Trump admin launches program to help veterans become commercial pilots

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

Um, I'm pretty sure all branches still require 20/20 vision for pilots.

 

[NovemberEcho]

Um, I'm pretty sure all branches still require 20/20 vision for pilots.

Correctable to 20/20 I believe. You can get LASIK etc and be fine. But regardless, going to a recruiter at 17 is not how you become a pilot. To become a pilot you have to become an officer. To become an officer you have to have a degree. You also speak to an officer recruiter, not the standard recruiter you have in your local strip mall. An enlisted recruiter will tell you anything to get you to enlist instead of commission. (Granted I don't know when op was talkin about)

https://www.thebalance.com/vision-requirements-to-become-a-military-pilot-navigator-3332649

 

[JDean3204]

Want to fix the shortage with vets? Simple fix. Bring back the post 9-11 GI Bill in its entirety.

Prior to 2013, the bill funded 100% at places like ERAU. After 2013, they capped funding at 12k a year for flight training at private IHL's. That will not cover much with today's costs. Now it is very hard to find a program that will cover 100% of the fees. Hardly anywhere covers the PPL because it's not considered a career building certificate. Although it's a base requirement for all civilian trained pilots. The coverage has declined with each rating. The VA used to cover the "average" amount of hours it took pilots to get ratings. It now only covers the absolute minimum the FAA requires leading vets to finance a good portion of the training.

This has all stemmed from certain programs like leading edge aviation initially taking advantage of vets. Charging them 150-200k for helicopter training and starting them in a turbine as a student pilot. That absolutely needed to be addressed, however the government again reacted with a knee jerk and cut a lot of good programs funding down.

It wasn't easy to sell vets to on looking into the career when their training was covered, because at the time the regional pay was still very low. Many did bail after their PPL or IR because they heard how piss poor their CFI's life was, qualifying for food stamps just trying to get to the regionals where again they would be qualifying for food stamps.

I would also like to see the pt 61 training cap removed. A vet gets 36 months of benefits. Under current rules they have no choice but to attend a 141 program if they want maximum funding. As some already have degrees, the degree program is not always needed. In that case, allowing them to train at a school like ATP would be much more efficient and beneficial to both the vet and the industry.

 

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

Correctable to 20/20 I believe. You can get LASIK etc and be fine.

I'm not sure if that's true now. I know for a fact it wasn't when I was that age.

But regardless, going to a recruiter at 17 is not how you become a pilot. To become a pilot you have to become an officer. To become an officer you have to have a degree. You also speak to an officer recruiter, not the standard recruiter you have in your local strip mall.

I spoke to several recruiters at that age. I was speaking to them to try to find any way around the perfect vision requirement before applying to the academies. I wasn't interested in applying if there was zero chance of snagging a pilot slot, which ended up being the case. It's not crazy for someone who doesn't have a degree yet to be seeking information from recruiters.

 

[NovemberEcho]

I'm not sure if that's true now. I know for a fact it wasn't when I was that age.

They got rid of the automatic disqualification in 2007. I forgot to clarify in my other post I don't know when the op was talking about which could change requirements.

 

[RDoug]

Back in the day, I know you had to have 20/20 before the Air Force would select you for pilot training. Afterward, you could use corrective lenses as your eyesight aged, but initially it had to be 20/20.

 

[Cptnchia]

I have a good friend that got his commercial and instrument ratings about a week or two before me and then went on to graduate near or at the top of his class as he went in to the Navy with around 500 hours and currently flies F-18s.

That wasn’t him drawing skydicks, was it?

 

[srn121]

That wasn’t him drawing skydicks, was it?

Good on him if it was as that was some solid airmanship, but he's not based in Washington state.

 

[srn121]

There are already people getting turned away by recruiters because they don't have 20-20 vision. I tried inlisting when I graduated high school, already had my ppl and was working on my instrument and commercial, and was told 'thanks, but no thanks, you can walk with a gun, or do maintenance, but we have enough pilots'. I figured a 17 year old that was already a pilot would indicate some sort of commitment to what he wanted to do with life, but all 4 branches politely declined. As long as they continue to turn people like that, that will sign up for free, away, I fail to see why spending trillions of dollars of tax payer money to toss 200 to 400 wet 250 hour CFI's into the mix will solve anything.

I know a helicopter pilot that was initially enlisted, but came back as an officer and got into flying for the Navy so it does happen. I do agree that there's no shortage of young kids out there that would kill to be pilots if only the armed forces were better about how they recruited.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photorefractive_keratectomy

The Navy and Marines will routinely grant a waiver for pilots or student naval aviators, as well as naval flight officers, UAS operators and aircrew, to fly after PRK and LASIK, assuming preoperative refractive standards are met, no complications in the healing process were encountered, asymptomatic with regard to significant haloes, glare or dry eye, off all medications, and passing their standard vision tests. In one study, 967 of 968 naval aviators having PRK returned to duty involving flying after the procedure. In fact, the U.S. Navy now offers free PRK and LASIK surgery at the National Naval Medical Center to Naval Academy Midshipmen who intend to pursue career paths requiring good uncorrected vision, including flight school and special operations training.[citation needed]

The U.S. Air Force approves the use of PRK and LASIK.[17] Since 2000 the USAF has conducted PRK for aviators at the Wilford Hall Medical Center. More airmen were allowed over the years and in 2004 the USAF approved Lasik for aviators, with limits on the type of aircraft they could fly. Then in 2007 those limits were lifted.[18] Most recently in 2011 the USAF expanded the program, making it easier for more airmen to qualify for the surgery. Current airmen (Active Duty and Air Reserve Components who are eligible) are authorized surgery at any DOD Refractive Surgery Center. Those airmen not eligible, are still able to get the surgery done at their own expense by a civilian surgeon, but must first be approved (Approval is based on the same USAF-RS program[19]). Others that do not fall into those categories (i.e. applicants who are seeking a pilot slot) can still elect to have the surgery done, but must follow the criteria in accordance with the USAF Waiver Guide.[20] Those applicants will be evaluated at the ACS during their Medical Flight Screening appointment to determine if they meet waiver criteria. Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the references contained within this article as information obtained from sources other than those listed could lead to disqualification for a pilot candidate.[citation needed]

I believe the restrictions on the aircraft you can fly with LASIK are due to concerns that the cut in the eye never fully heals so they want to limit the Gs you'll be expected to endure.

 

[jynxyjoe]

Will this veterans program be available to any servicemembers who were captured in a time of war? I understand President Trump likes troops that arent captured, but the adults didn't let his public position into a bill like this did he?

 

[Autothrust Blue]

I understand President Trump likes troops that arent captured,

ugh.

 

[jynxyjoe]

ugh.

Hey, he's a disgusting person with just over a dozen alligations of sexual assaut, but he's in charge for a bit so lets try working with him and seeing his side of things.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

Hey, he's a disgusting person with just over a dozen alligations of sexual assaut, but he's in charge for a bit so lets try working with him and seeing his side of things.

BUT HER EMAILS

 

[jynxyjoe]

BUT HER EMAILS

Don't forget Cruz's old man was the third gunman on the grassy knoll and President Obama is a secret African Muslim

 

[Autothrust Blue]

Don't forget Cruz's old man was the third gunman on the grassy knoll and President Obama is a secret African Muslim

The earth is also flat and only 6000 years old, chemtrails, and just pray it away. :/

 

[jynxyjoe]

The earth is also flat and only 6000 years old, chemtrails, and just pray it away. :/

It didn't happen because u didn't want it enough and or weren't positive enough. Global warming is a Chinese Hoax.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

It didn't happen because u didn't want it enough and or weren't positive enough.

Oh yeah, totes.

 

[av8tr1]

There are already people getting turned away by recruiters because they don't have 20-20 vision. I tried inlisting when I graduated high school, already had my ppl and was working on my instrument and commercial, and was told 'thanks, but no thanks, you can walk with a gun, or do maintenance, but we have enough pilots'. I figured a 17 year old that was already a pilot would indicate some sort of commitment to what he wanted to do with life, but all 4 branches politely declined. As long as they continue to turn people like that, that will sign up for free, away, I fail to see why spending trillions of dollars of tax payer money to toss 200 to 400 wet 250 hour CFI's into the mix will solve anything.

The Army Warrant officer program will take you without a degree. Find a local Army aviation unit and talk with their aviation recruiter and a current warrant about how to apply to the program.

http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/warrant/

You don't need a degree but it will help you be competitive.

 

[JDean3204]

...

 

[ozziecat35]

I got really lucky and was able to use the Post 9-11 GI-Bill to get my CMEL/CSEL, but it was right before the cut-off and and I had to stay on top of everything. This was also within the the whole Mountain State University de-accreditation fiasco.