This study analyzes strategic issues in Air Force undergraduate pilot training (SUPT). After describing the key variables that determined pilot training's historical development, the author assesses what type of training system, generalized or specialized, produces the best ratio of cost to effect. The conclusion is that the current specialized system is more responsive to disparate operational needs, better matches training media to task, and generates large cost savings for the Air Force. Next, the writer evaluates recent structural changes to SUPT and analyzes the pilot training systems of the US Navy and Israeli Air Force, Several broad conclusions emerge from these inquiries: the need to stabilize the still-maturing SUPT system; the potential benefits of improved candidate pre-selection methods; and, finally, the pivotal role of the instructor pilot in any training program's success. The final chapter synthesizes the study's findings and implications to suggest an optimal course for future Air Force pilot training.
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