Military pilot vision requirement?
 

Okay, I think this may be the first actual question posed on this forum since it's re-creation. It's also something that I've been trying to find out for a while now, and have had no one reliable to ask.

Is there anyone who's currently active USAF or USN? If so, do you by chance know what exactly the current vision requirements are for pilots?

I've heard that the vision requirements have been recently relaxed somewhat, and the only places I can think of to look to find out what the current requirements are are at risk of being "recruiter hype" (and we all know that military recruiters make used car salesmen look like ministers ;))...

BTW, this is coming from someone who would be perfectly content behind the controls of a C-130 or a C-5A...not interested in the high-performance fighters. But, flying's my first passion, and I've always felt a need to serve the country somehow...

Thanks!

Why not give a local recruiter a call.

Everything I've ever heard about recruiters is that the best way to make sure that they're lying is to ensure that, yes, their lips are moving. If I thought I could trust what one would tell me, I would do just that... :(

It just so happens I am in the AF game right now - awaiting my trip to boot camp as we speak! 6 MO waiting list is fine with me - plenty of time to restore the SD!
As for the vision requirements I believe IF you qualify in the other areas you can HAVE your vision corrected by the AF doctors only! not LASIK either it was the other one..... memory stretched.
Do a search on google - I found a interesting site with a wealth of information
www.about.com
They have a TON of information on the military and their current policies.

I will ask my "souce of informaiton" about this later if you can not find an answer.

Army is 20/50; Air Force is 20/70; Navy/Marine Corps is 20/100. All must be correctable to 20/20. Army, Navy/MC will accept corrective surgery. USAF will not.

Im thinking about going into the marines...To be eligable to fly you must have 20/20 vision. However, if your vision slacks after or during training, i do believe they allow "substandard vision" so to speak.

Darn...I'm correctable to 20/20, but I'm about 20/200 without glasses. No corrective surgery...actually, I'm not sure if it's available for what I've got...

Now, do they accept surgery done before you sign up, or do they have to do it themselves?

My buddy at the naval acadamy in anapolis says they'll accept anyone whos vision can be corrected to 20/20. If the navy and marine accept corrected vision, i dont see why the air force wouldn't. The navy and marines have to land on a moving boat at night...air force has a nice static target

At least with the Navy there have been policy shifts in the last few years. They now accept aviation candidates with eye surgery under some circumstances, but I'd definitely check first. Remember too there's a difference between being an aviator and being a pilot. The Navy will let you be an NFO (read navigator) with any vision that corrects to 20/20, while for pilots I'm pretty sure there's a baseline vision requirement. Air Force does something similar, but not sure of the exact requirements.

Don't tell that to a Naval Aviator!!!