Forum: Future F-16 crew

I want to be an AF pilot after I get out of college, but there is one slight problem... I wear glasses. I read on AF.mil that one form of laser surgery (PRK) is allowed but it wasn't very clear about it, it also said something about if your vision corrects to 20/20? The website wasn't very clear.
I've also heard a rumor that they can make the visor match your prescription. Would some one please clear this all up.

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I havent heard about the visor, I doubt that is true. I wouldnt count on it though. I believe PRK is allowed on vision as bad as 20/200 but it must be correctable to 20/20 and you need a waiver. You should check with whatever options you are planning on using to become a pilot. (ROTC, OTS, etc...)

-Aaron

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LWF-

LWF wrote:

I read on AF.mil that one form of laser surgery (PRK) is allowed but it wasn't very clear about it, it also said something about if your vision corrects to 20/20? The website wasn't very clear.

You are ok, if when you wear corrective lenses (glasses, contacts, ect.) you can see with them with 20/20. I think the AF means that if there isn't a way for you to see 20/20 when your vision is corrected, then you are disqualified. So you should be ok if your vision doesnt fall behind 20/200 and your vision can be corrected to 20/20 (somehow). Also, check out,http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopic-t-4065.html

You guys in the States are soo lucky! Here in Canada your vision has to 20/20 uncorrected, no glasses, no surgery, nothing.
....and you have more pilot slots! ...almost sounds easy.

haha, Just cause the USAF has different vision reuirments doesnt make it easy! But the USAF does have cool jets like the viper, eagle, and the raptor! Nothing against those CF-18s but I'd take one of the other ones in a heartbeat.

Quote:

You guys in the States are soo lucky! Here in Canada your vision has to 20/20 uncorrected, no glasses, no surgery, nothing.
....and you have more pilot slots! ...almost sounds easy.

You guys definitely are.
In Belgium 5% goes through all the selection before starting the formation and 20% goes trough the basic training. That leaves you 1% of chances to earn your wings! There are less than 8 F-16s slots a year but you have to go through the whole training first and succeed everything and then they decide on what kind of aircraft you will go (F-16, helicopter or transport). So even if you are part of the 1% you are never sure whether you'll become a viper pilot or not.
Well that's quite normal because we only have 72 F-16s (soon it will be 60).
For the eyes the rules have changed this year: you need 20/20 to start the formation but once you have some flight hours you don't need 20/20 anymore. But still something like 14/20.

viperman26 wrote:

haha, Just cause the USAF has different vision reuirments doesnt make it easy! But the USAF does have cool jets like the viper, eagle, and the raptor! Nothing against those CF-18s but I'd take one of the other ones in a heartbeat.

Well, I ment "relatively easier"

good point phil, but compare the size in population of the U.S. and Belgium. And then compare size of the Air Forces. The answer isnt hard to figure out, the USAF is catering to a larger group of people. Thus, making the vision requirments less strenuous.

Id rather have tougher vision requirements because that means less competition. If you have good vision then you are sold in but when five or six super geniuses enter your class wearing glasses you know you have a few years of hard work ahead of you. Rolling Eyes

-Aaron

Hmmmmmmmmm...a visor that matches your prescription...

Here's why that's not likely: you hit the silk, your visor is snatched from your helmet (saves you a step in your checklist), and now you're a blind survivor.

It's a good rumor though Smile

(If your uncorrected vision is no worse than 20/XX -- check on the latest threshold there -- and corrected to 20/20, then you're fine. I know bubbas who wear contacts, and carry glasses as a backup. You're going to do a lot more than a mere reading of the eye chart...but those are the basics.)

Just cause you wear glasses doesnt make you a worse pilot. I know a lot of really great pilots that wear glasses....much better pilots then some guys who dont wear glasses.

Easier??? Come on... What an ignorant statement. Out of 16,000 pilot applicants last year in the AF (not including Guard and Reserve), approximately 600 were selected for UPT. Now take about 1-2 percent actually went to fighters (ie: Eagle, Strike Eagle, Hog, Viper, Roach, etc). The numbers for actual fighter pilots (F15,F16... A10) is much smaller.
In the guard, we had 246 applicants for one spot per year... thats pretty slim pickings also. It aint easy anywhere you go to strap on a fighter.
Just harder where your at... (lol) I think the competition may be a little stiffer(sts) in the states also... the difference from one guy to the next(applying) is so little.

WILZ where did you get those statistics? I never had any idea it was even that low of a chance?! Our det gets about 3-5 slots each year for UPT and we always have about 10 apply. Our COC told me to expect about a 50% chance if I apply but your numbers are a WHOLE lot lower. The other thing is my university has aviation major program; so maybe our det is just better at pumping out pilots. (I meen that not discrete; people in our det will have flight time hence higher PCSM scores hence better chance of selection because aviation major is such a popular choice in our det)

Also, it seems to me like there are a whole lot of applicants through the gaurd that just get tossed away too? I thought I heard someone say once you could get as many as 200-300 aps for a gaurd slot and youll only pick about 5 for interviews.

-Aaron

WILZ wrote:

Easier??? Come on... What an ignorant statement. Out of 16,000 pilot applicants last year in the AF (not including Guard and Reserve), approximately 600 were selected for UPT. Now take about 1-2 percent actually went to fighters (ie: Eagle, Strike Eagle, Hog, Viper, Roach, etc). The numbers for actual fighter pilots (F15,F16... A10) is much smaller.
In the guard, we had 246 applicants for one spot per year... thats pretty slim pickings also. It aint easy anywhere you go to strap on a fighter.
Just harder where your at... (lol) I think the competition may be a little stiffer(sts) in the states also... the difference from one guy to the next(applying) is so little.

....my point exactly

Forum: Future F-16 crew

Pilot with glasses