Personnel shortages may force US Air Force pilots to fly non-fighters

U.S. Air Force pilots graduating from training courses with the T-38 Talon may be required to fly non-fighter or bomber aircraft as a result of pilot shortages, according to a new Air Force policy.

The challenges in pilot inventory were outlined in an August service memo reviewed by Defense News and confirmed by an Air Force official.

Described in the document as a “significant but necessary policy change,” the move shifts the traditional assignment flow for T-38 pilots, who now may be matched to fly non-fighters or bombers.

“We are 1,848 pilots short, with 1,142 of those being fighter pilots,” the memo states. “While we would prefer to send every qualified T-38 graduate to a fighter [Formal Training Unit], circumstances dictate that we utilize available capacity to maximize pilot production. In the near term, in addition to traditional fighter/bomber assignments, T-38 graduates will be matched to additional T-6 [First Assignment Instructor Pilot] assignments and opted for non-fighter/bomber aircraft.”

Due to personnel challenges, some breaks between pilot training and assignment to a formal training unit have exceeded one year, the memo adds.

Brig. Gen. Travolis Simmons, the director of training and readiness and deputy chief of staff for operations with Headquarters Air Force, told Military Times that the delayed starts at the fighter FTUs are “due to a combination of sustainment and manpower challenges.”

Despite recruitment challenges for the service last fiscal year, the Air Force is working to rebound through attracting new talent.

For now, the document describes how T-38 students will prioritize all aircraft, not just fighters and bombers, on their “dream sheets” to ensure an accommodation of preferences. It also outlines that the students may volunteer for non-fighter and bomber opportunities.

“The Air Force has always assigned aircraft based on Air Force needs, platform availability, student preference and student class ranking,” Simmons said. “Even with the recent policy shift, those core tenets remain the same.”

He added that while the policy change is meant to optimize available resources, as capacity and needs evolve, pilots affected by the policy change may have the option to “voluntarily crossflow to fighter/bomber aircraft.”

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The Air Force memo also notes the service intends to return to a regular assignment flow as quickly as possible.

The final pilot production numbers for fiscal year 2024 will not be available for release until later in the calendar year, Simmons said.