Lack of Depth Perception

av8or9

5-Year Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2012
Messages
14
I took my eye exam two weeks ago and failed the depth perception test miserably. No circles stood out, no numbers, etc. My lack of depth perception is due to strabismus which I have had since birth.

From what I have read, I will be disqualified from any flying in the military. Does anyone know if this will diqualify me from the academies? Will I need a waiver?

Thanks in advance for your help!
 
Dont take me as an authority on this because there could definitely be some level, cutoff to how bad the depth perception is, but I know a cadet who had poor enough depth perception that she can not be a pilot but she still made it in.
 
DoDMERB DQ's, branches waive.

Waivers are one by one, and branch by branch. The Army can say yes, the AF and Navy might say no.

All you can do now is go through the waiver process. Move forward with your life, apply for your Plan B, including ROTC scholarships.
 
I took my eye exam two weeks ago and failed the depth perception test miserably. No circles stood out, no numbers, etc. My lack of depth perception is due to strabismus which I have had since birth.

From what I have read, I will be disqualified from any flying in the military. Does anyone know if this will diqualify me from the academies? Will I need a waiver?

Thanks in advance for your help!

A former USAFA cadet and AFROTC graduate who I know has your condition. He was accepted to USAFA but could not become a pilot. Also, he was further disqualified because of large scars that he had.

So, NO you will NOT be disqualified from the academies, but you never know :frown:
 
:bang:

Sorry dlee, I am 1000% against your post.
dlee96 said:
So, NO you will NOT be disqualified from the academies,

Do you sit on the waiver boards? If I am correct you are a candidate and do not sit on their boards. I believe you want to help, but nobody can help here because :
A. We are not on the board
B. We don't know his parameters

You made an assumption because you knew people that yrs before were cleared. Eyes have varying levels. To say that they will NOT be DQ'd is an assumption anyone should never state. kp2001 and joe papp would be the only exception.

Again, I think your intentions were noble, but by saying they would NOT be disqualified you gave a sense4 of false hope.
 
Last edited:
:bang:

Sorry dlee, I am 1000% against your post.


Do you sit on the waiver boards? If I am correct you are a candidate and do not sit on their boards. I believe you want to help, but nobody can help here because :
A. We are not on the board
B. We don't know his parameters

You made an assumption because you knew people that yrs before were cleared. Eyes have varying levels. To say that they will NOT be DQ'd is an assumption anyone should never state. kp2001 and joe papp would be the only exception.

Again, I think your intentions were noble, but by saying they would NOT be disqualified you gave a sense4 of false hope.
:mad: I can't believe I made that same mistake again, my apologies, OP, please follow Pima's advice
 
Update

My DodMerb site now has two remedial codes 152.01 and 152.04. These codes mean I need additional eye tests. I also talked to a DodMerb rep who said lack of depth perception should be okay for Navy. However, I would not be Pilot or Navigator qualified for Air Force.

All in all better news than I expected! As long as the eye exam goes well!
 
:bang:

Sorry dlee, I am 1000% against your post.


Do you sit on the waiver boards? If I am correct you are a candidate and do not sit on their boards. I believe you want to help, but nobody can help here because :
A. We are not on the board
B. We don't know his parameters

You made an assumption because you knew people that yrs before were cleared. Eyes have varying levels. To say that they will NOT be DQ'd is an assumption anyone should never state. kp2001 and joe papp would be the only exception.

Again, I think your intentions were noble, but by saying they would NOT be disqualified you gave a sense4 of false hope.

And, even if I had an inclination, I wouldn't say it anyway. I'm civilian and have never served on a waiver board. I've only "heard" things. But believe me when I say it, every case is truly unique. DoDMERB is definitely not a paper mill.

That's why when Concorde takes extra time to make sure your exams are PERFECT, and DoDMERB consults with their doctors or requests records from you -- it isn't to make your life hard. It is to do our very best to qualify you, or to get you where you need to be. :thumb:



Cheers,
Joe
 
av8or9,

I am surprised that Navy is okay with lack of depth perception, because I would think trying to land a plane on the size of a rolling postage stamp in the middle of the sea at night would have a issue with depth perception.

Not trying to be a rain cloud, just trying to figure out the reasoning. It is just silly me, but I would think it would be easier to land an airframe on a runway where you left it at when you took off for the mission a few hrs earlier than one that moves and pitches as you are trying to land especially if you have a depth perception issue.
 
Pima,
I can say that in my DS case, the Navy was not O.K. with lack of depth perception when it comes to aviation. He never had any intention of going into the aviation community and wasn't overly disappointed when he failed to qualify. However, we were both surprised that he failed that portion of the physical, since it never showed on his initial Dodmerb. He was qualified for other communities such as Submarine, Marine Corps and Surface Warfare.
 
Navy,

Thanks for your response, I am just trying to grasp how perception for the Navy is okay, but not for the AF.

av8or9, I am not implying or inferring it won't happen, just my personal need to understand their system. DO NOT read into my posts.

I am not associated with DoDMERB, I do not sit on the waiver boards.

If DoDMERB says yes for Navy trust them. Move forward.
 
I believe the depth perception issue is ok for Navy and AF but for neither with regards to flying/rated positions.
 
Correction

CORRECTION!

I meant that I should be qualified to get in to the Naval Academy with the lack of depth perception. I am certainly not saying that the Navy will let me fly.
 
Back
Top