Originally Posted by
HawkJ2010
I have heard rumors that even if you're short on your 1-year post-op that a particular squadron will pick you up (if they like you, of course) because it'll take 1+ year to get you through all the paperwork and such. Is this true?
I don't know. Maybe. I'm still a civilian. I seem to recall reading in one of the AF regs that the process for applying for the refractive surgery waiver can begin as early as 9 months post-op, but it still doesn't change that you have to wait 12 months before flying. As far as being hired during that time, like I said, I don't know, but my straight up guess would be 'no', because you need a waiver to be hire-able, and you can't get that waiver for at least 9 months to a year after your surgery. This happens to be my exact circumstance.
But since the unit has to get you a waiver do they look at this as a bad thing? Like you would cause more hassle over an equally qualified candidate?
I've been told it isn't a bad thing to need this particular waiver. Lots of pilots and applicants are having refractive surgery these days. And technically yes, if you are equal in all regards to another applicant but he doesn't need a waiver, then it isn't hard to believe that that could easily be the tie breaker.
But again, I say, "who cares?" Go out there and do it. If you really want to be a pilot in the guard, then why worry about what they think on stuff like that? You're either legally hire-able or not. Right now you're not legally hire-able because your eyes are bad. So you need to get the surgery and wait a few months. So what? You either do it and maybe get picked up to be a pilot, or you don't do it and you definitely don't get selected.
You ask a lot of subjective questions about how a unit would react to this, or what they would think of that. That's understandable and everyone has those same curiosities, (I know I do) but when you get down to it, it really just doesn't matter. You are stuck with your particular set of circumstances just like everyone else is stuck with theirs, and that isn't going to change just because someone online told you what they think. Those are all just 'comfort' questions. I decided for myself awhile ago to stop worrying about those kinds of things and just make sure that A)I'm hire-able (i.e. meeting all of the AF/unit requirements), and B)Do my best to be known and liked by the unit as a person. That's all you really can do!
So, make sure there is nothing disqualifying about yourself, put together the best application package you can, send it to the units you want to apply to, and visit those units you want to apply to, and be a good guy. Everything after that is out of your hands. Don't sweat the small stuff so much. It isn't any harder than that.