To be a pilot, you join the air force
Um, not before July 16, 1947 you didn't.
Funny, but probably typical, story. My Dad decided that he wanted to be an aircraft mechanic in WWII so he headed down to the USAAF recruiting office (or whatever passed for it at the time, I'll have to ask about that). There was big long line and he didn't want to spend all day standing in it so he started heading back home. On the way he passed the Marine recruiting office and there was no line there so he went in and talked to the Sargeant there who told him he could become a flight mechanic for the Marines.
Not long after that he was in a muddy foxhole on Guadacanal shivering with maleria. Closest he got to the planes was walking by them to get to the chow line.