Perhaps you’re getting misinformation. I was offered an interview 6 weeks prior to the interview itself, wasn’t in class until 100 days after initial contact. Most others in my class were in the same boat.

I’m also getting the impression you’re talking exclusively about military pilots, in contrast to a prior claim that our hiring practice is costing us top-tier candidates of all backgrounds, based on you bringing up availability date. 99.9% of civilians have a checkmark next to “2 weeks notice”.