Not exactly
 

At CJ:

The Army is actually choc full of pilots at the moment. Eventually it be looking for more but in the mean time it has heaps. Same for Navy. Air Force is fairly full too but the best option out of the three for scoring a spot. Operational conversions in all three services are a considerable wait. If you want more info on the Kiowa seating changes let me know.

Yep, thats FSP for you. The most amazing flying you've ever done, with the harshest debriefs to bring you back down to earth shortly after your unsightly landing did, all with a team of some of the finest young hopefuls you'll ever meet. I've never been so stressed and enjoyed myself so much in my life. ;)

You think so?:E

Hey

I am currently on the process of applying for Pilot and completed my YOU session a week back. Having a few issues with my school qualifications but hopefully that gets through. Given that I make it through to assessment day, my eyesight isnt great. I wear spectacles and was hoping to find out if I would be allowed to take the FSP and OSB before opting to do the LASIK if required. Since its an expensive procedure, I want to first have a firm offer from the ADF before I do it.

In short, can I do the LASIK if the need arises pending FSP and OSB, or is the only way to do it is to bet six grand? if my eyesight is that bad that is.

Cheers and thanks for any information. :)

G'day Septerra,

I've got no first hand experience with RAAF's policy, but this thread's originator (Hornetboy) appealed to attend FSP and OSB before forking out the money for Laser Surgery, I believe. Hopefully someone with better knowledge than I and will clarify it a bit more for you. :) I *would* suggest PM-ing Hornetboy, however if I recall, he hasn't been active on the forum for nearly a year now.

Nice, thanks for the info and super quick reply Dilmah. Its good to know that someone was atleast able to defer it until after the FSP. I have PM'ed Hornetboy, but since he hasnt been active I am not counting on a response. However it gives me hope that my handicap in the eye can be overlooked for the FSP.

Can I request a link to the thread, if there is one, where Hornetboy discussed his process of getting the LASEK delayed until after the FSP and OSB.

Thanks a ton again. Its really got me a little relaxed now. :ok:

Kind Regards

And another quick question.

Does anyone have an idea on how long before you can start your Officer Training for RAAF after the LASEK?

G'day mate

No worries, used a few shortcuts and found his post for you. Recommend you read the rest of his posts though, as well as the rest of the thread one afternoon, there's a lot of helpful information to inwardly digest.

As for your question about OTS after LASEK, I believe a quick google search could yield you the recovery time for LASEK. (I don't recall it being more than a week or two, however.) Perhaps some people who've gone through the process could shed more light. :)

Thanks again buddy! Now all I need to do is wait till I get my school qualifications verified by DFR since they have been completed overseas, which I have been told would take a few weeks.

As for the recovery period after LASEK/LASIK whatever its called, it is specified online that you can usually resume duties the next day but hornetboys post mentions him having waited a three month post op period. I guess military training would have to wait a few months after surgery. In any case, if I get an offer, I wouldnt mind waiting a year even to realise the dream of flying.

Ill keep my progress updated here.

Cheers. :)

Septerra,

Simple solution is to ring PSA. Don't wish to be the bearer of bad news but I know of a chap that went the same way as you and the answer was no. He was told that why should the ADF take a chance on the surgery being succesful ( I know it is 99% succesful), take a chance on him being recommended and then have to wait while he had the surgery and recovered from it. Remember if you are recommended you are only in the pool for 12 months. If they can not send you off to a service for 6 to 8 months it dosen't leave you much time in competition.

quick question fellas
I applied for RAAF Pilot and Navy observer about his time last year, passed everything including assessment day. I was contacted few weeks ago and told that I was up for observer flight screening on the 25th April, and was told that the Pilot dossiers haven't been looked at yet, has anyone gotten into Pilot flight screening yet ?

Hey sigh,
I'm actually booked in to the flight screening session (for pilot) starting that same day. Guess i'll see you soon.

Sigh,

If your first preference is pilot why are you doing observer?

It gives me a better chance at actually getting into the ADF, I would rather be a pilot but Observer is a great job also, plus I can apply to transfer to navy pilot if I want in the future anyway.

Sigh, My advice to you would be to pursue the pilot application till the end before entering as oberver if thats not what you really want to do.

As for laser eye surgery I had it done after I failed assesment day medical. Has to be stable for 6 months before your file will even go to PSA. Make sure you triple check the type of procedure you are getting as not all of them are allowed. In my day LASEK was not allowed, don't know the current state of play.

That's weird, it's only LASEK that's approved for aircrew now...
6 month wait!? I thought it was 3! :mad: Well, it looks like I wont be making it to FSP in 2010!

Oh, and ditto on the Observer option, if you want pilot, accept nothing else, even if it means the airlines :\

Sigh, totally agree with you. What I meant was why haven't the pilot dossiers been looked at??? In particular if Observer is second preference why is you first preference running second and second prefernce running---and down the backstraight comess...
All jokes aside why? Is recruiting doing a quick double shuffle to fill numbers eslewhere? Where is your pilot application?

I think I meant LASIK the one with the flap is not allowed.

Is there absolutely no way around it? Since spending around six grand would mean a round of uncomfortable calls to all the people I know to borrow some cash and then wait out for six months for the FSP, after which I may or may not get the call from PSA, and even if a spot is offered, may or may not get recommended at the OSB.

I am confident in my capabilities and on making it through the recruitment process given the opportunity to, but at the moment six grand approx. is quite a sum to consider. I guess Ill just try and get my application through to Pilot specific testing, for which I was initially put on hold and have had to submit a kind of informal appeal to the DFR regarding my high school qualifications and subjects. I should know the results of that in a couple of weeks hopefully [have no clue why it takes them so long to open a mail and verify the documents] and then try and do what hornetboy did, i.e. defer LASEK until after OSB. But then I am expecting it to be an issue for me. :uhoh:

You should be allowed to do pilot spec testing before getting your eyes done. I would not do anything untill you have at least passed the tests and gone to an assesment day.

When said I 6 months, 3 months is prob correct but by the time your file gets looked at by avmed and gets to FSP its prob going to be 6 months.

I had surgery in december and was at Flight screening in the following August