Height issues

[Guest Mainak]

Understand the angst, but thought I'd share a funny story--circa--1983 timeframe:

--Back then you got your physical at the closest USAF base, in this case for Oklahoma State cadets, Vance. We had a guy with a pilot slot who was 5'3 and 3/4". No kidding, the flight surgeon said to get some of those gravity boots, hang upside down, and then have your buddies load you in a car/truck and drive you over for the physical. On the big day, we loaded him in the back of a pickup with a bed topper on a piece of plywood with a mattress and made the trek from Stillwater to Enid. We told the flt doc when we arrived and he let us carry him in for the measurement as the first thing. Don't know how many hours he hung upside down in the weeks preceeding..but he came in at 5'4. Went on to fly Vipers.....back in the day!

retguy

DISCLAIMER...this won't work today of course.

ahahaha thats a pretty funny story. I am planning on stretching myself out though. I refuse to let half an inch keep me from being a CSO. There are a lot of horror stories posted here though. Anyone got any happy ones? Any 5'3" pilots on board fighters or bombers here? On track? Could use a picker upper right about now.

[itsokimapilot]

So with my height issues and wanting to become a pilot going through either the Academy or ROTC, I have been wondering for a while if there is a way to get a waiver before I incur active duty service time. I have read that for the Academy, they do FC I measurements in the junior year, so if I could not get a waiver, I would still have to be on AD after I graduate. If I go through ROTC and have a contract, I have to go on AD also, although I don't know when you get measured for a FC I in ROTC, if that is before you get a contact or not.

Now I'm not opposed to being on AD in the AF if I cannot be a pilot, but becoming one is mainly my reasons for considering joining. If I could not pass a FC I and was on AD doing something that I could have been able to do without being in the AF, I would like to be able to consider my opportunities before I make a final decision about joining the AF.

I would look at things from a different perspective. You could wash out of UPT because you G-Lock, can't pass a checkride, can't fly an ILS, whatever. Don't worry about things that might happen focus on what you want out off life. Realize, if any of those things happen you'll also have a service commitment. Go to the Academy because you'd like to fly and want to be an officer. If you don't want a "free" degree from a great school then you may want to look at other options. You'll never know if you don't try. FYI, there is a guy here at Charleston that is easily 6'8" and is a C-17 pilot, so it is possible.

[SemperSicEm]

I was a tad too short at Wright-Patterson for their measurements so I was green on T-6 and T-1, but not on the T-38. In order to get my waiver, I have to do Functional Cockpit Evaluations/Checks in a C-17 and C-130. I was just measured in the C-17 by some good folks at Altus this past Friday (after my Det NCO drove me 5 hours each way--props to her) and I passed with flying colors and my short stature was not a problem. I actually had to lower the seat from the highest setting in order to see the HUD correctly. Hoping for the same good luck on Monday in the C-130H/J. I'm just shocked they won't even let me attempt at getting an FCC in a T-38. I live so much closer to a SUPT base it would be a relatively easy appointment to make. Anyone know if I could get to SUPT and before track selection (provided I'm up to snuff with the caliber needed to get selected)if an IP and Flight Doc could do this with me to see if I correctly fit in the T-38 airframe?

[skymonkey]

FlyingKFactor - not sure if this is too late or not, but last year they started changing out the seats in the t-38s. These safer ejection seats are supposed to allow shorter people to fly them. I am not sure how short you are, but it might be something to ask about. Also, I am pretty sure that all bases don't have the new seats yet, so it would matter where you went too. If you waited until right before track select it wouldn't be smart. These things take lots of time.

[SemperSicEm]

Being on a UPT base for a while now, I see quite a few studs walking around with shorter stature than I have...my guess is this is a common issue, but one the AF can work with. I talked to the flight doc when I got here and asked about my standing height waiver. It lists the airframes I am qualified height-wise for from the T-1 track to include the CV-22 which you can drop from T-1s. I asked about getting fit in the T-38, but since it was red from the get-go, he said there was nothing they could do to fight it. My question is, would it be possible to still track select helos from T-6s if I got "fit" in a UH-1 at some point before Oct, (I start training this month and I have heard some classes finish Phase II with a couple weeks to go before track select). I was never fit checked in a huey because my Det couldn't pay for me to travel or allow me to travel to a base with the UH-1 to get the paperwork signed off on before submitting the waiver. My focus will be on learning the T-6 and doing the best I can with that and when the time comes, work with my flight CC on what it would take to track helos if I want to go that route.

[Guest]

Being on a UPT base for a while now, I see quite a few studs walking around with shorter stature than I have...my guess is this is a common issue, but one the AF can work with. I talked to the flight doc when I got here and asked about my standing height waiver. It lists the airframes I am qualified height-wise for from the T-1 track to include the CV-22 which you can drop from T-1s. I asked about getting fit in the T-38, but since it was red from the get-go, he said there was nothing they could do to fight it. My question is, would it be possible to still track select helos from T-6s if I got "fit" in a UH-1 at some point before Oct, (I start training this month and I have heard some classes finish Phase II with a couple weeks to go before track select). I was never fit checked in a huey because my Det couldn't pay for me to travel or allow me to travel to a base with the UH-1 to get the paperwork signed off on before submitting the waiver. My focus will be on learning the T-6 and doing the best I can with that and when the time comes, work with my flight CC on what it would take to track helos if I want to go that route.

This is way outside my realm--I advise you PM Motrin to get his attention if he isn't already reading this, because I just plain don't know. If he doesn't reply, because he doesn't always watch this forum too closely, you might want to ask around somewhere else.

[SemperSicEm]

Roger, I was even thinking about e-mailing the POC who processed my waiver because I had all the e-mail traffic and paperwork to process it. He may ignore me, but at least I can ask instead of never knowing.