Bad Eyesight... BUT I WANT TO FLY!!

usafah

usafah

Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2015
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70
Hi Everyone!
I have a concern that has been bugging me for a while now.
Since as long as I can remember I have wanted to fly in the Air Force. But my problem is vision. I know that the air force has very strict requirements regarding vision and I would most certainly not meet the requirements (i have myopia -3.25 in each eye). However, I have heard some people say that the air force will pay for someone with bad vision to get PRK or lasik and then they could get a waiver and become a pilot.
Can someone please verify this? It is my dream job... I would do it for free if I had to. I just want to fly so badly and I don't want my vision to get in the way...
Are there any other ways to get around bad vision?
 
Yes, under some circumstances the AF will pay to have PRK done and you will be able to fly. My son had similar eyesight to yours and he got PRK done at USAFA and he is now flying for the Air Force. There is the opportunity for this at USAFA, but I am not sure how it works for other commissioning sources. The candidates for PRK were selected at the end of 3 degree (sophomore) year after undergoing almost a year of testing. The surgery was done right before classes started 2 degree year and the follow-up testing and clearance took about a year after the surgery.

Stealth_81
 
My son went through AFROTC, and he had the PRK surgery after Field Training. I had to pay for it, and of course there was no guarantee that he was even going to get a pilot slot. It all worked out for him, as he is now an AF pilot.
 
My DS is in a similar situation, bad eye sight, and he would love to be a pilot. He has decided that the Navy is the his best option, because if corrective eye surgery doesn't work for him, the other naval service communities are a better fit.
 
There used to be a rule that you could not get a waiver if you went to USAFA and had the PRK done anywhere besides USAFA (don't know the rules for other commissioning). So, don't rush out and have Dr Local do it.
 
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