A pilot can qualify in months; experience takes a system

How long did it take to train a new pilot during the Second World War?

A pilot could complete basic training in months, but an effective force required an ongoing cycle that moved combat veterans into schools and new units to pass on experience.

Basic pilots could be produced in a few months, but operational competence required instructors and leaders with current combat experience. British and American systems continually moved senior personnel back to training or into the cores of new squadrons, while experienced instructors could later return to command. This circulation preserved institutional knowledge and gave newcomers veteran supervision at each stage.