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. The aim of these programs was to train aircrew for the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS). Initially, the pilot training program was open only to officers who graduated from the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy. However, the training was extended to include non-commissioned officers (NCO) in March 1914 and eventually also to enlisted navy personnel in May 1920. Over the years, the number of NCO and enlisted pilots significantly surpassed the number of commissioned officer pilots, and officers would typically only command units (as Buntaichō or Hikōtaichō) and lead formations in combat.^[1] As the Pacific War progressed and attrition impacted the units, it was not uncommon for NCOs to lead battle formations due to the lack of officers,^[1] and some units even ended up without officers, as in the case of 204th Air Group in summer 1943 after Operation SE.^[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.^[1][3]