FC1 Physical Information

[HoHum]

I really wouldn't attempt it. My near vision was totally gone, and my far vision depth perception was still screwy. I was still having problems trying to depth percept when I was shaving the next morning. Drag out the darkest sunglasses you have, too.

[afcowboy]

I was at Brooks last August for an FC1. There were two 2Lts that picked us up and dropped us off at billeting (their casual assignment). They don't do bed checks or anything like that, but if you have some 'problems' you may have to stay later during the days than others and they might even keep you an extra day.

[Guest flyboy85]

When I went to Brooks for the FC1 in December, I was still having trouble reading the screen for electronic tickets at the airport. This was over 24 hours after dilation. As for distance, it was mostly clear, but the muscles still felt sluggish and weak, so to speak; you never know what you're going to need while driving, so anything to avoid it would be best for sure. As for security on base, it's really quite light compared to other bases. Just a simple guardhouse; no elaborate visitor center or anything like that. You really shouldn't have any issues with getting your gf on base; if you do get guff, remember that you're in San Antonio....there are plenty of hotels nearby that don't cost very much (albeit more than billeting, of course).

Anyway, good luck and have fun!

[Guest rjet24]

Hello All

Currently I am an officer in the Army National Guard. I can get an FC1 flight physical done during one of our drills. Can this be substituted for a Brooks FC1? Is it mandatory to get your FC1 at any specific location? Just wondering trying to complete packets for guard and reserve units and thought it might help if I already had the physical completed. Your help with this is appreciated. Thanks.

[Guest P27:17]

As far as I know you can't to get your AF FC I through the army...if there is a local AF or ANG base try going through them...I'll keep checking on the army piece...

Edited April 16, 2007 by P27:17

[Guest rjet24]

As far as I know you can't to get your AF FC I through the army...if there is a local AF or ANG base try going through them...I'll keep checking on the army piece...

An NCO I know works at our training base and schedules physicals. I think they run air guard guys through there as well. I know there is a flight surgeon that will be there conducting the physical. Just wondering, if you find anything else out let me know. Thanks for the help.

[Guest P27:17]

I am glad I looked this up...sorry for the wrong info...

Examiners:

1.2.2.1. A credentialed military flight surgeon with privileges in flight medicine will perform

medical examinations on Air Force flying and/or special operational duty personnel. When seen

by a non-Air Force flight surgeon, forward the documents (physical assessment, etc.) to the exam4

AFI48-123V1 5 JUNE 2006

inee’s MAJCOM/SG for review and certification. All aircrew members examined by a U.S. military

flight surgeon and found qualified to perform flight duties will be returned to flying status

upon completion of their examination.

1.2.2.1.1. Military flight surgeons must be credentialed and privileged at the examining facility

and can be of any branch of the military service.

[john]

This is a summary of the FC1 I received for ROTC at Brooks.

I put it here instead of medical because I don't know if things are different for others trips to brooks.

Day 1

Consisted of arrival from Clemson and transportation to the base. Nothing goes on other than checking in and fasting 12 hours before our start time of 7am.

Day 2

First day of tests, you do blood work, first piss test, and dental x-ray (supposed to do dental exam, but the doc wasn’t there and we did it day 2) before you can eat. Then in whatever order possible, sitting/standing/knee height, vision tests (circle depth test/grid test/puffer machine/cornea picture/near and far vision tests/color blindness), ekg (echo if you have something weird) and audiology.

Day 3

Second day. Vitals, drug piss test, more eye tests (double checking that dilation is ok, this is where if they found out your vision isn’t up to par, but still within regs, you will get the proper correction for flying), dilation and the associated tests, dental exam.

Day 4

I had to do my physical (should have been done day 3 but there wasn’t enough docs), at this point the docs will fill you in on your test results. And finally travel home.

Other

The people were extremely nice and helpful for the most part, there was one lady that sucked but all the rest were great. Try not to stress to much, from my understanding they want you to pass and if there are problems they assist you as much as possible in getting the waiver. If you aren’t asked for more tests, you passed. And most importantly, be prepared to wait, a lot.

Recommendations

If you have enough people if your group, split the cost of a rental car. We had 6, and ended up spending way too much time on the bus or paying enough in cab fair to justify renting a car. San Antonio is cool, brooks city sucks something awful, go to SA every night. Casa Rio on the river walk is good and cheap Mexican, better than your standard Mexican, definite recommendation. The little red barn is not so good but ok if you don’t want to go all the way in to the downtown (its in brooks city), ok steaks, shady part of town. The county line also on the river walk is awesome, recommend for the last night, expensive beers, but all you can eat ribs and other bbq for a little over 20 bucks, its called the Cadillac. Coyote ugly isn’t cool at all, if you want to have a good time I hear cowboys near the interstate is the place to go.

Pm me if you have any questions

[Guest ATB]

*Revival*

I'm going for my initial FC1 at my unit (ANG) either this month or next. Whom should I call to remind that I "still exist," - the flight doc or the recruiter? I'm sure I'll pass medically, I just don't want it to be hungup because it was sitting on someone's desk for 3-6 months.

[Guest awfltdoc]

*Revival*

I'm going for my initial FC1 at my unit (ANG) either this month or next. Whom should I call to remind that I "still exist," - the flight doc or the recruiter? I'm sure I'll pass medically, I just don't want it to be hungup because it was sitting on someone's desk for 3-6 months.

I'd be calling both. In a guard unit, the senior health technician is usually a full time position and is the point of contact through the month when the unit is not at UTA. The flight doc will usually be there on UTA weekend and perform the exam, complete it and hand it over to the full timers to process the physical during the week. The full time technician will likely know more about whats going on with the processing of the physical than the part time flight doc. The technician is also able to handle inquiries vs the flight doc who is usually busy with their own civilian jobs during the work week and who may not even live close to the base.

[Guest WickedKiller]

Need some quick information - I basically have one last shot at applying to the next OTS/UPT board. I'm getting feedback from the recruiter and OTS officer that my flight physical (stamped and approved FC1A with screening) is good for 2 years and is going to expire. How many years is the physical valid? Prior posts indicate 3 years, but I'm not sure what the current regs state. The following information on http://www.afrecruiting.com/rsoc/ states the validity was changed from 3 years to 4 years, but the document is dated in 2005.

[Guest P27:17]

Need some quick information - I basically have one last shot at applying to the next OTS/UPT board. I'm getting feedback from the recruiter and OTS officer that my flight physical (stamped and approved FC1A with screening) is good for 2 years and is going to expire. How many years is the physical valid? Prior posts indicate 3 years, but I'm not sure what the current regs state. The following information on http://www.afrecruiting.com/rsoc/ states the validity was changed from 3 years to 4 years, but the document is dated in 2005.

The FC I/IA exam is good for 4 years (the date of exam...not certification).

The recruiter and OTS officer are giving old/false information.

Edited March 2, 2008 by P27:17

[Guest marsarms]

My husband had his physical 7 weeks ago and still no word... Was there something specific that held up your physical or did it come back OK and it is just normal for it to take that long?

[slo_goin]

I took mine on January 17 and did not get results back until March 4. It can take several weeks to get there - and if there are any questions it can take longer!

[Guest P27:17]

FC I exams are the most comprehensive physical exams the AF performs. There are many players who have a role in the exam from the scheduler to the certifier.

Many other factors such as training, ops tempo, deployments, and staff experience make it even more difficult to not only get scheduled, but get a quality, timely, and comprehensive exam in one visit.

It may sound like I'm dogging MTFs but I'm not! I sympathize with what they have to do, with the people they have, and the knee jerk reactions from leaders in the recent past who decided physical exams was not that important when compared to the over all mission.

The best program out there is Brooks City-Base...unfortunately it is only open to the Reserve and ROTC communities...offers have gone out to the ANG and the AD leadership but they are responding very slow to the opportunity.

At an MTF the best you can hope for is a one day FC I exam with out errors and then it is at the mercy of the internal process and personnel availability...most wait over 6 months to find out if they are certified...then they have to go to Brooks for their Medical Flight Screening (MFS)...they are on their own when it come to the FAA.

At Brooks you get the FC I, MFS, and FAA in a 2 - 3 day stay and you will typically know the result of your final certification in less than 2 months.

So that is why it is so hard to get scheduled...

[WheelsOff]

Does anyone know where a civilian applicant in TX can go to get their FC1? Is Brooks a possibility, or is that just where AD/ROTC guys go?

Thanks!

[Guest P27:17]

Does anyone know where a civilian applicant in TX can go to get their FC1? Is Brooks a possibility, or is that just where AD/ROTC guys go?

Thanks!

Find a recruiter...Brooks only sees AFRC and AFROTC exams. They will soon start seeing ANG and may sometime down the road see the rest of the non-AFA pilot (not Navs) applicants.

[Guest Corwin]

Quick, maybe dumb (but hopefully not) question on the FC1 Physical. I'm not quite to this point yet, but I like to have information on hand before I get led down the wrong river.

EDIT: Just so this is clear... OTS applicant; not AFROTC

Had the PRK surgery. Everything I've read regarding the vision for PRK mentioned heading to Brooks, where I would receive my final FC1 physical which would validate my eyes (along with my body) for service in a pilot oriented field. In fact, like an idiot, I assumed that Brooks was the only place for an FC1 physical. Now, while waiting for approval (or disproval, if you want to be captain negative) for a slot by the OTS board, I've been speaking with my recruiter, and he's informed me that if and when I receive the slot, we'll do a bunch of paperwork and then set out for Wright Patt to get my FC1 Physical done. Wright Patt is obviously much closer to me, since I'm an Indiana boy, than Brooks.

So I know... can any base that conducts FC1 physicals qualify my eyes after surgery? In other words, since everything I've read here has said Brooks, Brooks, Brooks, is Wright Patt fine for someone who's gone through PRK, or is there only one base that handles PRK applicants for their FC1, for some reason or another?

[Guest F16crewdwgg]

IDk if anyone else is like this.. But I tend to not do so good when I give blood. When I was active duty, I had to fast 12hrs and give 3 big tubes of blood and then the small one.. I about died in the chair and started blacking out. It's not that I can't handle blood. It's just something happens when I start losing blood and I get real weak and faint like, faster then most people it seems. Does anyone else experience this?

How many tubes of blood did they take. Any recommendations on how to deal with this?

Edited April 20, 2008 by F16crewdwgg

[Guest L Unit]

Any recommendations on how to deal with this?

When I donate blood, I try to be well hydrated. Having ample fluids in your bloodstream allows your system to buffer sudden loss of blood. Don't stop breathing (many people do when being stuck or seeing their blood), and try not looking. You may not feel like you are uncomfortable with the sight of blood, but subconsciously are. (I personally think it's really cool.)

[Guest usaf421]

can anyone provide some more information on the audiology exam? i know that it is where you go in a room and put on a headset and listen, but i exceeded tolerance for my initial DODMERB to get into AFROTC and it not let me be PPQ and had to be retested so I was and it just squeaked by. i have been told to put in ear plugs the night before, but does anyone else have any helpful information or knowledge of these tests?

[afthunderchief16]

IDk if anyone else is like this.. But I tend to not do so good when I give blood. When I was active duty, I had to fast 12hrs and give 3 big tubes of blood and then the small one.. I about died in the chair and started blacking out. It's not that I can't handle blood. It's just something happens when I start losing blood and I get real weak and faint like, faster then most people it seems. Does anyone else experience this?

How many tubes of blood did they take. Any recommendations on how to deal with this?

They take a lot. I didn't keep count, but I think it was 8-10ish so thats gonna suck as well as the restrictions for fasting for 12 hours are still in place, at least for my FC1 that they did at Buckley in CO. Just hope that you get a hot nurse to keep you distracted while they poke you (sts).

[Guest ATB]

How many tubes of blood did they take. Any recommendations on how to deal with this?

Go to Optometry before getting your blood drawn. That way you'll still be dialated and won't be able to see.

Then look the f*ck away and go to your happy place till they're done!

They take a lot of blood. When I did mine, they took so much blood out of my right arm that the vein wouldnt allow any more blood to be drawn, so they had to stick my left arm!

[Toro]

can anyone provide some more information on the audiology exam?

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[Sim]

Does anyone know if Brooks will pride me with glasses if they find my vision is not quite up to 20x20 standard? I passed iFC1 without problems, but noticing my vision is progressively getting worse...its within the reqs....but I want to make sure I don't get DQed for not having glasses that I may need.....