A flat tilt valve for a pistol air tool, such as a pistol air screwdriver, which includes a flat tilt valve which is actuated substantially parallel to the sealing face of the flat tilt valve and which is positioned at the rear of the pistol air tool upstream of the air vane motor to create a common air path. Such a design allows the use of multiple air inlets in the same pistol air tool and makes it easy to mold or cast air inlets from both the bottom and the top and, if desired, the rear of the pistol air tool. The reconfiguration of the actuation rod on the tilt valve for a pistol air tool provides a slender profile and minimizes the overall length of the pistol air tool.