Eyesight Requirements

[samk_969]

Dear all,
During my medical at OASC I was informed that my eyesight is just off perfect, and although within limitations to fly without spectacles, it's out of limits for the RAF. It was suggested that I apply for the Army Air Corps but I have yet to find anybody who knows the AAC eyesight requirements.
I would appreciate any information at all, because the careers office didn't have a clue.

Many thanks

Samantha

[Flik Roll]

Have you tried Army Careers?
If the RAF Doc suggested you try the AAC, I'm sure that means you will be ok. If you are within limits of flying without specs I'm sure it will be fine.

[joe2812]

Sorry if this becomes a topic hi-jack Iits not intended!) but OOI, what's the RAF's requirements for eye sight when it comes to WSOs? Same as Pilot?

[Mach 2.2]

When I went to OASC in Sep 02, I had the same experience being told that my eyesight was not acceptable for pilot in the RAF but would be for the AAC and FAA.

I'm not sure what the exact RAF requirement figures are for Pilot and WSO, but for Pilot it is certainly higher.

Still can't complain; 2.5 years later, and I'm a happy WSO stude. 'Does such a thing exist?' I hear you cry.....

[Green Meat]

Sam K

If you're the Sam K I think you are, and you want pilot, follow young Mr Dorrington's route through Sandhurst or try the FAA. One of my ex-proteges has binned the RAF in favour of FAA as they are very, very keen for pilots. If you want to continue wearing light blue in one of it's guises, WSO isn't a bad option. They offered me Nav with less than perfect eyesight many moons ago before I arrived in the town of glass.

I do hope I've got the right person, otherwise most of this is meaningless gibberish!

Best of luck...

[Jucky]

Samantha,

You need to put a bit more pressure on the Army Careers Office, they should know where to get an answer on the eyesight standards.
If you really want to fly you would be better to apply to the Royal Navy as their pilot requirement is increasing this year, and the eyesight standards are different to the RAF. If you don't need glasses I don't think getting selected as a Navy pilot should be a problem.


Regards,

Jucky

[airborne_artist]

If what you want to do is fly, then apply to the FAA. If you want be an officer and manage flyers , then join the AAC.

[rivetjoint]

Ask for the eyesight requirements form in Braille, go on you know you want to.

[Pielander]

There is, of course, no such thing as perfect eyesight. However, there is a 'bottom line' on the Snellen chart, which usually corresponds to 6/5. The line above it; 6/6, is generally considered to be 'normal eyesight'. I can't speak for the RAF, but I know that 6/6 is certainly acceptable for the Navy - i.e. you don't need to be able to read the bottom line to get in.

As Green Meat says, the FAA are desparate for pilots whereas the Crabs are most definitely the exact opposite. If you're serious about wanting to be a pilot in the foreseeable future, then FAA is by far your best option.

[samk_969]

Many Thanks to you all,
I did apply to the FAA and the response was that at the moment they are not looking for pilots, but there are plenty of jobs going for Warfare officer. I gave that one a miss.

[Jucky]

Sam,

That is a line Navy careers sometimes take, so that they can try and get you in a Warfare Officer's. Keep pushing them and tell them you want to be a pilot. The requirement for Navy aircrew is going up this year, so it is definetely worth pushing for.
By the way don't belive them if they tell you that you can join up as a Warfare Officer and transfer to pilot later. It does happen but it is extremely difficult to get.

How do I know all this? I used to be an ACLO.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

Regards,

Jucky

[Pielander]

Well, it's no wonder that there's a shortage of pilots joining the Fleet Air Arm with advice like that coming from current ACLO's! :mad:

Jucky,

This is not a personal dig at you by any means, as you appear to have a more helpful outlook that the afforementioned present ACLO. However, don't you find it just a tad ironic that, on the one hand, the services are demanding an uncompromising level of integrity from their prospective officers and yet, on the other hand, these young people have to contend with a web of deceit from (unscrupulous?) careers officers who are trying to fill their quotas for the Submarine Service etc? The irony being compounded, of course, by the fact that the careers officer may well be the first and only real officer that these people have actually met! Way to form a first impression!

I suppose it's one way of screening out those who are less keen, but it could just backfire and screen out a whole lot more applicants than it was intended to. Say a similar young person goes and spreads that rumour (i.e. Navy not looking for pilots) around their school/ATC squadron/VGS. How many scores of potential pilots have you lost then?

In a couple of years, they'll be so short of applicants that they'll end up having to lie to people just to fill all the pilot slots. :}

Ah well; honesty is not the best policy. Just so long as I know.:yuk:

[Anticlockwise]

Samantha,

I seem to recall the standards for RAF pilot were "plano" to +1.75. Navigator (as it was back then), was -1.25 to +1.75. WSO standards are still lower than the pilot standards, I presume they are the same as Nav.

RN/Army pilot standards were lower than the RAF at -0.75 to +1.75

Try phoning the OASC medical reception or optomety department, they should be able to give you the current standards for all three services. The standards above, are a few years old now, so don't rely on them!

If you don't know what OASC measured your eyesight to be, phone medical records, or pop into an opticians that does free/cheap(£10) eye exams.

Surprised the AFCO couldn't give you the standards.

Hope this helps.

:ok:

[samk_969]

When I spoke to the Sergeant in he AFCO he wasn't even aware that I could join the army commissioned as an officer pilot directly, he told me that they didn't have officer pilots and I must mean pilot officer in the RAF.

I wasn't too impressed, as he didn't even know who I could contact.

[Rotary Pongo]

Sam



Your best bet is to write to the RLO expressing your interest in joining the Corps.

The address is at:


http://www.army.mod.uk/aht/pilot_training.htm



It's not now the Capt listed on the site so I'd just address it to the RLO.

They'll be able to organise visits and apptiude tests etc......Be aware though that joining the Army as an AAC Officer is very different from joining the RAF.


Good luck

[Big Cheese1]

Hi all,

In reference to eye standards, can anyone tell me what the deal is with colour perception standards??

I recently spoke to a Med officer at OASC about it and was informed that for Pilot/WSO it was cp2, yet a few months prior that for WSO it was cp3. I myself am cp3. This basically means that I failed the Ishara test but passed the Lantern test.

I was also able to speak to another RAF doctor who knows of one guy who has been lined up for Typhoon with a background in fast jets including a transfer on F18s who also is cp3.

Can anyone verify the potential truth of this or why they would consistantly change the parameters?

Are the Navy and Army as stringent on colour perception??

Thanks in advance all

BC;)

[samk_969]

What is the general style/type of written test at RCB, is there extra to those at AIB?

[wannabewingman]

Sam look at this link mate. It has all the information you need with regards to RCB.

http://www.atra.mod.uk/atra/rcb/


Cheers,

WW

[polomint]

Hey theres always hope! I myself always wanted to be a pilot,however my eyesight is so bad it could not be too much worse...take hope boys and gals...I'm a controller now...lol!;) ;)