A flight cadet or is a military or civilian occupational title that is held by someone who is in training to perform aircrew duties in an airplane.
The trainee does not need to become a
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
, as flight cadets may also learn to serve as a
bombardier,
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 prim ...
, or
flight engineer
A flight engineer (FE), also sometimes called an air engineer, is a member of an aircraft's flight crew who is responsible for monitoring and operating its complex aircraft systems. In the early era of aviation, the position was sometimes referr ...
.
Flying Cadet Pilot Training Program (USAAS)
From 1907 to 1947, the army ran this program to train pilots for the
US Army Air Service (1918-1926),
US Army Air Corps
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 ...
(1926–1941), and
US Army Air Force (1941–1947). During America's involvement in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
(1942–1945), the rank of flight cadet was changed to that of aviation cadet, often abbreviated as A/C, and the program name was changed to the "
Aviation Cadet Training Program".
From 1947, this program was run by the now separate
US Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
. The pilot cadet program ended in 1961, but the navigator cadet program ended in 1965.
Naval Aviator Training Program (USN)
Royal Air Force
The
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
operated a flight cadet scheme at the
RAF College Cranwell
The Royal Air Force College (RAFC) is the Royal Air Force academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to become commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and is respo ...
until 1977.
References
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Military ranks