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RAF height requirements

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RAF height requirements

Old 10th Jan 2002, 12:40
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Post RAF - Upper Height Limit

My 16 year old son is showing quite an interest in flying for the RAF but is currently 5 ft 11 ins tall and still growing!

Can anyone let me know what the upper height limit is for aicrew in the RAF these days? Is it the same for the Navy? Thanks for any help.
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Old 10th Jan 2002, 16:30
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Believe its 6'4" for the RAF, don't know about the Navy (but i think its different).
However, don't quote me on that (or anything else!)
J3
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Old 10th Jan 2002, 21:20
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Arrow

I don't think there is an actual standing height limit, as no aircraft are flown standing upright. However it is all about dimensions, and if you use the upper limits of the following measurements, you get a theoretical max height.

Sitting height (mm) 865 - 1010
Buttock - Knee 560 - 660
Buttock - Heel 1000 - 1200
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Old 11th Jan 2002, 19:06
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There used to be a difference in the maximum height requirement between "fighter" and "other" pilots. Something to do with allowing enough space between the helmet and canopy to pull the ejector seat trigger.

Are "fighter" pilots generally shorter?
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Old 11th Jan 2002, 21:16
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No - it's their willies which are shorter!!
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Old 13th Jan 2002, 17:06
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Question

On a similar note......does any body know the minimum dimensions for pilot?

oh....and the minimum weight.

Thanx guys

<img src="smile.gif" border="0"> Eagle 1 <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
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Old 13th Jan 2002, 17:27
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Cool

Minimum dimension - 7 inches!!!!

BEagle, is that why you stopped flying the F4?

[ 13 January 2002: Message edited by: Dan Winterland ]</p>
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Old 14th Jan 2002, 01:14
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Yes - above max permitted limit, I'm afraid!!
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Old 15th Jan 2002, 02:43
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Talking

I'm 6ft 1(and a quarter) inches and have relatively short legs compared to body length. In the Tincan, and now Hawk, my seat still has to be right down and the rudder pedals all the way back. This is getting into the realms of forming a gap between my thigh and seat which would not be good for my femur should I use the exploding furniture. There are few of my mates who are considerably bigger but many have big variations in limb length.

In my UAS days, many girls were not accepted for lack of functional reach and a good mate who was sponsored and nearly finished EFT could not go FJ because of excessive thigh length. Now flys spinning whirly death machines.

Back to the question, let the lad apply and if he is too big then you cant help it. There are plenty more hurdles and hoops!

Good luck

Ray
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Old 22nd Oct 2003, 21:36
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RAF height requirements

i'm going to OASC in december and am crapping my pants that i might be to tall for pilot. i went to cranwell for a sixth form scholarship application and my dimensions were fine then, but i'm worried i might have grown a little. does anyone know what the height limit is - assuming all other measurements are within limits? i'm 6"3....
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Old 22nd Oct 2003, 21:57
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Height only really matters for FJ, i think the upper limit is about 6ft 3 for that, but doesnt really matter for multi's or helo's. So you may be in luck!

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

You should be fine unless you've got some freakishly over proportioned limbs. Try not to worry about the medical side of things, its out of your control, there are far more important things at OASC to worry about!!

All the best with it though mate, try to keep smiling and be yourself!
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Old 22nd Oct 2003, 22:04
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Unless things have changed I thought we only recruited those who were able to fly all aircraft ? If that's still the case then being too big for an F3 means that you won't be accepted for pilot full stop.

6"3 is big but am sure others that are in are a similar height.

Plus it's the old hip to knee distance that gets most.

The advice is correct though, medical is out of your hands.
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Old 23rd Oct 2003, 02:11
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I can think of several 'stretched' aviators over the years including a 6'6'' Nav on the Buccaneer (made the standard Bucc dwarfs in the 165 club look rather short), a 4'30'' Nimrod, and subsequently Rotary, Pilot. I am a 6'3'' streak of p*ss and no-one has ever suggested that I am too big to fit in the cockpit of any FJ or multi.

B
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Old 23rd Oct 2003, 02:56
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If all your constituent components were at the upper edge of the bracket you'd be 6'4". There's no height limit as such as far as I know.

Good luck.
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Old 25th Oct 2003, 03:30
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Ha! Clearly anyone under 6' 4" is genetically inferior! (Well, at the very least those under 6')...

I am just under 6 ' 5", and I'm a rotary pilot (recruited in late 90s, so not some selection aberration from WWII...). My medical records also state that I fit all aircraft requirements (FJ/multi/rotary). I have been in some FJ cockpits and I'm not too sure about keeping my legs in the event of an ejection, but everything else is fine. I admit to not sitting up as straight as I could have done when I went for selection, but they gave me a cadetship anyway. There were a few raised eyebrows at the final medical prior to graduating from IOT, but just ignoring the docs seemed to do just fine.

Squirrel (Basic Rotary) is tight to fit in to, but the Squirrel course is only 4 months long, so the discomfort only lasts a short period of time. The Griffin (Advanced Rotary) has loads of room (the seats and pedals all adjust). All the frontline helicopters I've been in have loads of room - more than enough for someone as short as you!

Apart from doing as I did, there isn't a lot you can do to pass the medical - either you meet the requirements or you don't. Don't stress. I suggest you brush up on your distance/speed/time calculations, and your answers to all the questions that will come up at interview.

Best of luck with selection.

SBW
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Old 25th Oct 2003, 04:42
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Walleye,

To re-iterate what has been said above, do not despair! I am 6' 3" also, and I am within the size limits for all RAF aircraft. I think that amongst the ejection seat aircraft, the Canberra is the most critical with a buttock - knee limit of 650 mm (the one exception to the 660 mm quoted by rockmav). However, I doubt if any new first tourists will be sent to the Canberra. Apart from this, the Hawk is probably the tightest squeeze, especially if you have stout legs, as your shins can rub on the bottom of the instrument panel. However, at 6' 3" you should be OK. And I can concur that there is no overall height limit, just limits on individual parts.

One other factor to consider is weight. There is a maximum weight for each type of ejection seat. Fortunately, it is often possible to sort this out if slightly overweight! If you wish to discuss precise numbers on this, send me a personal message and I will find out if there may be any potential problems.
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Old 22nd Oct 2005, 10:28
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Minimum height requirements

Hi,
After searching past posts I found many people asking if they were too tall/what the cutoff maximum height for pilot is. I am on the short side (5ft 6) and don't know if I should consider a career in military aviation. Is there a minimum height? I know it depends on how long the thigh is, etc.. But does anyone know a general figure?
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Old 22nd Oct 2005, 10:54
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gr00vy,

You are quite right. You are a bit on the short side! However, don't let that put you off. As you rightly point out there are a variety of measurements that will determine your 'fitness' to fly, so why don't you go to your nearest AFCO and ask them?

As a rule, I would suggest that 5'6" is about as short as pilots get, but again, some people have long legs and short bodies or vice versa.

As a guideline, if you want to get measured by your Mum/mate/bloke in the street, the measurements that you should have (but don't quote me!) are:

reach - 720mm
sitting height - 865mm
buttock to knee - 560mm
buttock to heel - 1000mm

Good luck with the tape measure!

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Old 22nd Oct 2005, 13:20
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grOOvy

I'm a short-ar$e, 5' 5''. Had my medical cat deferred at OASC due to being too short (at 16) for pilot (old 30 hr Flying Scholarship actually). Went back a couple of years later having grown not one millimetre and magically met all the measurement requirements; my functional reach was recorded as exactly 720mm.

Just go for it, you have nothing to lose.

ST
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Old 23rd Oct 2005, 07:17
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You'll be fine. The ME fleet are about to introduce the Helmet Mounted Pedal System (HMPS), which allows you to operate the rudders through power of thought. Trials are ongoing but early indications are encouraging. By thinking 'Hot Dessert' you get left rudder and by thinking 'Choice of Main Course' you select right rudder.
The beauty for you of course, is that you can now remove the seat and stand up, therefore, height is not a problem. The only downside is that the prototype helmet weighs 70Kg and only comes in one colour.
Good luck.
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