Forum: Future F-16 crew

For those of you who had to do physical tests before being selected, what distances did you have to run and in what times were most of the people doing it in?

Thanks

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I don't believe running is necessary to fly: most of it is weightlifting proportional to your body weight, unless I'm mistaken.

Just do this, have some semblance of physical fitness consisting of aerobic and anerobic excersize. There is a thread around here on the centrifuge, that will be between T-37's and T-38's. This is where your weight will need to go up alittle and your physical strength, ie, muscle mass will have to be optimal.

The centrifuge testing, I feel, is alittle unreasonable, but, you must comply or forget fighters. In flying any aircraft, in any ACM engagement, I cannot perceive pulling and executing anyting more than 6 graceful "G's". To do more, you are simply getting sloppy and bleeding energy, doesn't make alot of sense to me. The "fuge" takes you to 11 G, why, I don't know.

To prepare, you must start a regime after class consisting of bench, over head, shoulder shrugs, arms (biceps and triceps), squats, and extensions to build lower body strength. For now, get in shape by doing circuit training. It's the best thing. Get your heart-rate up for 20 to 60 minutes a day. It's called your target heart rate, the equation is: 222-(your age)*.75, do the best you can! Start slow, find a college or park with a fitness trail and run from excersize to excersize. I did it in college, never been more "G" tolerant before, although I must admit, I grey-out once in a Super Decathelon after a series of maneuvers lasting about 1.5 minutes of sustained 4 or 5 "G".

The running times in ROTC in a mile and a half were 15 minutes? Gee Wizz!!! I can walk backwards faster than that!!!

Here at the Academy males have to run the 1.5 mile in 11:15 I think it is and females have to do it in 13:31. It isn't a fighter pilot fitness test, but it is one none the less and it plays into your overall standing here. 15 minutes in ROTC?! How'd those guys pass?

You'd be amazed Delta, some guys couldn't do it, especially the smokers. Then again these are 1980's times. I'm glad they lowered the limits.

Slight correction or update for ya:

1. The physical test prior to selection for UPT is the same PFT (physical fitness test) for any Air Force Commission...pushups, situps, and run. Last I checked it was 1.5miles and a decent score is sub-10 minutes. Once in pilot training, if you're going fighter track you will take the FACT (Fighter Aircrew Conditioning Test). You can search online for exacts, but it's a lifting test based on percentages of your body weight.

2. Throughout pilot training you will go to the fuge a couple times. In between T-37 (or T-6) and T-38 you will go, then again after UPT graduation prior to RTU. The first time you will pull a max of 7.5Gs. The second time depends upon the airframe you go to, but is a max of 9Gs for the Viper. As for a good workout program, I'll let ya search the forum, there are a ton of threads on G tolerance and Physical Fitness.

Cheers

Thanks guys,
The unit I'm applying to has all the interviewing candidates do the FACT and running. I think that I'm good to go though.

M-LOC is correct, for the ROTC PFT it is now 10 min. or less in the 1.5 mile run, 60+ pushups (1 min) and 70+ situps (1 min) for a goood grade. Yep, that's right, one pushup per second Wink

Forum: Future F-16 crew

Fighter pilot fitness test