Pilot selection began with top naval-academy graduates, then widened to include non-commissioned and enlisted naval personnel by 1920. Broader entry did not lower the standards: the officer course lasted about nine months, NCO students waited much longer before a first solo flight, and the direct-entry enlisted program initially lasted three years. The carrier track demanded at least 500 flight hours before assignment prior to the Second Sino-Japanese War. The system produced pilots with deep expertise, including men still flying at Pearl Harbor after long service, but it scaled slowly for a large war.
Chapter · 24:11-31:20
Elite pilot pipeline and carrier training
The training section follows Japan from academy-selected pilots to NCO and enlisted aviators whose long experience made the carrier force formidable but hard to replace.