GDP Officers play a leading role in maintaining air supremacy over the Sri Lankan skies. These Officers are enlisted as Cadet Pilots after a filtering process called the Flying Aptitude Tests, which includes a few hours of flying in a trainer aircraft under the supervision of an experienced flying instructor. Candidates who join as Officer Cadets in the GDP branch undergo over two years of training before commissioning as Officers. This includes Basic Ground Combat training, Basic Administration training, and basic and advanced flying training.

After initial flying training in a piston engined aircraft and a jet trainer, they are selected to fly in Jet Fighters, Fixed Wing Transport or Transport/ Attack helicopters. Flying training continues even after their commissioning, to achieve higher qualifications as operational pilots.

A GDP Officer will be posted to an operational flying Squadron after conversion training on the relevant aircraft type. They are offered the opportunity to switch from one type of aircraft to another throughout their carrier adding variety to exposure and experience. After reaching a certain level of seniority in the SLAF, pilots would be appointed as Commanding Officers of flying Squadrons and as subsequently as Commanders of SLAF air bases. The Commander of the Air Force also comes from the General Duties Pilot branch.