PRK and Pilot Selection, Senior who needs clarification advisors arent helping

[alyssabr]

Hello,

I am a pretty frustrated senior, who is getting the run around from my advisors and needs some good gouge. I am getting PRK surgery in a week, and I need to know the timeline for pilot selection. One advisor is telling me I cannot put in a package for service selection as a pilot until I have a waiver for my eyes. The other says I can select pilot now, as packets go in a month, and will only be disqualified with my flight physical later in the spring, which gives me plenty of time to get a waiver. So you can understand my concern, I've called NAMI Pensacola and they are going to get back to me hopefully. However if anyone has gone through this process, as far as paper work etc, I would really appreciate hearing what to expect since I am going to need all the help I can get. Thank you in advance for all your help.

-Alyssa

 

[ea6bflyr]

You are starting a little late, but you should be good to go by commissioning. Understand that if your eyes are not correctable to 20/20, then you will not get commissioned. Understand all the risks associated with getting the PRK and go in fully educated about the process. When push comes to shove, ask your advisors to show you the instruction. IIRC, you need to be medically qualified prior to commissioning and prior to flight school, not necessarily when the package is submitted. Good luck with the process, and the NETC instruction is the one that you should be looking up wrt service selection.

-ea6bflyr

 

[NozeMan]

My process was somewhat confusing, so take it for what it's worth.

I was always under the impression that you had to have the waiver before you could select for SNA. I had PRK during Christmas break of my Junior year so I could have time to heal etc. I had my commissioning/flight physical in October of my Senior year. I had all my paperwork on my surgery and follow up appointments sent to the docs that did my comissioning physical (happened to be at Great Lakes). I was told that I was "cleared" then, but it turns out I wasn't. Fast forward 7 months and 3 days before comissioning my advisor told me that I wasn't yet eligible for comissioning because my waiver was not yet approved. I didn't get waivered until the day before my comissioning.

What might this mean to you?

I put in for SNA selection in the fall of my senior year thinking I was physically qualified, even though NOMI never gave the offical OK. I selected SNA that winter and found out in January. All of this happened and I didn't get waivered until May.

Now back to you. You say you are getting PRK in a week, honestly this is longer than I would have waited if you are comissioning in the spring. My advisors also were on board with my situation and I cleared the timeline through them. Also keep in mind that I experience all of this 3.5 years ago, the process may well have changed.

NOMI's view on the matter is the most important, they say whether or not you can be a pilot. Honestly, I'm not sure if anything physical-related is considered when selecting (as in, being medically qualified). I don't remember if I submitted my selection sheet before or after my comissioning physical.

Your advisors should know exactly how to deal with this, hound them.

 

[NozeMan]

Let me ammed, ea6b got in before I did, listen to his info before mine!

 

[alyssabr]

thanks guys the problem is my advisors dont have or know the instruction to go to, so I am going to take what you said, put another call into NOMI and try to look up that other guidence suggested above. I actually dont commission until May but I know they usually do flight physicals around February. All this gouge makes me feel a little more comfortable that my package can go in on time. Thanks so much, and keep the advice comming!

 

[ea6bflyr]

Noze is also correct. To be considered an "UP" aviator, you must pass the flight physical and be granted a PRK waiver......now back to NROTC. NROTC has their own "COMMISSIONING STANDARDS" and time line. What you need to do is create a time line in which you:
1) Get selected SNA (NROTC/NETC)
2) Get Commissioned (NROTC/NETC)
3) Pass the Flight Physical (NOMI)
4) Get a PRK waiver (NOMI)
5) Get to Pensacola as a SNA (NROTC/NOMI)

Continue to work with your Advisors, NOMI and NETC to accomplish your goals. Good luck. And P.S.: I CAN BE DONE!

-ea6bflyr