on 16 October 1919, when the RMA rating was officially changed to ''Airplane Pilot'' (although usage of the RMA terminology continued until 1920), all observers were termed ''Aerial Observer'', and new ratings of ''Enlisted Pilot'',
[Enlisted pilots were authorized embroidered wings with a four-bladed propeller instead of a shield in the center, to be worn on the sleeve. However in World War I all enlisted pilots became commissioned. Enlisted pilots between 1919 and 1933, when the rating was discontinued, wore metal wings similar to the embroidered badge. (Callander)] ''Airship Pilot'', ''Aerial Gunner'', and ''Aerial Bomber'' were created. Among the new ratings, a 50% aviation increase was authorized for the enlisted pilot and 25% for all the others. The new ratings, however, proved to be only a demobilization expedient and lasted less than nine months.
[Two non-flying ratings for aircraft mechanics, "Aviation Mechanician" and "Balloon Mechanician", also received a 50% increase if engaged in flying duty.]
In 1920, when the Air Service was made a statutory arm of the line, the
National Defense Act of 1920
The National Defense Act of 1920 (or Kahn Act) was sponsored by United States Representative Julius Kahn, Republican of California. This legislation updated the National Defense Act of 1916 to reorganize the United States Army and decentralize ...
also ended the differentials in flight pay and standardized it at 50%. The policy of awarding rated officers a temporary advancement in grade was also terminated. To qualify for command of a unit, an officer was required by law to be rated. The existing ratings were reduced to four on 10 August 1920,
[War Department Special Orders 95-0, para. 110, 23 April 1919, awarded six additional officers the rating of "Military Aviator" for "distinguished service" in France during the war: Brig. Gen. ]Billy Mitchell
William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force.
Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, command ...
, Lt. Col. Lewis H. Brereton
Lewis Hyde Brereton (June 21, 1890 – July 20, 1967) was a military aviation pioneer and lieutenant general in the United States Air Force. A 1911 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he began his military career as a United States Army o ...
, Lt. Col. John N. Reynolds, Major Carl A. Spaatz
Carl Andrew Spaatz (born Spatz; June 28, 1891 – July 14, 1974), nicknamed "Tooey", was an American World War II general. As commander of Strategic Air Forces in Europe in 1944, he successfully pressed for the bombing of the enemy's oil product ...
, Major Melvin A. Hall, and Captain Reed M. Chambers. These were the only ratings ever awarded for distinguished service, and when the Military Aviator rating was abolished, these six were permitted to keep it. (Davis, p. 14 and p. 678, note 50.) combining the ratings of Reserve Military Aviator/Airplane Pilot, Junior Military Aviator, and Military Aviator into the rating of ''Airplane Pilot'' and Military Aeronaut and Balloon Observer into the rating of ''Balloon Observer'', renaming the rating of Aerial Observer as ''Airplane Observer'', and continuing the rating of ''
Airship
An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air.
In early ...
Pilot''. All those already holding the old ratings qualified automatically for the new.
[. Paragraph 2 (a) Section IV, General Orders No. 49, War Department 1920][.][The U.S. Naval Air Service and the U.S. Aerial Mail Service also had four aviation ratings.] In 1921 the Air Service authorized the wearing of 3.125-inch ratings badges made of oxidized silver in lieu of embroidered badges.
In 1921 the Air Service also revised its pilot training program, adopting the "A Plan", which divided pilot ratings between ''Junior Airplane Pilot'' (completion of primary training, normally an enlisted rating) and ''Airplane Pilot'' (completion of advanced training).
[Both phases of training were six months in length.] The bulk of new pilots were acquired from the enlisted classification of "flying cadet", with achievement of a JAP rating making a cadet eligible for advanced pilot training and commissioning. However, some older Air Service officers without flying experience, but requiring a rating to remain in the Air Service, acquired a JAP rating, including Chief of Air Service Maj. Gen.
Mason Patrick
Mason Mathews Patrick (December 13, 1863 – January 29, 1942) was a general officer in the United States Army who led the United States Army Air Service during and after World War I and became the first Chief of the Army Air Corps when it was c ...
.
In 1924 the ''Tenth Annual Report of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics'', submitted by President
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...
to the Congress, reported:
The Air Service has 845 officers with rating as airplane pilots, airplane observers, airship pilots, airship observers, or balloon observers. In addition about 51 enlisted men have the rating of airplane pilot, junior airplane pilot, or airship pilot.[, p. 53.]
Air Corps, World War II, Cold War and Post-Cold War changes
In 1926, the new
Air Corps discarded the A Plan in favor of the B Plan, which awarded only a single rating, Airplane Pilot, requiring completion of all phases of a year-long, three-school (Primary, Basic, and Advanced) flying training course. The Airship School closed in 1928 for economic reasons, ending all increases and replacements in airship ratings. The Air Corps Act of 1926 mandated that 90% of all Air Corps officers be rated, and that for reasons of economy, by 1929 at least 20% of tactical pilots had to be enlisted men. However, the latter requirement was so utterly impractical it was circumvented by the Air Corps with the tacit approval of the War Department. The Air Corps had only 38 rated enlisted men in 1930 (about 4% of all pilots), and nearly every enlisted graduate was being commissioned to decrease deficits in rated officers. Those remaining as enlisted men in the Regular Army held reserve officer commissions in the event of war.
[Enlisted personnel qualifying for a pilot rating during World War II, commonly referred to as "sergeant pilots," wore auxiliary pilot wings appropriate to the class of aircraft they flew.]
In 1936, Maj. Gen.
Frank M. Andrews
Lieutenant General Frank Maxwell Andrews (February 3, 1884 – May 3, 1943) was a senior officer of the United States Army and one of the founders of the United States Army Air Forces, which was later to become the United States Air Force. ...
, commanding the
GHQ Air Force
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...
, promulgated a policy requiring newly minted pilots to spend a year flying single-engined aircraft and accruing 750 logged flight hours as a prerequisite to becoming a bomber pilot. Seven years of military flying experience and 2,000 logged hours qualified a pilot as an "airplane commander" in the GHQAF. In 1937 the Army formalized the requirement, creating a new advanced rating of ''Military Airplane Pilot'', setting 12 years as a rated pilot and 2,000 hours of flight time as the standard. The rating of Airship Pilot was discontinued at the same time and that of Airship Observer incorporated into Balloon Observer, leaving the Air Corps with five ratings.
[These five ratings were: Military Airplane Pilot, Airplane Pilot, Airplane Observer, Balloon Pilot, and Balloon Observer.]
Between November 1939 and March 1940 pilot ratings were revised to the permanent three-tier system with objective standards that exists today, with a total of eight ratings overall.
[AR 600-35 (paragraph 42: "Badge, Aviation") was revised to list the eight rating categories, including a new ''Senior Balloon Pilot'' rating, and describe their badges.] Graduation from Advanced Flying School was required to be rated a ''Pilot'';
[The rating of ''Pilot'' was authorized 21 November 1939.] ten years service and 1,800 hours of military flight for ''Senior Pilot'' rating;
[The rating of ''Senior Pilot'' was authorized 20 February 1940.] and either 15 years service with 3,000 hours, or 20 years service with 2,000 hours, to become a ''Command Pilot''.
[The rating of ''Command Pilot'' was authorized 23 March 1940.] For both advanced ratings, hours as a pilot or navigator (a specialization then performed only by rated pilots) were calculated at 100%, but military flight hours in any other capacity were calculated at a 50% rate.
[.] The Air Corps also divided the former Airplane Observer rating into that of ''Combat Observer'' and ''Technical Observer''.
[''Combat Observer'' and ''Technical Observer'' ratings became effective 23 February 1940.]
![NavigatorBadge-old](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/NavigatorBadge-old.jpg)
''Navigator'' was recognized by the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
as a rating and authorized its own badge on 4 September 1942, one of a number of new wartime ratings that included ''
Bombardier'', the
''Glider Pilot'', ''Liaison Pilot'' and ''Service Pilot'' ratings (N.B.: these three ratings were typically awarded to soldiers on the basis of prior civilian flying experience, with a higher age limit and relaxed medical requirements for entry vs. the normal Pilot training pipeline; their duty assignments were limited in scope), and enlisted Aircrew ratings. Combat Observer was renamed ''Aircraft Observer''. All of the wartime ratings except Navigator were discontinued by the USAF on 26 July 1949,
with Navigator and Bombardier merged into a single Navigator rating and the badge design being changed in 1951 from that of an
armillary sphere
An armillary sphere (variations are known as spherical astrolabe, armilla, or armil) is a model of objects in the sky (on the celestial sphere), consisting of a spherical framework of rings, centered on Earth or the Sun, that represent lines of ...
flanked by wings to that of the USAF shield flanked by wings. At this time, a tiered system of ratings based on hours and years of service was also implemented with Senior Navigator and Master Navigator following the same precepts as Senior Pilot and Command Pilot.
Beginning in 2011, the rating of Navigator was retitled, replaced by the aeronautical rating of
Combat Systems Officer (CSO), with the same badge insignia as Navigator. This title change was intended to place the CSO more in line with their
Naval Flight Officer
A naval flight officer (NFO) is a commissioned officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps who specializes in airborne weapons and sensor systems. NFOs are not pilots (naval aviators), but they may perform many "co-pilot" or ...
(NFO) counterparts of the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
and
U.S. Marine Corps, especially since the latter have historically enjoyed more robust operational flying command and major command opportunities, to include promotion to 3-star and 4-star rank. Although observer ratings were also discontinued by USAF in 1949, the ''Observer'' title was revived in 1981 when a rating was created for otherwise non-aeronautically rated USAF officers who completed
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
mission specialist astronaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
training and subsequently flew in space.
''Flight Surgeon''s were rated and received the "aviation increase" between 1918 and 1920. The rating was discontinued in 1920, however, and flight surgeons as a military profession were neglected by the headquarters of the successive Army air arms until late in 1939. In July 1940, the recommendations of a board of flight surgeons appointed by Gen. Arnold were adopted, standardizing ratings requirements as:
![USAAF Flight Surgeon Wings](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/USAAF_Flight_Surgeon_Wings.png)
* graduation from a Class A medical school,
* completion of a one-year rotational internship,
* completion of the
School of Aviation Medicine
The United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM) is the United States Air Force (USAF) organization focused on education, research, and operational consultation in aerospace and operational medicine. USAFSAM was founded in 1918 t ...
course,
* one year's service in the AAF as an Aviation Medical Examiner, and
* 50 hours of logged military flight.
The Flight Surgeon rating received its own distinctive gold badge on 3 March 1942, which was changed to the standard oxidized silver wings in 1944 to avoid confusion with
naval aviator
Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases.
Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-based a ...
badges.
USAF rating requirements
Pilot ratings
The USAF awards pilot ratings at three levels: ''Pilot'', ''Senior Pilot'', and ''Command Pilot'', to active duty officers and to officers considered as "rated assets" in the
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 ...
(i.e., the Air Reserve Components). Rating standards apply equally to both
fixed-wing
A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air flying machine, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using wings that generate lift caused by the aircraft's forward airspeed and the shape of the wings. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct ...
and
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
pilots.
The following additional criteria are required to be rated as a USAF Pilot:
RPA Pilot ratings
The USAF awards remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) pilot ratings at three levels: ''RPA Pilot'', ''Senior RPA Pilot'', and ''Command RPA Pilot'', to active duty officers, to enlisted personnel, and to officers considered as "rated assets" in the Air Reserve Components.
The following additional criteria are required to be rated as a USAF remotely piloted aircraft pilot:
Combat System Officer ratings
The Combat System Officer (CSO)
rating is awarded to individuals who entered the CSO Undergraduate Flying Training after 1 October 2004. The USAF awards combat system officer ratings at three levels: ''Combat System Officer'', ''Senior Combat System Officer'', and ''Master Combat System Officer'', for active duty officers and officers considered rated assets in the Air Reserve Components. The insignia is identical to USAF Navigator, but rated navigators who are not CSO rated are not eligible for award of advanced CSO ratings. The following additional criteria are required for rating as a USAF Combat System Officer:
Navigator ratings
The USAF awards navigator ratings at three levels: ''Navigator'', ''Senior Navigator'', and ''Master Navigator'', for active duty officers and officers considered "rated assets" in the Air Reserve Components. After 2009 only Combat System Operators receive ratings formerly awarded to navigators, as the occupational field is being phased out. The following additional criteria are required for rating as a USAF Navigator:
Air Battle Manager ratings
The USAF awards
Air Battle Manager
Air battle manager (ABM) is a rated officer career field in the United States Air Force that provide command and control capability to airborne and ground units. The Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) for ABM is 13B.
Training
Undergraduate Air Batt ...
ratings at three levels: ''Air Battle Manager'', ''Senior Air Battle Manager'', and ''Master Air Battle Manager'', for active duty officers and officers considered "rated assets" in the Air Reserve Components. The following additional criteria are required to be rated as a USAF Air Battle Manager:
Observer ratings
The USAF awards observer ratings at three levels: ''Observer'', ''Senior Observer'', and ''Master Observer'', for active duty officers and officers considered "rated assets" in the Air Reserve Components. The insignia is identical to USAF Navigator/CSO and is typically only awarded as an "observer" insignia with the Astronaut emblem to USAF officers who have completed training as
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
Mission Specialist Astronauts, have flown at least once in space in the
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program na ...
and/or served at the
International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA ...
, and are not otherwise rated as USAF Pilots or USAF Navigators/CSOs. The following additional criteria are required to be rated as a USAF Observer:
Flight Surgeon ratings
The USAF awards
flight surgeon
A flight surgeon is a military medical officer practicing in the clinical field of aviation medicine. Although the term "flight surgery" is considered improper by purists, it may occasionally be encountered.
Flight surgeons are physicians ( MD ...
ratings at three levels: ''Flight Surgeon'', ''Senior Flight Surgeon'', and ''Chief Flight Surgeon'', for active duty officers and officers considered "rated assets" in the Air Reserve Components. The following additional criteria are required for rating as a USAF Flight Surgeon:
Pilot-Physicians
Flight surgeons may also perform duties as ''Pilot-Physicians'' (Air Force Specialty Code 48VX). The purpose of pilot-physicians is to provide "integrated operational and aerospace medicine guidance" in the research, development, testing, and evaluation of Air Force systems and missions to realize the greatest effectiveness and cost savings.
Pilot-physicians were previously assigned only to an operational flying squadron in their respective aircraft, with their main assignment as a pilot, but also with clinical duties seeing patients, usually the flight medicine clinic, depending on the pilot-physician's
medical specialty
A medical specialty is a branch of medical practice that is focused on a defined group of patients, diseases, skills, or philosophy. Examples include those branches of medicine that deal exclusively with children (paediatrics), cancer (oncology), ...
. On 21 April 2011 the Pilot-Physician Program (PPP) was completely revised to make "the most of the special resources of Air Force officers who are simultaneously qualified both as pilots and flight surgeons," with a senior pilot-physician selected by the
Air Force Surgeon General to be Program Director, and assignment of designated command, staff, research, training, and education billets as well as duty in operational units. A P48VX specialty code is assigned to those on aeronautical orders as a pilot-physician and assigned to one of these designated PPP billets. Pilot-Physicians are entitled to conditional flight pay (ACIP), that is, only if assigned to an active flying position and flying a prescribed number of hours monthly.
In addition to being a rated pilot and a rated flight surgeon, a pilot-physician must have completed at least three years of operational flying and one year as an operational flight surgeon, with a provision for assigning applicants without flight surgeon operational experience to a base where they would likely become a "first assignment pilot-physician". The revised program allows flight surgeons access to undergraduate pilot training and remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) pilot training (one slot per year); allows participation of flight surgeons with experience as navigators, electronic warfare officers, RPA sensor operators, and flight test engineers as ''navigator-physicians'' or ''flight test-physicians''; and authorizes pilot-physicians to compete for assignment to
USAF Test Pilot School
The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (USAF TPS) is the Air Force's advanced flight training school that trains experimental test pilots, flight test engineers, and flight test navigators to carry out tests and evaluations of new aerospace weapon ...
.
Pilot-physicians are defined by four core competencies to achieve program objectives:
*''Providing expert guidance'' through the synthesis of operational and medical experience,
*''Conducting research'' by applying operational insights to studies; basic and applied science; relevant research, development, test & evaluation (RDT&E); and operational test & evaluation (OT&E),
*''Teaching'' aircrew, senior Air Force leaders, and medical personnel on subjects of particular expertise, and
*''Conducting analysis'' to provide recommendations for operational systems, environments, and mishaps; and solutions to human performance problems.
Pilot-physicians are eligible for advanced ratings as both flight surgeons and pilots. They may apply toward advanced pilot ratings any USAF pilot years of aviation service, months of operational flying duty, and total flying hours accrued before achieving flight surgeon status. After attaining status as a pilot-physician, all hours flown as a pilot, and months of operational flying duty credit accrued as a pilot, are "dual-credited" toward both advanced pilot and flight surgeon ratings as long as the officer is on aeronautical orders as an active pilot-physician.
[AFI 11-402, Paragraph 2.7]
See also
*
Badges of the United States Air Force
Badges of the United States Air Force are specific uniform insignia authorized by the United States Air Force that signify aeronautical ratings, special skills, career field qualifications, and serve as identification devices for personnel occu ...
*
Military badges of the United States
Military badges of the United States are awards authorized by the United States Armed Forces that signify rating, qualification, or accomplishment in several career fields, and also serve as identification devices for personnel occupying certain a ...
*
Obsolete badges of the United States military
Obsolete badges of the United States military are a number of U.S. military insignia which were issued in the 20th and 21st centuries. After World War II many badges were phased out of the United States Armed Forces in favor of more modern milit ...
Notes
;Footnotes
;Citations
References
AFI 11-402, ''Aviation and Parachutist Service, Aeronautical Ratings and Badges'', 13 December 2010; certified current 5 February 2013AFI 11-405 ''The Pilot-Physician Program'', 21 April 2011AFI 11-401 ''Aviation Management'', 10 December 2010; certified current 9 January 2013*''Aviation Medicine in the A.E.F.'', Office of the Director of Air Service, February 1920, U.S. Government Printing Office
* Callander, Bruce D. "They Wanted Wings", ''AIR FORCE Magazine'', January 1991, Vol. 74, No. 1, the
Air Force Association
The Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) is an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit, professional military association for the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, its declared mission is " ...
, Arlington, Virginia
* Correll, John T. "The First of the Force," ''AIR FORCE Magazine'', August 2007, Vol. 90, No. 8, the Air Force Association, Arlington, Virginia
*Craven, Wesley Frank, and Cate, James Lea, editors (1958). "The Medical Service of the USAAF" (LeRoy, Dr. George V.), ''Volume Seven – Services Around the World'', ''The Army Air Forces in World War II'', Air Force Historical Studies Office
*
*Hennessy, Dr. Juliette A. (1958). ''The United States Army Air Arm, April 1861 to April 1917'' (USAF Historical Study No. 98), Maxwell Air Force Base: Air Force Historical Research Agency, OCLC 12553968
*Hussey, Anne, and Browning, Dr. Robert (2000). "Flying Training at Kelly, 1917–1943", ''A History of Military Aviation in San Antonio'', USAF Air Education and Training Command
*Jones, David R. (2003). ''Flight Surgeon Support to United States Air Force Fliers in Combat'', USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks City-Base, Texas
*Maurer, Maurer (1987). ''Aviation in the U.S. Army, 1919–1939'', Office of Air Force History, Washington, D.C.
*Manufacturers Aircraft Association, Inc. (1920). ''Aircraft Year Book'', Doubleday, Page, and Company. New York
*Rottman, Gordon L. (2002). ''U.S. Army Air Forces, Volume Two'', Osprey Publishing, Botley, Oxford, UK.
History: The 1913 Military Aviator's Badge awarded to Captain Paul W. Beck, U.S. Infantry, by Walter Schott The Early Birds of Aviation, Inc.
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Awards and decorations of the United States Air Force