Hearing for FC1

[Chem_teacher_flies]

Please only respond the baseops way, straight and to the point

Passed MEPS physical but my right ear was borderline on the max decibel level. Scheduled for fc1 in December. My question is if I am 'slightly' over on the decibel level is that a waiverable scenario or auto DQ?

Any previous experience or flight doc knowledge would be more than appreciated.

[Guest]

Please only respond the baseops way, straight and to the point

Since when has that been the standard around here?

[HossHarris]

What?

[JPStryker]

You're ######ed. There, that straight and to the point enough for you? Seriously, just don't fail. It won't be good. I highly recommend pressing that little button every 5 seconds or so - that should do the trick.

[Guest]

Read AFI 48-123, Attachment 3. Links in my signature. You need to meet Hearing Class 1 standards for any Flying Jobs. Look at the Waiver Guide for waiver criteria. As an "untrained" member though, you're highly unlikely to get a waiver for HC2, IIRC.

[Danny Noonin]

I highly recommend pressing that little button every 5 seconds or so - that should do the trick.

Serious advice. If you haven't heard anything for 5 seconds or so hit the button.

My hearing results were better this month than they were 20 years ago. Notice I didn't say my hearing was better.

[Kenny Powers]

I've actually hit the button so many times that the test told me I was hitting it too much (in a crappy booth with loud conversation outside). Even after doing that, my results still came out fine.

If you do end up having a problem at the FC1, make sure that damn booth is within it's calibration date. Back when I did mine, they tested everyone before realizing the booth was out of calibration. All of our results had shifted by some magnitude in the "worse" direction (i.e. numbers that were previously in the 5's showed up as 20's). They came around and only retested people who had failed (in another booth on base somewhere).

Edited October 11, 2012 by Kenny Powers

[Guest]

I've actually hit the button so many times that the test told me I was hitting it too much (in a crappy booth with loud conversation outside). Even after doing that, my results still came out fine.

Many people get that error (and several other errors) multiple times a test.

The testing booth is authorized around 20 dB or so (depending on frequency) of ambient noise, per OSHA/AFOSH. You think it's louder than reality by the sudden decrease in ambient volume that your perception ramps up. I try to test people in an environment as quiet as possible, but we can legally test you in what you would consider a pretty noisy area (from a tester's perspective).

Serious advice. If you haven't heard anything for 5 seconds or so hit the button.

My hearing results were better this month than they were 20 years ago. Notice I didn't say my hearing was better.

The time intervals are "randomized" (it cycles through 30 or so preset differences in milliseconds between stimulus). You got lucky or you tested well. Many people that do this think they did better, but know that you need to respond TWICE on the same intensity (volume). I often switched to manual testing because I noticed what they were doing. They still thought they were doing well because they stopped getting error messages, but there aren't computerized errors on manual mode. If they kept doing it, I'd open the door and re-educate them

I've given thousands of tests in my career (as have most non-retrainee NCO's); I'm wise to your tricks.

However the dopey E-2 might not be.

The advice I give testers is push the button if you think you might hear it. If you start to get a few error messages, then be a little more positive you actually hear it before you respond.

Also, if you can tell, push the button between the second and third beeps. You're less likely to get errors. Pushing it after the third beep or on the first beep will likely result in the machine not counting that response, but immediately re-testing you on that intensity.

[Archa3opt3ryx]

There was a dude in my FC1 group at Wright Patt who took the hearing test like 5 times before he passed. He said something along the lines of "you just have to pass, there's no limit to the number of times you can attempt the test"...seems fishy to me, but the docs at WP seem to agree with that sentiment.

[Guest]

You got lucky or you tested well.

Better to be lucky than good. Way better, actually.

I often switched to manual testing because I noticed what they were doing.

If they kept doing it, I'd open the door and re-educate them

I'm wise to your tricks.

It is always reassuring for pilots to hear that the folks over in the hospital are hair trigger and safety off.

[Kenny Powers]

The testing booth is authorized around 20 dB or so (depending on frequency) of ambient noise, per OSHA/AFOSH.

Just out of curiousity, how do you verify that? I can imagine multiple ways to do it, just curious about how it's actually done. Does PMEL or whoever come in and remove the booth to test it?

[Guest]

Harvard Law prepping for one of the plethora of IG complaints he will leave in his wake.

[spaceman]

Just out of curiousity, how do you verify that? I can imagine multiple ways to do it, just curious about how it's actually done. Does PMEL or whoever come in and remove the booth to test it?

Why would the have to remove the booth? They could just have a sound level meter in the room outside the booth recording the ambient sound levels during testing. Then if someone complained about outside noise they could just check the measurements that were taken and see exactly what the ambient noise level was.

I have no idea how they actually do it but that's how I'd do it!

[Kenny Powers]

Why would the have to remove the booth? They could just have a sound level meter in the room outside the booth recording the ambient sound levels during testing. Then if someone complained about outside noise they could just check the measurements that were taken and see exactly what the ambient noise level was.

I have no idea how they actually do it but that's how I'd do it!

My statement was misleading, those were two seperate questions. Testing the ambient during a test and testing the booth to make sure its within spec. The 20 dB ambient allowable is probably assuming the booth is within its specs - if one isn't correct, the other measurement no longer matters.

Don't get me wrong, 20dB is pretty damn quite, but two grown men having a conversation in a room the size of a closet is louder than 20dB. I would expect it to be around 50-60 dB for a normal conversation.

Again, just curious as to how they actually handle that, removing a booth to verify it's within spec has to be a pain in the ass!

Edited October 11, 2012 by Kenny Powers

[Danny Noonin]

I'm wise to your tricks.

Sweet. Thanks for being on the team.

But for whatever reason, over 25 or so hearing tests I've aced every one despite vigilant hearing test monitors like you. Still can't hear a damn thing my wife says, though. Hmmm.

[rancormac]

George Costanzas battling it out

[BlackMamba]

Sweet. Thanks for being on the team.

But for whatever reason, over 25 or so hearing tests I've aced every one despite vigilant hearing test monitors like you. Still can't hear a damn thing my wife says, though. Hmmm.

Maybe you just choose what you feel like hearing...

[HossHarris]

WHAT!?

[rancormac]

OKAAY

[Guest]

Say again.

[Chem_teacher_flies]

Thanks everybody for your insight (and the lil John application, well done)

I should've clarified that I am following the guard route. I was told by the personnel at MEPS that the guard has a 'slightly different' way of handling the FC1. Can any/somebody claify that? From my research all air force aviators (AD, reserves, and guard) all take the same FC1 physical.

Any insight is always appreciated

Thanks for all you do

[Kenny Powers]

All initial FC-1's are done at WPAFB in conjunction with MFS.

[spaceman]

I, and a bunch of other OTS selects, did it at Scott, so WP isn't the only place for initial FC1.

EDIT: Also if you go the OTS route you don't even go to MFS until after OTS, and then I think it is at WP. But the FC1 and MFS are separate in that case.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Edited October 12, 2012 by spaceman

[Kenny Powers]

I, and a bunch of other OTS selects, did it at Scott, so WP isn't the only place for initial FC1.

EDIT: Also if you go the OTS route you don't even go to MFS until after OTS, and then I think it is at WP. But the FC1 and MFS are separate in that case.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Didn't know that, was that recent? When I was at my FC-1, they explained that everyone will be coming through WPAFB. Maybe that has changed.

[spaceman]

Didn't know that, was that recent? When I was at my FC-1, they explained that everyone will be coming through WPAFB. Maybe that has changed.

I'm not sure, but I went in May. I guess I wouldn't really recommend going to Scott if you can help it; my shit still hasn't been approved yet and I'm not the only one! I know others who got selected at the same time as me and went to WP, and they're already at OTS.