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Does Scoliosis Disqualify Me For Pilot?

cschaal

New Member
Hi, I'm looking for some advice. I recently started applying for the Navy as an aviator. During the MEPS exam I learned that I have scoliosis. I leaned that I have a 20% curve in my lower back and a 25% curve in the upper back. I'm 24 years old so there's very little chance that my curve is going to increase any more. I have never had any pain and looking at me it's hard to tell that I even have it.

I was cleared from MEPS but when I talked with my recruiter, I was told to not bother applying for aviation as I would just get rejected during the flight physical after OCS.

I've been trying to find the actual regulations for scoliosis in navy pilots, but everything I've seen so far says up to 30% curvature can be waivered if I'm not experience any pain or movement limitations.

Does anyone know if it's still possible for me to go through a flight physical with my amount of curvature?
 

cschaal

New Member
I do apologize if this is a repeat of another post, but I only ask because so far my search results have only turned up dead links and unanswered posts. I've seen a lot of people ask about whether they could get a medical waiver. To my understanding, the the Navy could waive <30% curve, but do they actually give out the waiver is the question I can't find an answer to.

The other problem is that all the documents talk about that disqualification applies to ejection seat planes, which I never planned on applying for anyway. I have heard that if I can't fly all the Navy planes, then I can't fly for them period. I just wanted to know if anyone can confirm this or not since my searches have turned up nothing.
 

sevenhelmet

Low calorie attack from the Heartland
pilot
Do your research. Navy primary flight training is done in the T-6 Texan II, which is an ejection-seat equipped airplane. Everyone now flies with an ejection seat at the beginning of their career. Also, helicopters vibrate a lot, and I'm told by my helo-flying friends they can be pretty hard on your back in the long term.

If you don't apply, the answer is obviously no, but I wouldn't hold out a ton of hope of being approved.
 

crj021

Member
from the NAMI waiver guide: "WAIVER: Scoliosis of the thoracic or lumbar spine over 20 degrees, as measured by the Cobb method, is disqualifying with no waiver for applicants, but can be waived up to 30 degrees on a case-by-case basis in designated personnel."

Not sure if exactly 20 degrees of curvature in the lower back would be disqualifying or not
 

TimeBomb

Noise, vibration and harshness
Doesn't matter about the lower back. The 25 degrees of curvature in the upper back (i.e. thoracic spine) exceeds the waiverable limit. That assumes the measurements were done according to the prescribed method. If the degree of curvature was just a WAG by the MEPS doc, it might be to your advantage to have an orthopedic surgeon evaluate your films and measure out the degree of curvature according to the method cited in the Waiver Guide.

V/R
 
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