Hercules Pilots Wearing Glasses??

[Easy226]

Hi everyone, yesterday i visited the army careers office to find out some information on the available jobs in the RAF. I said i could not be a pilot because i am short sighted and he agreed, but i'm still having an interview next week to attend one of the selection days. The question i was going to ask is are you alowed to fly glasses as an air transport pilot in the RAF, such as the Hercules.

I was watching a documentary on the plane last night and the captain and the co-pilot were both wearing glasses which started to confuse me!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NoseGunner]

You can't join the RAF as a pilot if you need to wear glasses (I'm sure someone here can give you the exact definition). But if your eyesight deteriorates once you're in that's ok. Multi-engine / fast jet / rotary makes no difference.

[Chris Kebab]

Yea I can second NGs comments. Once you are in you're OK and will even get your bins paid for. But not the Raybans.

Same applies to Hayfever - no chance of passing selection if you suffer (or admit to it!), but once you are in the docs are quite happy to throw all sorts of medication your way should it need it.

I have been told the same also applies to venereal disease but never having done a Harrier det to Belize cannot independently corroborate that one!

[Dunhovrin]

I believe the reason the Herc captain was wearing glasses was because the previous trip the loadmaster had tried to rape his guide dog.

[fobotcso]

CK, after finishing training. You're then an investment

But the medics have good reasons for their restrictions and you musn't think they are there just to make things awkward for you. They work on the statistics of the risk of your operational effectiveness being affected by the problem, side effects of medication, compatibility with equipment, survivability in a combat situation in dense acrid smoke, etc.

I wore corrective flying spectacles (CFS) for the last 20 years of my flying; when I asked about contact lenses, the (Army) doc said "No probs. When the Apache arrives, most if not all will have to wear them to work the Sight."

I trained many students who wore CFS; don't give up, go for it.

[Scud-U-Like]

I think I'm right in saying there was (is) an RAF Herc capt with one eye.

Good luck to the guy, but I'd be very interested to hear how the medics managed to justify that one!

[TicketyBoo]

Easy226,

On the wider subject of aircrew eyesight standards, there was an earlier thread on the topic which might be worth you searching for - basically it said the Navy have a slightly lower eyesight standard, and so if you're a borderline case you could be accepted by the RN even if you're below the RAF limits.

For civilian flying you can wear glasses from the word Go, which is worth bearing in mind if you are rich!!

In any case, good luck at the selection day.

[canberra]

not only was there one one eyed pilot flying c130s there were two at one time and i believe that they did once fly together! not only cant you join up as aircrew if short sighted there is a bar on anyone joining up if theyve had stomach surgery within a couple of years of applying to join. on the subject of apache and its helmet sight do they make a sight for the left eye? everything ive seen on apache(and this includes the film with nicholas cage) shows pilots with the sight on the right eye, do they make a sight f or the few of us who are left eye dominant?

[fobotcso]

No. It would be too expensive to cater for such a small minority. You either have to be able to conform to the norm or find something else to do.

Either your keyboard possesses neither a "Caps" key nor an apostrophe key or you are too individualistic to fit into a fighting team. Your meaning is quite clear, but no one else here writes the way you do. Can you see that? It is a puzzle and your posts are very hard to read to anyone who conforms to the "norm".

Before you lambast me about the need to conform, remember that in a fighting team, in the heat of battle, every member of the unit must be able to rely on the automatic responses of other members. Non-conformist individuals, however talented, do not fit into such a team.

[BEagle]

canberra-isusingtheshiftkeyandbasicpunctuationreallytoodifficultforyo u?

[Broken Wings]

Bit of a Zero's period for you ... 5000 hours on type and very soon your 2000th post.

[BEagle]

Actually the PPRuNe-counter reset itself on an upgrade a while ago. The true total is around 4000, I think - but am not that fussed about post counters. I'd sooner they were binned.

Re. the C130 mates wearing glasses, I guess that those worn by C130J chums probably have a rose tint?

Congrats on your new job, by the way BW!!

[SASless]

FOBOTCSO.......Non-conformists don't work in the military scheme of things....Say What? Tell that to your SAS and to our Delta guys....guess the pictures of the SF guys riding horses in Afghanistan proves your point? Hell, we all know mounted cavalry went out with the invention of the machine gun. The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth and top cover....get yer head out of yer bum end!

[fobotcso]

I think you may have missed my point, old chap. But, whatever you say...

[canberra]

whats wrong with being left eye dominant? as for the mob not having left eye dominant people on apache i can see the writs flying! was the bit about team playing aimed at me? well 23 years in the raf should have taught me something about being a team player,especially down the hole at pitreavie in the rcc.