Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
IAF pilots must run 4 km in 15 minutes. This isn’t just cardio—it’s conditioning for enduring G-forces, oxygen shifts, and long, physically punishing sorties.
Representative pic
Push-ups, rope climbs, and chin-ups test brute strength. Every rep trains a pilot to wrestle Gs, control a cockpit, and survive ejection-level emergencies.
Pilots swear by Hindu squats and planks—not for abs, but for core control during mid-air flips, dives, and high-speed turns that rattle organs.
Height and limb ratios aren’t just aesthetics. Cockpit geometry demands precise anthropometric fits—off by a few cm, and you’re grounded.
With 6/6 vision, normal color detection, and vestibular control, pilots pass tests most people can’t even pronounce. One slip, and they’re disqualified.
IAF pilots must swim 25 meters minimum. Why? If you eject over a sea or river, swimming might be the first and only survival skill that saves you.
Pilots train their brains like commandos. High-stress simulators test their decisions under pressure—because up there, panic equals death.
Every pilot undergoes routine checks for hidden disorders, mental health flags, and physical anomalies. In the IAF, one unnoticed illness can cost lives.
Tactical exercises push pilots through simulated crashes and ejections, training their reflexes and bodies to survive the chaos of real combat skies.