Joining RAF with Asthma

[Craigeedee]

I am 15 years old and currently in my 4th year at secondary school. My dad is a commercial pilot and I am seriously considering a career as a pilot in the RAF. I have read up on it on the RAF Careers website and I am fit enough to pass the selection, I think. Today I saw that if you have been diagnosed with asthma you will not be eligible for aircrew. This is a big blow to me as I was diagnosed as a very young child; I have never had an asthma attack or anything serious, I may just have needed the inhalers when had a cold but not any longer. I would consider myself as a non-sufferer. When I turn 16 I will see my GP and try and get her to look at my asthma and see if she can reconsider and say I no longer suffer.

Do you reckon my GP can or will do this? And secondly do you think I have a chance of getting into the RAF as aircrew?

[roush]

Craigeedee,

You will not be surprised to note that this subject has come up a few times on this forum.

Try looking at these threads.
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=224985&highlight=asthma

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=224627&highlight=asthma

Good luck mate, hope it gets sorted out for you.

[SirToppamHat]

Graig

You are not the first to ask this question, as a search of the forum using 'asthma' will no doubt reveal. It used to be an absolute no-no when I joined, but the medics these days seem to accept that the wider medical community has often labelled people as 'asthma sufferers' when the causes may have been unknown. I would suspect that if you can show that you were diagnosed at a very young age, but have not suffered since, you may be in with a chance.

Try a search (don't limit the timescale) and you might get a more unformed answer.

Good luck.

STH

Edited to add that roush beat me to it. The reason I responded quickly was because I didn't want you to get flamed.

[mattyboy101]

I had this issue when i wanted to sign up. Asthma is often diagnosed by doctors as the result of a number of symptoms. I suggest you get a review from your GP and see what happens. I did this and got in no problems

[Craigeedee]

mattyboy101, are you now a pilot in the RAF now then?

[mattyboy101]

yes i am serving aircrew

[Time Flies]

Mattyboy

That wasn't the question...are you a Pilot in the RAF?

TF

[Craigeedee]

Thanks for your help. I hope it will be as simple as you make out. I have read some of the other asthma accounts on here which haven’t exactly filled me with confidence but I’ll just have to put up with it and go for it.

[JAG3]

I have the same problem, i was diagnosed at eight but didnt recieve any REAL symptons and never had an attack. I went to a specialist which figured out that i dont have it but still it will be hard because medically it was said that i had when i was eight even though i didnt have an attack, i am going to write a letter to the specialist and another guy in peterborough to get this misdiagnosed which i think i have a good chance at doing.Hopefully the specialist will get the GP to overturn or i will bring a letter from the specialist and whoever to the day when i get interviewed.