USAF-Reserve pilot vision standards
 

Hey guys -

I have never pursued USAF flying before because I always thought there was an uncorrected minimum for vision. I am 20/15 or 20/20 with contacts but like 20/200 with no glasses/contacts. I have two friends in a reserve unit that fly C-130's and they said I should apply because the unit may be adding pilots soon. When I balked and mentioned my eyesight, they said as long as I am 20/20 corrected that is all that matters. Since when has that been the case? Are there no longer uncorrected vision mins?

I am not a flyer, but I was just selected as loadmaster with with 20/20 corrected (glasses) and was told I can fly if I choose to pursue it with glasses. This is for the C-17.

I don't know about fighters but if I remember correctly, NAVY required 20/20 uncorrected.

Air Force Flying Physical Examination Standards

I have said it before, and say it again. In the words of Dub-Ya "the internets and Googles is your friends"

We will not spoon feed you at UPT.

I googled and read that document well before I posted here. I guess my question now is it possible that for a C130 a Class II is the level of medical required and that bumps the limit to 20/400 UC and 20/20 correctable since it is non-ejection and low G?

You will be flying with an ejection seat and wearing a G suit for the first half of UPT.

USAF-Reserve pilot vision standards
 

Yes, you can come to UPT with glasses. And we will in fact spoon feed you pretty much the entire program. Do not speak with any recruiters about this, they usually don't have correct information. Just go direct to the units that you would like to fly for and if they hire you, they should help you with the necessary paperwork. Remember that no never really means no. There's always a waiver, you just have to know who to ask.

Air Force allows you to be 20/70 uncorrected, 20/20 corrected, all air frames, guard, res and AD.

At the time that I was applying for flight school Navy/Marines were 20/40 uncorrected, and Army allowed 20/50 uncorrected, however that information is 3 years ago from when I began my road to wings.

When I received my medical, it was 20/70 uncorrected (correctable to 20/20) without requiring a waiver. At the time, they were giving waivers for up to 20/200 as long as you were correctable to 20/20 and had no worse than +/- 3.00 diopters. What they will waive changes all the time, based on the needs of the AF (the AF is about to be short a metric crap ton of pilots, btw). There is no special requirement for fighter guys, nor is there a different standard for the Guard/Reserve. If you pass the physical, you are medically cleared to fly anything that the active duty/Guard/Reserve fly.

Also, the AF allows PRK and LASIK. Just make sure you chat with an AF Doc first to make sure all you're bases are covered.

Dude, don't DQ yourself! Just apply and let the professionals disqualify or pass you. If you DQ, you can have no regrets about "what could have been." If you pass then great...go to UPT, be awesome, score chicks and live the dream!

Don't forget that PRK is an option and not disqualifying like Lasik was.

So there may be a chance that I can get my 20/200 and -5.75 diopter waived depending on how hard I work at it with my Reserve unit and the needs of the AF or the unit when they hire C130 pilots?