Potential Pilot Qualified

MorganC

5-Year Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2009
Messages
285
I never applied to USAFA, but when I logged into my DoDMERB today, it said potential pilot qualified.

What does that mean?
 
Not trying to sound like a dick, but it means exactly what it says.
 
Sometimes I wonder why I'm even a member on here. I never applied to USAFA so i'm wondering why I would even be in the system for them. I know how to read. And also, "jerk" would have sufficed. Or no response at all.
 
Morgan, just wait a few minutes and someone with some integrity will gladly answer your question :thumb:
 
Hello,

I don't know that much about the other service's application processes, but the Air Force is not the only branch with pilots. Maybe you are pilot qualified for another service?

Later,

Brian
 
It's listed under USAFA. I'm thinking maybe it's because I went to summer seminar. After I got back I let my Liason Officer know I didn't want to apply though. It really doesn't matter, I was just bored and curious. Thanks.
 
It means that you have met the criteria for a flight physical to be a pilot, at least for the stuff that DoDMERB does. It is not a full class 1 physical.

If you are not applying, don't worry about it.
 
Well first of all it shows USAFA under DODMERB because you started a file for it with the Summer Seminar application but closed it after the medical exam request entered their system.
I applied to West Point, so I have it listed there even though I sought to close my file.
Just reiterating from other posters but determining if one is pilot qualified requires a more indepth and specific test than the one for Academy / ROTC admission.
Based on the data from your medical exam, you are "potentially" pilot qualified as the REAL determination occurs during your stay at USAFA.
In all, even though you do not want to go to USAFA that status shows that you are generally healthy. :thumb:
 
It means that you have met the criteria for a flight physical to be a pilot, at least for the stuff that DoDMERB does. It is not a full class 1 physical.

If you are not applying, don't worry about it.

Nor should you worry about rude commentary by a Class of 2016 Hopeful. Trust me. Vocabulary beyond middle school is a sign of maturity.
 
My middle name is Dick. Maybe he was "trying to sound" like me?

Wait a minute...... Nope..... My middle name is Wendell. (Pretty much the same thing). It wasn't me. :shake:

Ok; in the famous quotes in one of my favorite movies. "Lighten up Francis".

Raimius' answer is totally correct. But as others have said; you decided not to apply to the air force academy, so no big deal. Unless they instigate the draft again. Then they'll force you to be a pilot. But until then; no big deal. As you said; you were just bored and curious. Now you know.
 
Sorry to bring up an old thread, but what are the requirements to be "pilot qualified?"

My DoDMERB only says qualified, but when I took my vision test, I scored 20/20 vision with no glasses or contacts so what are some of the other requirements?
 
Sorry to bring up an old thread, but what are the requirements to be "pilot qualified?"

My DoDMERB only says qualified, but when I took my vision test, I scored 20/20 vision with no glasses or contacts so what are some of the other requirements?

LodgeChief, you may want to post this under the Dodmerb site OR do a "search". I seem to remember seeing this answered a while back, but I could be wrong. Good luck to you, son!
 
This discussion is kind of going on in the reapplying club thread. Basically, you can check your DoDMERB status. If it says "Qualified", you are potentially pilot qualified. If you aren't PPQ, it states why in your status, so if there are no statements then you are PPQ.
 
The air force doesn't actually qualify you for pilot training until you're actually a cadet. Over the years they've realized 2 very important things.

1) When a person first considers going to the air force academy, the overwhelming majority say "I WANNA FLY".
2) After being at the academy a while; realizing the commitment; and understanding what the air force and military service really is about: LESS than half still say: "I wanna fly".

What the air force and academy concentrate on now is: "Are you medically qualified to be in the air force"? Once you're at the academy, and start moving into your 3rd year, they'll do new physicals to determine if you're pilot qualified.

They can get an idea prior to receiving an appointment, but nothing significant. e.g. 20-300 vision. However; with PRK surgery and such, even initial eyesight conditions may or may not be a condition of being a pilot. Anyway; the air force academy no longer lists individuals as "Pilot Qualified" prior to attending the academy. Just "Medically Qualified" for military service.
 
The air force doesn't actually qualify you for pilot training until you're actually a cadet. Over the years they've realized 2 very important things.

1) When a person first considers going to the air force academy, the overwhelming majority say "I WANNA FLY".
2) After being at the academy a while; realizing the commitment; and understanding what the air force and military service really is about: LESS than half still say: "I wanna fly".

What the air force and academy concentrate on now is: "Are you medically qualified to be in the air force"? Once you're at the academy, and start moving into your 3rd year, they'll do new physicals to determine if you're pilot qualified.

They can get an idea prior to receiving an appointment, but nothing significant. e.g. 20-300 vision. However; with PRK surgery and such, even initial eyesight conditions may or may not be a condition of being a pilot. Anyway; the air force academy no longer lists individuals as "Pilot Qualified" prior to attending the academy. Just "Medically Qualified" for military service.
They still have the "potentially pilot qualified" designation though, correct? My status says not "PPQ" because of vision problems. This is confusing me because I know they are willing to perform eye surgeries like you mentioned. I have heard there are certain programs that only apply to potentially pilot qualified people too such as the Falcon Foundation. It seems weird that they will only provide those programs to potentially pilot qualified people if they are willing to perform eye surgery. Then again, they won't have to pay for that surgery if someone already has correct vision.
 
Christcorp, I may be missing something (most likely!) but DS's Dodmerb status states "Potential Pilot Qualified". Other folks posting on various sites have indicated Dodmerb status of "Potential Navigator Qualified" or "Qualified". So you are correct, it does not say Pilot or Navigator qualified but "Potential" pilot or navigator qualified. I hope I'm not confusing the issues as I sit here in Orlanda at hour 3 of an 8 hour layover!
 
2 things to remember:

1. DODMRB is for ALL MILITARY ACADEMIES. Not just the air force academy.
2. Like I mentioned previously, the air force academy looks to see if you are medically qualified to be in the Air Force. They will determine Pilot qualified later.

POTENTIALLY PILOT QUALIFIED. Is exactly that. "Potentially". And that is DODMRB. Whether or not the academy uses that information now really isn't important, as long as you are medically qualified to SERVE in the military. And there are NO JOBS/CAREER FIELDS open or closed to you in the air force academy based on any pre-academy physicals. What jobs/careers available to you after academy graduation will be determined once you're at the academy. Whether you can have corrective eye surgery will be determined AFTER you become a cadet. FWIW: Just because PRK is available doesn't mean a) That you'll be offered it.... and b) That it will successfully make you pilot qualified. But that's a whole other discussion.

If you have no medical conditions whatsoever; have nothing questionable on your DODMRB physical; and know that you have 20/20 vision; then there's a good chance you are pilot qualified. But like I said, the air force and the academy don't even look at that any longer until you're actually at the academy. Prior to that, they simply want you medically qualified to serve in the air force. And again; the DODMRB is not just for the air force. That is the same physical and medical eval that provides information to army, navy, coast guard, and merchant marine academies.
 
Thanks for clearing that up (again!). The one thing I will point out is that for a Falcon scholarship, all of the info on the forums says that you must be PPQ to receive one. I don't know if this is the case, but it may be why some are asking about it.
 
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