Can any Royal Navy pilots answer this question?

[jimmyj]

I have recently applied to the Royal Navy as a pilot. I sent off my initial interest form about 3 weeks ago and am still waiting for a reply. I have been rejected by the RAF due to my height (6ft 4") and my eyesight. I am very slightly short sighted but I passed the RAF aptitude tests with flying colours and know that I have the 'right stuff'.

I am fed up of waiting for a decision regarding my height and eyesight and was wandering if any of you could clear this up for me. The problem will be if the Navy select for both Harrier and helo pilots as my height and eyesight will fail me. If, however, the Navy select for helo pilots at first, and then chose the best of those for Harrier training, I will be OK.

My only option is to fly helicopters, would the Navy allow me to proceed through selection?

[bad livin']

Hi mate, sorry to hear of your hassles. There's a lot more to the AIB than just the medical stuff - as for the RAF, I had a course mate on IOT who was bigger than 6 4 i think and who is now headed for Chinooks, so if the mighty sea queen or merlin can take you maybe you'll be ok. Best o luck!!

[Thud Ridge]

I was rejected from the crabs due to being slightly short-sighted but now i am about to pass out from BRNC dartmouth as a pilot having passed the eyesight at AIB and just a few weeks ago i had my annual air-med and i passed that too. Height-wise i know we had a pilot on course who was 6'3" and another who was 6'4". It all depends on your thigh bone.

Remember, just because you passed OASC does not mean you will pass AIB.

All the best

TR

Edited due to missing out half a sentence.

[ 08 December 2001: Message edited by: Thud Ridge ]

[Gimme300]

Sorry to say Yorkshire lad, but the eyesight tests and standards are exactly the same triservice for entry as aircrew, just had my air med refresher from the bloke who decides and this was very firmly stated. For the length measurements, the RN does have a helo only catagory however, and we certainly have several people bigger than you at Yeovilton.

Thud Ridge are you sure??? Your whole post seems to smell of something bovine. If what you say is true and you have indeed gone from AIB to pasing out in just a few weeks, then you have yet to revisit the CAAMB environment when your eyesight will be under serious scrutiny again before you go flying. Good luck!

[Thud Ridge]

YL - looked at my post and i don't mean to be negative about AIB. Go with the right attitude and be yourself and i am sure you will be fine.

G300. Edited my post so it makes sense. Apologies - it did sound a bit odd. I'm not sure what happened at Cranwell but they told me i had failed on eyesight. I don't wear glasses but that's the way it goes and i ain't complaining now.

[Oggin Aviator]

Don't know about eyesight tests however I have seen some extremely tall pilots (both Fixed and Rotary Wing) doing their stuff on the frontline. Stick at it. Good Luck.

[John Eacott]

Years ago (when the Navy was painted blue, not wearing it...) I was knocked back for RAF aircrew on eyesight. The RN then accepted helicopter drivers with 6/18 eyesight, and I got through on that basis, albeit after a discussion with the doc. at Seafield Park. Shortly after starting at BRNC, a DCI upped the RN helicopter pilot eyesight requirement to 6/6

Ancient history, but ISTM that there can be little justification for some of the requirements such as this, since it's made no difference over the years.

[MaxAOB]

YL, eyesight standards are exactly the same for all initial aircrew. Your height is not an issue unless your thigh bone is 6ft long and the rest of you 3"!! Once you are in and especially trained the eyesight standard is very different, I am now 6/18 and have no snags as long as it can be corrected, however I am a silly old twonk nowdays! As a rule knowing you have the "right stuff" is not enough. I have trained a lot of naval aviators who told me that they had it but unfortunately they could not convince me or anyone else that made the decisions, most of those that have "it" don't actually know it!!. Good luck.

[jimmyj]

Thanks for all your info guys.

Max,
If the eyesight standards are the same for all initial aircrew then I am up the creek without a paddle! I did not mean to sound arrogant about having 'the right stuff', it's just that I was a little chuffed about passing the RAF apttitude tests. I do, however, know how little that is worth.

I have now had a response from the Navy, they have invited me to an interview on 8th January. I don't know whether that means that my eyes and height are ok, or whether I will have to wait for the medical.

[TimC]

Hi

If it's any consolation, I also got excellent scores for pilot (and nav and aircrew) at OASC. I wasn't actually going for pilot as I know my eyesight is not quite good enough. I went for Nav/AEOp but I'm too long in the leg to fit in a fast jet (I'm 6'3" and rather leggy). I failed the second part anyway btw .

I always wanted to be a pilot. When I finally accepted I can't do that I went for nav. Having found I can't be a nav either I'm now looking solely at AEOp. I did look at obs in the RN, but can't do that either!

Have you considered being a nav/aeop/loadie, or obs in the RN? Dunno about you, but I want to be in the forces, even at the expense of being a pilot.

Good luck