Do you have the drive to become a Coast Guard aviator and fly on daring search and rescue missions? If so, you can achieve your goal by applying to the Coast Guard flight program after graduating from the Academy.

Coast Guard aviation showcases several types of fixed and rotor-wing aircraft, including the HH-65 Dolphin, HH-60 Jayhawk, C-130 and C-130J Hercules, the HU-25 Guardian and our newest aircraft in the fleet the C-144 Ocean Sentry.

Currently, up to ten percent (approximately 20 cadets) of the graduating class may attend flight training immediately upon completion of the four year Academy program. After your first tour operational, officers typically apply for flight school and get accepted within the next three years. Competitive selection is based on job performance, aptitude for flight and ability to meet the medical criteria. Each year, depending on service need, anywhere from 70 to 90 junior officers are selected to attend 18 months of training at the Navy's Flight Training Command in Pensacola, Florida and Corpus Christi, Texas. Flight school graduates obtain the right to wear the Naval Aviator Wings of Gold insignia and are sent to fly Coast Guard aircraft at one of our air stations around the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico.

A career in aviation has many rewards, including opportunities for post-graduate training, international pilot exchange programs and service in executive and command positions. Graduates of flight school incur an additional service obligation of five to eight years, but they also receive monthly flight incentive pay from an extra $200 to $880 above regular pay and allowances, depending on years in flight duty.