Pilot class qualification
Pilot class qualification — a professional grade level of piloting skills, commonly used for qualifying military pilots of state aviation in Ukraine and some other countries. As qualifiers used number of flight hours pilot has been reached during career in a total or on some specific type of aircraft, weather conditions pilot has been able to supersede to successfully complete missions, etc.
Pilot classes by country
Ukraine
Since 1993 and till 1998, Ukrainian heraldist, supported by Ukrainian historian, designed heraldry of the Ukrainian Air Force, including badges and name tags for pilot class qualification identification.Since 2015, in Ukraine there are next qualification classes in ascending order:
- for fighter pilots and navigators : 3rd Class, 2nd Class, 1st Class, Sniper;
- for instructor pilots and navigators : 3rd Class, 2nd Class, 1st Class;
- for test pilots: 3rd Class, 2nd Class, 1st Class.
- 3rd Class pilot — a pilot with more than 150 flight hours, able to complete missions at day time simple weather.
- 2nd Class pilot — a pilot with more than 200 flight hours, able to complete missions at day time extreme weather, and at night time simple weather.
- 1st Class pilot — a pilot with more than 400 flight hours, able to complete missions at day and night time all-weather.
- Pilot-sniper — a pilot with more than 550 flight hours, able to complete missions at day and night time all-weather, and having no serious or any aviation accidents in the last 12 months.
Pilot with less than 150 hours commonly recognized as trainee pilots. Other aviation personnel, beside pilots, has similar scheme of class qualification.