Military Pilot Aptitude Tests: SPHAIR, Bundeswehr, Bundesheer

Becoming a military pilot means going through one of the toughest selection processes there is. The Swiss Air Force, the German Air Force and the Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer) spend months assessing cognitive performance, psychomotor skills, personality, health and flying talent in the simulator and in the air.

The procedures differ in detail, but one part is the same everywhere: they start with computer-based tests of mental arithmetic, spatial reasoning, memory and concentration. Those core skills can be trained long before you apply.

This article summarises the official information as of October 2026. We are an independent app, not affiliated with the Swiss Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr, the Bundesheer or the DLR. The current pages of the armed forces always take precedence, because procedures and age limits change.

How do you become a military pilot in Switzerland, Germany and Austria?

In all three countries you go through a multi-stage process of aptitude tests, medical examination and flying assessment. In Switzerland the entry point is SPHAIR, in Germany the Bundeswehr assessment, and in Austria a three-phase procedure run by the Bundesheer.

As of October 2026. For Germany and Austria we found no officially documented age limits we could quote here. Ask the Bundeswehr careers centre or the Bundesheer recruiting office.

How does Swiss military pilot selection work?

According to the Swiss Armed Forces (vtg.admin.ch, as of 29 April 2026), the route starts with SPHAIR and runs through several assessments until employment as a professional military pilot. The professional aptitude assessment alone is usually completed within six months, according to the armed forces.

1. SPHAIR screening and flying course: a one-day screening, then a two-week flying course with 10 flight hours. For the military pilot route the armed forces specify an age of 17 to 22; the screening must take place before your 23rd birthday, or before your 24th if you are already a commissioned officer.
2. Professional aptitude assessment: psychology, aviation psychology and medicine at the Aeromedical Institute (FAI) in Dübendorf.
3. PC-7 simulator assessment: five days in the simulator of the PC-7 trainer aircraft at Locarno military airfield.
4. Recruitment and officer training.
5. Flying aptitude assessment: six weeks in which your flying skills are tested.
6. Employment: according to the armed forces, this must happen before you turn 26.

About the SPHAIR screening itself: according to sphair.ch it tests English, mental arithmetic, spatial reasoning, memory, concentration, technical comprehension and psychomotor skills, among other things, plus a personality test. SPHAIR offers several tracks: jet, helicopter, drone, airline pilot and parachute reconnaissance.

TipIf you are still at school, keep the age windows in mind early. More in Become a pilot while still at school.

What changes for Swiss military pilots in 2026 and 2027?

The Swiss Armed Forces have announced three changes for 2026 and 2027: direct applications without a long wait, completed practical service as an officer before the flying aptitude assessment, and laser eye surgery permitted under conditions from age 20. Details are on vtg.admin.ch (as of 29 April 2026).

• Direct applications without a long wait (from 2026): if you complete the SPHAIR flying course with a military pilot recommendation, you can apply directly as a military pilot, according to the armed forces. Recruitment can now take place as late as after the PC-7 simulator assessment.
• Practical service before the flying aptitude assessment (from 2027): only candidates who have fully completed their practical service as an officer will be admitted to the six-week flying aptitude assessment.
• Laser eye surgery from 20 (from 2026): corrective laser surgery is possible under conditions from age 20, at your own cost. The FAI clarifies which conditions apply.

Because transitional rules can differ by intake, check the official page or ask SPHAIR before you register.

Is SPHAIR also a route to SWISS and Edelweiss?

Yes. A SPHAIR certificate that is no more than five years old and includes a pilot recommendation replaces the DLR certificate for Swiss citizens at the European Flight Academy, but only for SWISS and Edelweiss. If you want to apply for every cockpit in the Lufthansa Group, you still need the DLR certificate.

According to the EFA, SPHAIR is open to 17 to 23 year olds. For many young Swiss that makes it a double opportunity: the screening shows whether a military career could work, and the certificate also opens the door to civil training with SWISS or Edelweiss. The civil route is described in How to become a SWISS pilot, and the content of the DLR test in the DLR test complete guide.

How does the Bundeswehr pilot aptitude test work?

The Bundeswehr assesses future military pilots in three phases: an assessment at the careers centre or in Cologne, an aviation psychology and aviation medicine examination, and a simulator phase. That is how the German Air Force describes it on bundeswehr.de.

Phase I is the general assessment for the officer career. Phase II covers aviation psychology and aviation medicine. According to the Bundeswehr it tests spatial reasoning, memory and mathematics, among other things, as well as psychomotor skills with joystick, pedals and throttle. Phase III uses the simulator to check how you handle flying tasks.

There is a notable link to the DLR: according to a Bundeswehr document dated 9 November 2023, new simulators for aptitude assessment are being centralised at the DLR in Cologne. So the DLR is an important partner in pilot selection not only for civil airlines.

How do you become a pilot in the Austrian Armed Forces?

According to reports by Militär Aktuell (2024), the Bundesheer selects in three phases, with medical, psychological and physical tests. A 14-month basic pilot course follows, and applications are accepted all year round.

Which test provider the Bundesheer uses is not publicly known. For your preparation that matters less than you might think, because the psychological tests in every procedure check similar core skills. Also new: from October 2026 the DLR offers its pilot certificate in Vienna as well, which shortens the trip for anyone in Austria considering a civil career.

Which skills does a military pilot aptitude test assess?

Military selection assesses cognitive performance (mental arithmetic, spatial reasoning, memory, concentration), psychomotor skills, personality, fitness, health and flying ability. The cognitive parts can be trained directly; the others need their own preparation.

Sources: sphair.ch, vtg.admin.ch, bundeswehr.de. As of October 2026.

How do you prepare for the cognitive parts?

Train the cognitive core skills regularly over several weeks, ideally 20 to 45 minutes a day, and work on psychomotor skills, fitness and English separately. That way you arrive at the screening rested and with routine.

DLR Test Trainer was built for the DLR test, but it is a complete training programme for exactly the cognitive skills that SPHAIR and the Bundeswehr also test. It includes 10 test types, an exam simulation of all 10 modules back to back (about 60 minutes in full, about 30 minutes compact), adaptive levels, error analysis after every session, target-value traffic lights, history and a training plan with countdown. Every task is freshly generated, and the app runs offline, without an account and without ads on iOS and Android, in English, German, French and Italian. Four modules are free forever.

To be honest: the app contains no original tasks from SPHAIR, the Bundeswehr or the DLR, it does not train joystick coordination and it guarantees no result. For psychomotor skills, a basic joystick and a PC flight simulator help; more in MIC: the multitasking test.

A practical approach:

• Starting now: build foundations in mental arithmetic, spatial reasoning and memory. The overview Pilot aptitude test preparation includes a test-independent 6-week plan.
• In parallel: bring your English to B2, build fitness, refresh physics and technical knowledge.
• Before the date: exam simulations for stamina, and read the official information about your screening.
• If you are planning both civil and military routes: book DLR dates early, see DLR test preparation 2026 and DLR test preparation 2027.

Which app suits this kind of training best is compared in Best DLR test app compared. Whether a DLR app also works for other procedures is answered on Can I use a DLR test app for other pilot aptitude tests?.

Sources

• Swiss Armed Forces: Military pilot (German)
• SPHAIR: pilot screening (in German)
• European Flight Academy: Advantages for SPHAIR candidates
• Bundeswehr: Aptitude assessment for flying service (German)
• Bundeswehr: Modern test procedures for future pilots (PDF, German, 9 Nov 2023)
• DLR: Pilot certificate (German)