Army helicopter pilot requirements, in order

Warrant officers (153A) follow the WOFT route described here.

Commissioned officers (15A) reach aviation through ROTC, West Point or Officer Candidate School and branch Aviation. They take the same aptitude test and the same class of flight physical, but the GT requirement applies to warrant officer applicants only (Washington Guard aviation page). The Aviation Branch advises cadets to pass the test no later than the summer after their junior year (cadet FAQ).

GT: Warrant officer flight training also needs an ASVAB General Technical (GT) score of 110, with no waivers. GT is an ASVAB line score built from the verbal and arithmetic subtests, not a separate test; how it is computed and how to raise it is on ASVAB line scores. If you have never taken the ASVAB, a recruiter will schedule it.

Exam: A Class 1 Flying Duty Medical Examination (FDME) approved by the U.S. Army Aeromedical Activity (USAAMA); the initial FDME is valid for 18 months. Time your packet so the exam is still valid when the board meets.

Eyesight is checked against the Class 1 standard in AR 40-501: the limit is 20/50 uncorrected, 20/20 corrected in each eye. The Aviation Branch answers "yes" to cadets who ask whether they can branch Aviation without perfect vision, and cites AR 40-501 for the full standard (cadet FAQ).

The Washington Guard's aviator checklist (January 2025) shows what a board reads:

• a cover letter and a warrant officer resume (USAREC Form 3.2);
• letters of recommendation (USAREC Form 3.3), including one from a senior aviator (chief warrant officer 3 or above);
• the score letter from the aptitude test and the approved flight physical;
• a recent fitness test (ACFT) score and your GT verification;
• transcripts, evaluations and award documents if you have them.

Active-duty and Reserve boards use their own checklists, so get the current one from your recruiter or warrant officer strength manager. No pilot certificate or flight hours are required: the Aviation Branch says prior aviation experience is not needed because flight school teaches you to fly (cadet FAQ).

Selected applicants attend warrant officer candidate training and the basic course, the SERE-C survival course, primary helicopter training on the UH-72, and then advanced training in an operational aircraft such as the UH-60 or CH-47F (Washington Guard).

Commitment: 10 years of active-duty service after completing Warrant Officer Flight School; Army Reserve and National Guard commitments differ.

The Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard select pilots with different tests and different scoring. The side-by-side comparison, including which test each service uses, is on how to become a military pilot.