Pilot training in the Imperial Japanese Navy

Pilot training in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) had several programs, which expanded, evolved and changed throughout the years.

Initially, the pilot training program was open only to officers who graduated from the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy.

[2] Prior to the Pacific war, the training programs were extremely selective and competitive, and produced only a small number of elite pilots every year.

However, during the Pacific War, a rapid increase in the demand for replacement pilots significantly reduced the selectiveness and training time.

Newly-commissioned ensigns were selected for pilot training based on the results of an aptitude test (適性検査 Tekisei kensa) that typically lasted three weeks and took place at Kasumigaura Airfield.

[1][3][4] In November 1934 the Air Reserve Student (航空予備学生 Kōkū Yobi Gakusei) program was created, which enabled male civilian university and college graduates to enter pilot training[a].

The trainees were selected from the personnel already serving in the navy based on a competitive written exam and then further through rigorous physical and flight aptitude tests.

In October 1940, Sōren was also renamed to C-Class Flight Reserve Trainee (丙飛行予科練習生 Hei Hikō Yoka Renshū-sei) to fit into the same system.

The training program started on a land airfield within a restricted area marked by white canvas markers that represented a carrier flight deck and took about one to two months.

The next stage was mastering the approach on an actual carrier at sea, where the pilots would perform go-around without touching the flight deck.