^ And to add on for a USN perspective (since OP said he would be interested):
- You do API (ground school and survival stuff at NAS Pensacola), then move along to primary at NAS Whiting Field, FL, NAS Corpus Christi, TX, or Vance AFB, Enid, OK (very few Navy types go here, but there are always a few). Whiting and Corpus are still flying the T-34C (though Whiting is getting it's first T-6B's as we speak), while Vance flies the T-6. I'm not entirely sure how they compute overall grades for the Navy guys at Vance, but at either of the NAS's you have what is called an NSS computed from all of your graded flight and simulator events. When you complete your last flight of primary, they tabulate your NSS and this is used pretty much exclusively to determine where you stand amongst your peers. Selection is done shortly thereafter, and is made on a weekly basis for the most part. Like the AF types, your grades, needs of the service, and personal requests are taken into account. IIRC the CO has some input, but from what I saw, he normally just endorsed whatever it was that you asked for (assuming your grades qualified you for it). Minimum score to select into the tailhook pipeline (jets and E2/C2) is a 50 NSS. Anything less than that, and you have to go helos, P-3's or E-6's (big 707 looking jet). Above a 50, and it can vary week to week what you get. I knew people who finished with 60+ NSS who didn't get tailhook because there just weren't any more slots their week. I also know lots of folks who were right around the low 50 mark who got it because they selected on a good week. Like Bunk22 said, there are plenty of good pilots out there who didn't get jets cause they had bad timing, or simply didn't want them.
For the guys who DO get tailhook, you move along to either NAS Meridian, MS, or NAS Kingsville, TX for intermediate jet training in the T-45. You do phase I (called Ijet) which normally takes around 6 months, and then another cut is made for those going E2/C2 or moving along to jets. There aren't that many slots for E2/C2, and so it normally comes down to those who request it or folks who had enough trouble in phase I that it makes sense for them not to continue on in phase II (advanced strike). If you go E2/C2, your next stop is to carrier qualify, and then you finish out training at NAS Corpus Christi in the T-44 doing multiengine prop stuff. If you continue on to phase II, you stay in the T-45, do all the advanced strike stuff, and carrier qualify normally somewhere towards the end of that. From there you wing and select Hornets, Super Hornets, Prowlers or Growlers. Again, grades, needs of the service, and Commander's input are all factors in this. At this stage of the game, it seems like these selections are a little bit more subjective in terms of your strengths and weaknesses in advanced, but I'm sure there is still mostly the element of availability and grades playing into it.
Anyway, hope that helps clear up questions you had about our side of training.
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