RAF height requirements

[P6 Driver]

I'm confused regarding post 14.

If Stuart Broad (or any prospective passenger) attended a medical, surely the doctor would have a clear "Yes" or "No" as to whether the person could fly. I don't understand the "might" part of it.

If the doctor signed him as fit to fly in all medical respects, he could have flown. If he had to ask his mangement company/agent whether they would give permission, that's his problem and perhaps he shouldn't have wasted the doctors time as he could have asked them prior to the medical being booked.

Just a thought.

[Scottie66]

P6 Driver,

Broady never got to the pre-flight medical stage. Because he is so tall I looked at the anthro stuff first and that was the "end of'

[P6 Driver]

Thanks for that - I see what you meant now.

[wannaberafpilot]

RAF - Minimum Height/Anthropometrics?

I'm currently about 172/173cm (5ft 8) in height. I recently watched a video about some guy going all the way through the application process and right at the very end when he had his medical done, he was told he was too tall (in sitting height). Now I know I'm not going to have that problem, but I'm worried about the opposite! I know the RAF work off limb lengths and anthropometrics, but I'm curious as to whether there are any other small pilots in the RAF?

I'm currently going through my application process but it's still very early days, and I'm stressing over every little thing that could go wrong, even though I know it's out of my control

[Tankertrashnav]

I am pretty sure that at 5'8" you don't need to worry about being too short, unless things have changed dramatically since when I was in. I certainly remember chaps shorter than that - one Herc pilot I knew was known as "wee Jock" (guess where he came from). Don't think he was much over 5'6". One small thing you can check is colour blindness. A lot of people only discover they are colour blind when they have their first aviation medical. Affects about 10% of the male population, and it's a definite no-no for aircrew.

[wannaberafpilot]

Originally Posted by Tankertrashnav

I am pretty sure that at 5'8" you don't need to worry about being too short, unless things have changed dramatically since when I was in. I certainly remember chaps shorter than that - one Herc pilot I knew was known as "wee Jock" (guess where he came from). Don't think he was much over 5'6". One small thing you can check is colour blindness. A lot of people only discover they are colour blind when they have their first aviation medical. Affects about 10% of the male population, and it's a definite no-no for aircrew.

Thanks, that's slightly re-assuring then, obviously assuming my limbs are in proportion although! And I'm not colour blind, had it tested every time I go to the opticians and can always do those colour dot tests online (whatever they're called!)

[57mm]

I remember an airframe driver posted to F3s, who duly went to AMTC and was measured. He was told that he was OK for F3, but not F4. "Well that's strange, 'cos I've just finished a tour on them!"

[ExAscoteer]

I'm 5'7" and had no problems.

[5aday]

My eldest daughter was at Durham University and flew at U.A.S. Leeming. She was quite tall ( she asked me to source some Levis in SFO size 29"/37") and she went to Cranwell for an aircrew joiners (initial?) medical. She wanted to become fast Jet but they only offered her (in her terms) slow jet (Transport or Nimrods) so she rang home for advice. At the time I was A1G1Z1 and ATPL and my advice was to hand in your kit at Leeming and change your plans. She is now a lawyer and on the board of a major company and often sits in the back of a Gulfstream 4.

[rolling20]

Chap on the UAS Bulldog with me failed the first medical for being too short. He was given another go some weeks later for some reason. He was still not at the required height and in some sort of Ealing Comedy farce, someone entered the examination room to ask the medic conducting the examination a question. When the examination resumed, the prospective pilot was asked his height as the medic has forgotten. Quick as a flash he said 5' 4" and he was in!

[Cazalet33]

Here are the key measurement boundaries for Pilots :
Functional Reach (Lenth of Arms with Fist Clenched) 720mm - 900mm
Sitting Height: 865-990mm
Buttock to Knee: 560-660mm
Buttock to Heel: 1000-1200mm

Tailor made for Group Captain Bader, with his falsies. No need to invoke grandfather rights for him to get in to GD (Flying) Branch, I see.

[langleybaston]

As an aside, Met folk came in all shapes and sizes and both [both?, or all?] genders. The medical only measured skin thickness. It had to equate to, or exceed, rhinocerous.