So you've earned you're commission and are headed to NAS Pensacola to begin flight training to eventually become a Navy pilot.
Before you strap in to your first naval aircraft (which by the way will be a T-34C Turbo Mentor) you'll have to complete API--better known as Aviation Preflight Indoctrination.
If you're not familiar with aviation, before you begin flight training in an aircraft you'll go through a period of ground instruction introducing you to concepts and subjects(such as aeronautics, meteorology, aircraft performance etc.
) that you'll need to become familiar with to operate an aircraft safely and effectively.
Well API is a ground school on steroids.
Not only do you have academic subjects to master, you also have water survival and land survival.
Let me tell you a bit about water survival.
As a Navy pilot you'll be operating aircraft over the world's oceans and seas.
There is a slim chance that you'll go down, but when you think about the number of hops (flights) that the Navy performs on a daily basis I'm sure you'll agree that its better to be prepared on the off chance that it happens.
To that end, water survival makes sure you know how to perform what the Navy considers the four basic survival strokes.
It also ensures that you're comfortable in the water.
This is accomplished by a lot of time spent drown proofing and treading water.
You also get comfortable swimming with your boots on- in fact to pass water survival you need to do a 50 meter underwater swim while wearing flight boots and lastly you build your confidence by swimming one mile with a flight suit on.
Oh, and before I forget you also ride the dunkers.
Aircraft mock ups that simulate a ditching (forced landing into the water).
You'll be required to safely exit both during day time conditions and night (simulated by wearing blacked out goggles).
Next it's on to land survival where you'll learn the basics of making shelter and finding food.
You'll learn what plants are edible and which aren't.
You'll learn how to catch fish, how to make animal snares, and the proper way to skin and gut an animal before cooking and eating it.
As you can see, becoming a Navy pilot is more involved than it seems.
Only after you complete API will you be ready to start flight training.