zondaracer

NYANG is hiring, willing to put someone through commissioning and UPT to fly their C-130s which go to Antarctica. I have buddies who applied several times to guard units, three years in a row to the same one, before they finally got hired. I'm not sure about 20/70 but there are guys who have received waivers with vision that bad.

http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/jobs/air/upt10908.pdf

sinsilvia666

Slice - only applied to this unit cause this is where I live and my mom was a Lt. Colonel there.

Joe+ Bdgerjmn - Thanks for helping out with the prk advice, I think I might head back out to the base and talk to the doctor and see what they recommend.

Do any of you think enlisting say as a boom operator would help this since I could get a waiver for my eyes? I just got my afoqt scores back got a pilot score of 94 and navi of 62 total of a 314 i think

sinsilvia666

Slice - only applied to this unit cause this is where I live and my mom was a Lt. Colonel there.

Joe+ Bdgerjmn - Thanks for helping out with the prk advice, I think I might head back out to the base and talk to the doctor and see what they recommend.

Do any of you think enlisting say as a boom operator would help this since I could get a waiver for my eyes? I just got my afoqt scores back got a pilot score of 94 and navi of 62

SaltyDog

Very important to know which procedure is waivered (accepted) When I left my last squadron, Navy allowed PRK only. Do LASIK, you would not fly.
Basic difference? PRK surgically reshapes the eye. LASIK does same thing, but they cut a flap, do the surgery like the PRK, then replace the flap back over the surgery area. Less pain, quicker recovery.
Why would the military be concerned about the LASIK? That flap they cut in the eye has suspected problems in a high G environment. Am sure they are studying it, but PRK is considered the way to go for military pilots.
Good luck

zondaracer

I would definitely NOT enlist thinking that you will get a waiver and then be able to go to UPT later. Talk to an opthalmologist who works in Air Force flight medicine first. I got medically disqualified for an eye thing, and an O-6 told me that once on active duty it would be easier to get a waiver. He didn't know what he was talking about. I have a buddy who got dq'ed for the same eye thing and he was a prior loadmaster. His prior class III medical did not do him any good trying to get a waiver for the initial Class I.

If you see 20/70 distant vision, and 20/20 with correctable lenses (glasses, they make you remove contacts for the air force physical one month in advance), then you should be eligible for a waiver without too much hoopla. Talk with somebody and see if there are ways to make your package stronger. Ask someone who has gone through the process to look at it.

USAF Pilot Medical Qualifications - Online Guide

sinsilvia666

zonda thanks for that link - nice to see it all laid out, i tried to link to the waivers page but it did not work

crewdawg

First off what is your vision exactly? 20/70 is what you can have WITHOUT a waiver. They go up to 20/200 or -3.00 refractive error with a waiver. If your eyes are within this I wouldn't get the eye surgery.

I know that PRK is waiverable as a classmate of mine has had it done. I am pretty sure that Lasik is as well but can't confirm that. If you do decided to get the surgery, be sure to talk to an AF flight doc first. There is alot of paperwork involved, might as well start off on the right foot.

Ortho-K is not allowed. You must not wear hard contacts 90 days prior to your final physical down at Brooks. I have heard of dudes doing it and getting by but the corneal topography tends to catch people. Don't try to cheat the system (that much ).

I would not chance enlisting on the hope of helping you get a waiver, or even a pilot slot for that matter. Unless you are willing to serve 6 years as an enlisted dude. Which is not bad, I was enlisted for 6 years and it was the best thing that could have happened to me.

As far as being turned down, keep on firing off those apps. I know a guard guy that interviewed 28 times before he finally got a slot. Who knows how many apps. he sent out. Also, know another dude that got picked up after his sixth interview with the same unit. If you really want to fly for the military, send out those apps everywhere your willing to go.

Goodluck

fallujahff

So it's ok to be blind and fly in the AF with a waiver but if you're over 29 noooooo waaaaayy.

Nice-great-more tax dollars at work.

<Disgruntled as Hell>

Marvin

When there are plenty of qualified candidates, there is no need to expand the talent pool by increasing the age limit. When I joined USAF in 1987, there were no waivers allowed for eyesight -- 20/20 only. I'm sure there were some great candidates who didn't get in, but ...

Sorry the age limit bit you, though. That's a drag. Were you applying over a long period of time, or just decided late to give it a try?

zondaracer

Another annoying thing is that if you are blind you can fly in the AF. But if you have 20/17 vision but the corneal topography is suspect, no way...