Is it true that if you want to be an airforce jet pilot you have to have a very fast reaction speed?

Question

Is it true that if you want to be an airforce jet pilot you have to have a very fast reaction speed?

Answer 1

Fast reaction speed, good reflexes and a clear thinking mind.

Answer 2

yes.

Answer 3

Yes....

In fact: to be ANY jet pilot you need to have very fast reaction speeds....needless to say if you're flying very expensive government property on a mission with missiles riding under your wing.

For several reasons (applies to regular jet pilots as well):

• Jet engines are powerful....very powerful......to be able to control that much power (you're literally trying to control the path of a couple of rockets) requires immense agility, reflexes, quick judgments etc.

• Jets also happen to be extremely complex....pilots have to keep track of: course heading, speed, altitude, wind direction, weather up ahead, other planes in the sky, hydraulic systems, electrical systems, air circulation systems (life support), engine rpm, fuel level ........and these are only the most important!

Naturally...now jets have computers to take care of all that...but what happens when something goes wrong....? Five miles up in the sky...that can happen really quickly...so you better be able to handle it really quickly....and accurately....in the right way

•On top of all of that: fighter pilots face even more strain...because they could be in a potentially hostile situation/mission where environmental/strategic variables are constantly changing and developing....thus, fighter pilots must be able to keep track of everything that keeps the plane running (all cockpit instruments), the environment, commands from the mission leader....process all that information...and follow it with the appropriate actions ASAP so as not to endanger other pilots in the air or the mission itself....

and you know what?

That's just the experience I got from using a simulator...Imagine what a real pilot must go through (physically...AND mentally)