How much of an issue is eyesight?

[Navynuke]

I know it sounds like a dumb question, but a few years back when I was sitting in my recruiter's office, I got to reading a naval aviation mag that had an article about the navy's new program to allow people with corrective eye surgery to fly jets. I believe it was PKM? It is the type that rubs at the cornea, not Lasik.

So I am currently enlisted, and my vision is correctable to 20/20. Would the navy allow me to fly helecopters without corrective surgery? And if they won't does anyone know if they would be willing to plan for it to occur while in college (Hoping to go STA-21 in next year's round of applications)?

Any help greatly appreciated!

-Desmond

Edit: Since I know the navy can be "flexible" when it comes to waivers for people they want, I figured I would post my recent test scores.
ASVAB: 99
ASTB: 6/6/6/61

Haven't taken SAT/ACT yet, but I feel I will do pretty well on it as well.

 

[Afterburner209]

To become a pilot in the Navy or Marine Corps, an applicant's uncorrected vision can be no worse than 20/40 (correctable to 20/20) in each eye. Heard of exceptions, but this is the rule.

The surgery your thinking of is PRK.

 

[fc2spyguy]

No, they won't take it as a plan to get the surgery. You have two options, get it prior to an aviation physical, or apply for the core option and try for aviation out of NROTC. You can fly any aircraft with corrected vision to 20/20 provided it's within certain standards. I don't know what the limits are, but I'm certain it's on here somewhere. I would check out doc's corner for that info. Note: ASVAB doesn't come into play for any portion of a STA-21 program application. Note 2: If you apply for a pilot slot, and are found not to be physically qualified prior, and a waiver not recommended, your slot will go to an alternate slot. So, I would not recommend applying for pilot without having a firm date for PRK.

 

[MIDNJAC]

And to clarify, just so that there is no confusion arising from the original post, the vision requirements are the same for all aircraft in the USN/USMC inventory. No extra requirements for jets, and no "relaxed" standards for other platforms. It is the same, across the board. The only difference in vision requirements is between SNA/Pilot and SNFO/NFO.

As for being "flexible", the medical folks do not see your package, and they could care less what your ASTB/GPA/SAT(or whatever the hell the equivalent is now) scores are. Like others have said, if your uncorrected vision is 20/40 or better, then you have nothing to worry about.

 

[AirAggie92]

MIDNJAC is right. I'm far sighted so I may have to get corrective surgery.

 

[Navynuke]

I see. Well both eyes are correctable to 20/20, at least. Although I had to get a private doc to vouch for me, as the navy's eye machine said my left eye was not. (Left eye is 20/150)

Will that be an issue if it corrected w/ surgery before applying to be a pilot?

 

[donmagicjuan]

I'm guessing you're not going to be in a position that would permit you to get the surgery between now and the submission of your application, so you'll probably be limited to option #2 in fc2spyguy's post. I was in the same situation when I applied, and it wasn't really a big deal. Apply solely for the CORE option and submit the paperwork for PRK after you start school at your ROTC unit. The downside is of course that you can't guarantee acceptance into the aviation community like you could with a target option application, but for me that was an acceptable risk.

 

[Floppy_D]

I see.

Right, just not very well.

If I were in your shoes, I would start shooting for all available options. Apply for vision correction as soon as you can, apply for STA-21 Core if you can't apply for NA, and consider the NFO route, too. I didn't have the eyes to be a pilot, but being a NFO sounded more fun than being an FC2 in my books.

One way or another, get the ball rolling on something. I've got buddies who kick themselves for hesitating to get on the STA train, and now it's too late.

Good luck!