IDF Pilot Courseקורס טיס
How to get into the IDF Pilot Course, and what its training looks like
Three years at the Air Force's flight school at Hatzerim, near Beersheba, that turn out pilots, navigators and other aircrew in six professions.
Profile 97+about 36 monthsMen and womenDark grey
The IDF Pilot Course asks for a medical profile of 97 and up and a Dapar of 60 and up.
The medical profile runs from 21 to 97.
The Dapar, the reasoning test of the first call-up, is scored from 10 to 90.
- Open to
- Men and women
- Medical profile
- 97 and up
- Dapar
- 60 and up
- Training
- about 36 months
- Where it serves
- The flight school at Hatzerim Air Force base.
- Commitment
- 7 years of career service.
The course has five stages: four training stages of half a year each and one academic year. Graduates sign on for 7 years of career service.
Candidates need profile 97 with no disqualifying clauses, a Dapar of 60 or more and a good personal interview score at the first call-up, and must be no older than 23 (24 with a first degree). For men, the pilot screening puts other screenings on hold.
The way into the IDF Pilot Course runs through 5 steps.
- 1An online test of about 40 minutes, taken at home within two days.
- 2Thinking tests and a flight simulator, a day of about 6 hours.
- 3An advanced simulator, an eye test and personality questionnaires.
- 4An online interview with a psychologist.
- 5A five-day try-out at Hatzerim, in February or March and in October or November, then medical checks.
Training at the IDF Pilot Course lasts about 36 months.
- Four training stages of half a year each
- An academic year
Preparing for this unit means preparing for tests, not for the field.
The pilot course screens thinking, a simulator and personality before any field day, so sleep and focus before the tests matter, and the IDF's page asks not to take attention medication on the simulator day.
The full guide to preparing: profile, Dapar, Yom Sayarot and a training routine
The 2 roles here each have a page on the IDF's site for future soldiers.
- Flight track (pilot course)Other units
- PilotAir Force
Units to read about alongside the IDF Pilot Course.
- Naval Officers Courseקורס חובליםThe Navy's officers' course: two and a half years that end with the rank of lieutenant, a first degree and the naval officer's pin.Profile 82+about 30 monthsMen and womenDark blue
Talpiot Programתוכנית תלפיותAn elite program of the Defense Ministry and the Air Force that gives its cadets a degree in physics, mathematics or computer science while they serve.Profile 72+about 36 monthsMen and womenDark grey
ShaldagשלדגThe Air Force's commando unit, based at Palmachim. Its fighters train for a year and 7 months.Profile 82+about 19 monthsMenDark grey
Frequently asked questions
What does the IDF Pilot Course ask for?
The IDF's page asks for a profile of 97 and up and a Dapar of 60 and up.
How do you get into the IDF Pilot Course?
An online test of about 40 minutes, taken at home within two days. Thinking tests and a flight simulator, a day of about 6 hours. An advanced simulator, an eye test and personality questionnaires. An online interview with a psychologist. A five-day try-out at Hatzerim, in February or March and in October or November, then medical checks.
How long is training at the IDF Pilot Course?
About 36 months: Four training stages of half a year each; An academic year.
Can women serve in the IDF Pilot Course?
Yes. The IDF's page opens the role to men and women.
This page was written from the IDF's pages for future soldiers, read on 6 November 2026.
- The IDF's page for the role: Flight track (pilot course)
- The IDF's page for the role: Pilot
- Try-outs
- The medical profile
- What Yom HaMa'a is
The requirements and screenings change from time to time, and the IDF's page for each role is the one that counts.
Photo credits
- Israel Defense Forces, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- IDF Spokesperson's Unit photographer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Amit Agronov, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons