latidah

List was sent to NAF and group commanders; depends on how long it would take for it to go from OG to squadron level (and whether or not the chief pilot is a full-timer)

"Dude", the original poster asked about a waiver for a Red Lens test failure. Doc was giving him the absolute correct answer, which is that the test itself is not the disqualifying factor, merely an indicator of a possible underlying condition (which may or may not be waiverable). You, on the other hand, gave completely inaccurate information and is a good way to get people to fail the test in the first place. That's really helping a brother out, I guess. Doc merely called you out on it, and yet you continue this inane pissing contest. When you make it through medical school, residency and the school of aerospace medicine, please let us know and then perhaps your advice will be taken more seriously.

Surprised about that - just got off the phone with AFRC and was told our candidate couldn't meet the board without certified physical complete. Board will convene Nov 15-16.

Common? The recruiters go TDY to "conferences" almost every other week, it's freaking ridiculous. I'd suggest calling the senior recruiter for your area, but they're probably at the conference too. Can you email your recruiter? They all have Blackberries, so he should get back to you (and it gives you a paper trail). Deadline is still 31 Oct.

The OA recruiters get so many candidates that they basically don't want to do any more work than absolutely necessary. I call BS and tell folks that contact our squadron directly to go ahead and apply - if you're a great candidate otherwise and we decide to hire you, then we'll do the legwork for the waiver. Have had 2 so far that have been approved in the last few years and they have made it through UPT/UNT. However, depending on how egregious the "offense", we might decide that it's not worth the risk (so far, one of those moral waiver dudes is making a bad name for himself in the squadron, so keep your nose clean since you're already one strike down).

The board will use your graduating school's GPA, but can review any previously-earned credits on transcripts from other schools. For example, I got college credits for a couple of courses in high school, went to a regular college and dropped out (with a fantastic GPA of maybe 1.8), transferred to another college with the goal of actually studying this time, took some credits on the side at community college, and the only GPA that mattered was from the college I actually graduated from (which was much better). Also, the AF56 (the long form that has the educational certification blocks) will contain all credits earned with their respective GPA and the calculation the form uses to come up with the GPA displayed isn't quite accurate, but you shouldn't worry about that. Sometimes schools with odd credit counting gets screwed up - one applicant we had graduated with a 3.3 but their AF56 calculated they got a 1.56. It's a known bug.

Had a similar situation happen... also with Tampa control (huh). Traffic was called out departing a civil airfield, we didn't have him in sight (and say so). We get the target on TCAS, other plane reports us in sight and dumbass promptly attempts to rejoin on us via lead pursuit and 100' altitude separation. Tampa got pissed first when we responded to the RA and then gets further pissed when we politely ask them for their phone # for the HATR. Whatevs.

F_G: Nope, I've just let it sit (feel lucky that I don't "need" the money just now). Got another email today about my dormant account - I'm going to let this one ride too and see if they actually transfer it. If nothing happens by next month, I'll just go into myPay and fill out the withdrawl request. I'll let you guys know how long it takes to transfer if that happens.

waldo: I've used the SDP while deployed since even though you only earn simple interest on anything $10K or over, it still beats any other short-term investment vehicle out there. You still have to wait 30 days until you can deposit any amount, but at least one finance office will allow you to deposit the whole $10K in one lump amount, even if would exceed the amount of unallotted pay (or whatever it is they go by) you've earned since deployment - you just need your commander to verify that you *could* earn that amount. Mostly comes into play for us reserve/guard folk who come on/off orders at various dates during the month and don't have a normal bi-monthly paycheck, but it could apply to anyone I suppose. Just a caveat - keep your damn receipt. They conveniently "lost" my last deposit until I emailed them wondering why I didn't have a new SDP statement. Quick fax and they "found" my $$. Even were quick about posting the correct interest too, but I trust DFAS enough to *@%! up my pay almost every other month, and they did not disappoint me in that trust with their handling of SDP either. edited to add: Finance_Guy - Jughead actually is correct on the money sitting in your account until you request it. I didn't request a withdrawl from the SDP after my last rotation and let the money sit, expecting a transfer to my mil pay account. Even got an email 2 months ago saying that my account was dormant and if I didn't do the request in myPay within 7 days, the money would be transferred. Well, I figured they were really going to transfer it then, but 2 months later, all the money in my SDP is still there.

I found the abominable snowman!

AFI 48-123 is available on the AF pubs site: http://www.e-publishing.af.mil Search under Departmental, 48 (Aerospace Medicine) series - there are 4 volumes, Vol 3 deals with Aircrew standards, and I think Vol 4 has the hearing profile information. MEPS is run like a factory - there isn't a lot of time to deal with special cases. She should be able to work with her recruiter to get scheduled for a retest there, but a better chance may lie with the local AF medical facility (including local guard/reserve bases). I forget if you said she was going AD or Guard/Reserve, but she'll have to get additional testing at some point to fill in the requirements for the initial flight physical (which I thought MEPS didn't do). She's not very far off from the H1 level, so a retest may be enough to put her back into that category. It's an all-or-nothing thing - if you are over in even only one freq, that puts you into the next hearing category. If the restest is the same, and the audiology workup shows nothing serious, the waiver should not be difficult to get. Getting a waiver will allow her to be enlisted aircrew.

Well, other than calling bulls*** on not letting her retest, there is nothing I can find that precludes her from accomplishing a new hearing test. What if she'd realized later that she had a cold or been exposed to loud noise within the previous 40 hours? Those two examples should be reason enough to demand a retest. However, you could also ask the medical guys to point where in 48-123 (the bible reg of medical exams) she is not allowed to retest. Then politely ask for her to be rescheduled. Recommendations: have her wear hearing plugs (the little foam ones work fine) the day and night prior to the test. Sometimes that's enough to make a dramatic difference - even wind noise from a car window can affect hearing. However, if the retest is the same, she'd have to get an audiology work up (probably on her own dime) to show no evidence of an underling condition that may cause the high result. I'm assuming you meant the 6000 mHz (not 600), which is the highest frequency tested. This is also often the one freq that shows early noise-related hearing loss. As long as there's no other medical condition, and the hearing loss is only in one freq (and not "asymmetric" as defined by two freq loss difference), waiver chances are good. She falls under IFC III standards, which does require an H1 profile w/out a waiver.

Caveat: I'm not a flight surgeon. DS stands for distance stereopsis (aka distant vision). To tell which is which, there should also be OD or OS - OD is right eye, OS is left eye. I used to wear glasses only occasionally with a similar prescription for distant vision (not terrible, just noticed things were a little hazy far off) and used to not be able to pass the depth perception test without them. A few years later, I ended up passing the distant vision test 20/20, and not needing the glasses for depth perception. Haven't used them since, and I don't require them for flying duties. I'd recommend getting the prescription, and using them as required for depth perception - it won't affect the outcome of your IFC I physical whatsoever if you just need a mild prescription.

While not technically a USO (they are not affiliated with the national organization), Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) has a great military hospitality area. Was stuck in the airport for weather last spring and spent about 10 hours hanging out there. Lots of cushy recliners and couches, big screen TV, free Wi-Fi, and sleeping areas for everyone, including an area for families to catch some zz's. Great people working there, making sure everyone was fed, and chit-chatted with everyone.

There are NO blood/skin tests for allergies on your IFC 1 (there is no "FC 1") physical exam.

Rage - back in in the 1998/99 time frame, AETC/SG stopped approving medical waivers for being under minimum height. Said it was a line/safety issue, not a medical one. That's when the exception to policy thing came about. I went through that process (which is very convoluted, and no one really knew anything about who needed to see the request - i.e. SG/SE/DO - who knows). Had the opportunity to travel to Columbus with one of our flight surgeons back in 2001 and get fit-checked in the T-37/38/1. Luckily, the MDG/CC @ CBM at the time was able to procure the forms for the fit check (great guy - went above and beyond for us). Long story short, after my package was ping-ponged back and forth between the CSAF office and MAJCOM, it was determined that waiver authority would be back in the hands of SG. AETC/SG began granting waivers again in the summer of 2003. It was at this time that the "bubble sheet" was getting refined, so the process really wasn't streamlined. For anyone else going through this process, don't give up. Might take a little longer than some waivers, as I think the safety office @ AETC still needs to review the waiver request based on your fit check/bubble sheet.

Hey Rocker - how's life at DM? Anyways, last guidance I knew of was that "supplements" were not governed in 48-123. There might be a MAJCOM policy letter addressing some things (i.e. St. John's Wort and hemp oil are not allowed, at least in the reserves), but you'd have to check with your flight medicine shop. Since there's a new one to hit the market every 5 minutes, there's no way to keep up with every ingredient. You should *technically* bring the bottle of whatever to the flight doc and have him/her give you an idea of whether it would be allowed, but since there's no specific regulation addressing this stuff, they'll probably end up telling you that the stuff is cr@p and not to take it. But that's just *technically*. They can't DNIF you for taking supplements.

Rage - true. Based on the matrix completed prior to MFS @ Brooks (did my IFC I physical at my home station), I was qualified to fly all the heavy a/c. After MFS, my waiver now reads that I can't fly C-17s. That 1/50th of an inch difference is really important.... Anyways, having the measurements ahead of MFS is beneficial, if only to know whether or not you would be disqulified from any aircraft. Additionally, having an existing waiver from AETC/SG based on anthro measurements on your IFC I physical can expedite the (re-waiver) process when you get re-measured at Brooks.

Yes, being under the min height requirements can be waived (I have a waiver for both standing height and sitting height under mins). If you don't do your initial IFC I physical @ Brooks, be sure the medical group that does your physical gets all the required anthro measurements at that time (there are about 6-7 additional measurements, e.g. arm span). There is a matrix out that specifies requirements for each cockpit. I couldn't track fighter/bomber due to not being able to meet the matrix for the T-38 (even after a qualitying fit test in the actual cockpit). No biggie - I was going heavies anyways.

More names for the ladies in the house: Anita Hardick Mia Goodlay Ida Tudalaho Along with pretty much any name from the James Bond girls.

Hey folks - chill out a bit. Whoever told you two weeks was lying. Best case scenario is 6-8 weeks (without any waivers required). You may not realize, but there is only ONE person down at AETC/SG who processes IFC I/IA physicals for all AD, Reserves and Guard, so they are rather busy. They do a kick a$$ job down there, so please don't fly off the handle if your physical takes a while to be approved. They go by first-come, first-served and don't know which board you are applying to. Moral of the story - don't wait until the last minute to get your physical done, don't harass the AETC/SG people and don't worry - my physical took THREE YEARS to be approved. You guys got nothing.

No, blood pressure will not be measured at MFS, but you will be required to have a BP check for each annual physical, and for any time you visit sick call. A one-time BP reading over 140/90 is not disqualifying per se, as a two repeat readings should be taken following a "high" reading - this should eliminate the "white coat" variable. If it still is high, you will be asked to do a 5-day BP check. Below is the excerpt from AFI 48-123 on high BP and disqualification from flying. A7.17.1.5. Elevated blood pressure (measured in the sitting position) as follows: A7.17.1.5.1. In applicants for flying training or initial flying duty, evidenced by average systolic pressure greater than 140 mmHg, or average diastolic pressure of greater than 90 mmHg obtained from the 5-day blood pressure check. A7.17.1.5.2. History of elevated blood pressure requiring chronic medication for control. A7.17.1.5.3. In trained flying personnel evidenced by: A7.17.1.5.3.1. Average systolic blood pressure greater than 140 mmHg or average diastolic blood pressure greater than 90 mmHg. NOTE: *Asymptomatic personnel with average systolic blood pressure ranging between 141 mmHg and 160 mmHg, or average diastolic blood pressure ranging between 91 mmHg and 100 mmHg, may remain on flying status for up to 6 months (from the date the elevated blood pressure was first identified) while undergoing non-pharmacological intervention to achieve acceptable values. A7.17.1.5.3.2. Any elevation in blood pressure due to secondary metabolic or pathologic causes until the underlying cause has been corrected, provided the primary condition is not disqualifying.

You'll need a new waiver for your IFC IA (nav) physical. Your flight doc should be able to take the old narrative summary and transfer it in the waiver system, AIMWTS, and submit it to AETC for certification (unless anything has changed, or your narrative is over 1 year old, in which case, (s)he will need to update/addendum the summary - this may require additional workup by an audiologist).

Just a quick question for any women currently in training at UPT - I'm heading off to Columbus in the near future to start training, and read in the student guide that: Does this mean that only short hair is allowed? I can't see any other way for hair to be "unbound" and still meet requirements. I'd love to know some real-life answers, as if I'm going to be cutting my hair, it might as well be before OTS : ) Thanks!