Does Hayfever affect flying in all the armed forces?

[Cornell77]

I recently applied to the RAF only to be told that my hafever makes me temporarily unfit for aircrew. Is this the case for pilots/aircrew etc across all the armed forces? Also if I stopped my pescription medicine how long untill I could apply again, again is it the same across all the armed forces?

[airborne_artist]

Search the OASC thread. Plenty on there, but not what you'll want to hear.

[RAFEmployee]

Ditto AA.

Depends on how serious your hayfever is.
If you were turned down by the RAF they're proberly right.

[Tiger_mate]

I did not get Hayfever until I was about 30 years old. Either that or I had not noticed a re-occuring 'spring cold' that coincided with Birch Tree's pollanating. Medication does not stop me flying, and I heard from CinC Air recently that requirements for spectacles and medication is under review as neither stop trained aircrew from flying. It seems likely that the recruiters are yet to catch up.

[Melchett01]

Only in so much as it is another filter / selection tool that OASC can use to whittle down the numbers. With so many people applying, unfortunately they can afford to be choosy.

[Manuel de Vol]

I didn't get hay fever until I retired. Until then, I had a series of 'Spring/Summer colds',

There are a number of medications nowadays which treat hay fever without soporific side-effects, such as Claritin and Allegra. (Some of those meds may even be available without a prescription.)

If your GP was to diagnose you as being 'prone to summer colds', then maybe the RAF would accept you, but if you are badly affected by pollen allergies, then would you want to fly with you?

[Gethin]

Not that I want to 'kick you while your down',
but with the RAF's helicopters landing in the poppy fields in the helmand province, you can really see the need for the crew to stay focused, even when heavily clogged up with pollen etc.
Best of luck anyway mate!