Waiver for Eye Position Beyond Normal Limits?

M

Mayville-Cardinal

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AFROTC DS with pilot slot after 2018 commissioning has wrapped up day 1 of his FC1 physical at Wright-Patterson and says his eye position is beyond normal limits. Doc recommends considering RPA as more likely to get waiver (but apparently not DQ at this point). Feedback from anyone with experience seeking/getting a waiver for this condition would be appreciated.
 
I'm not sure the process for getting the waiver but tell him not to be discouraged almost anything is waiverable. I had a buddy get told at his physical that he a had a spot on his eye that would cause leakage during G's and there was no way he would be able to fly. He got a waiver and was selected for ENJJPT later that that year.
 
If he needs a waiver HQ AFROTC will submit him for it. In the meanwhile I would suggest taking him to a specialist on your own. The main reason why is that if they do DQ him, but your specialist contradicts their results you might be able to fight the DQ.
~ Look for a specialist that is knowledgeable with the FAA FC1 flight physical.

Typically it can take @6 weeks to get the official final results.

I am confused though regarding your post because you say he needs a waiver, and is beyond the normal limits, but is not DQ at this point. You only need a waiver if you are DQd. Or are you saying he is within regs for RPA, but DQ for pilot.

FWIW, if he gets a waiver he will have to keep getting it every 2 yrs. Our DS has an astigmatism and required a waiver for his FAA FC1. It was easily granted because it is common. Once he is ADAF he will do what is called a long and short physicals. They rotate them. One year it is the short (think DoDMERB) and the next year it is the long (FAA FC1). It is the long that will be when they will have to get the waiver. Not a biggie as long as his eyes don't get any worse.
 
After Day 2 of FC1 physical DS reports that he was DQd for pilot but passed for RPA (DQd due to eye misalignment issue... beyond "normal" limits). DS says several docs encouraged him to consider RPA and also told him that he should consider himself lucky given that 4-5 others around him were completely DQd for other issues. Docs said he could "try and fight it" and that he needs to work through his Det and/or congressmen (? not sure what was meant by that; doesn't sound like that's the waiver process). Anyway, DS has a good attitude about not beating himself up (or blaming others) for something he can't change; says he will do whatever he can to try for a waiver, will think considerably more about RPA, but is also confident he will get a position in the AF he will do well at and was meant to have. Will pass along your specialist suggestion to the DS for his consideration. As far as timing, if DS sees a specialist and gets contrary results, should said results be presented in some manner to HQ AFROTC before the results of his FC1 are official? Is there a formal process for a cadet to challenge an FC1 physcial?
Thanks Pima for the advice; always appreciate your (and others') experience-based insight and opinion.
 
As i said, my son is there and they pretty much tell you if you passed or not. It may not be official in terms of be DQd, but you know where you stand. Of the four who went there, I think my son was the only one who qualified for pilot. One was qualified for RPA as he was disqualified for Pilot, the other one is now fighting to get RPA as he may not qualify for that either and the third guy also didnt get Pilot but the story is confusing as supposedly he didnt come in for pilot. With my son, you never get the whole story. The boy who may not even qualify for RPA is one of my son's close friend and it breaks our heart that he is losing his pilot spot. Both he and my son are majoring in flight and I have met him. I doubt he even wants RPA as he is currently licensed to fly commercial and multi engine planes. He has dreamed of being a pilot since he was a small child. This is the type of kid who is going to go far in life no matter what he does and if he stays in the AF and goes career, I can see him being a general down the road. Still I am sure he and his family are heartbroken and it really has put a damper on my sons success over the last couple of days. This is the type of kid who has done everything right in his life and in his time in Rotc. Unfortunately he was born was something wrong in his eyes at is screwing him over. It really sucks
 
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