As a "Fähnrich" (officer candidate), Wilcke was posted to the "Kriegsschule" (war school) in Dresden on 1 October 1934. On 1 November 1935, he was transferred to the newly emerging Luftwaffe holding the rank of "Oberfähnrich" (senior officer candidate). On 20 April 1936, while serving at the flight school in Perleberg, he was promoted to "Leutnant" (second lieutenant). On 15 October he was transferred to "Jagdgeschwader" "Richthofen" (Fighter Wing "Richthofen"), also known as "Jagdgeschwader" 132 (JG 132—132nd Fighter Wing), named after the World War I fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen and forerunner of "Jagdgeschwader" 2 (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing) "Richthofen". There he excelled as a pilot and showed exceptional leadership ability and was sent as fighter pilot instructor to the "Jagdfliegerschule" (fighter pilot school) in Werneuchen in the second half of 1937.