[ARC5] Smoking In Airplanes

[Mike Morrow]

In late 1960s high school I spent two days at Blytheville AFB (SAC) getting very comprehensive medical, visual, and written flight aptitude exams including a psych interview with a flight surgeon for USAF ROTC scholarship.  I learned that at 6 ft 2 in height, anything above 6 ft was not optimal and selection for fighter aircraft was unlikely.  Regardless, I was offered the program.  My Navy ROTC scholarship application required much less, only the standard herd-like pre-induction physical at Little Rock AFEES.  I chose the Navy program because it required three times the active duty training and the commissions were in the Regular Navy.  Flight aptitude wasn't evaluated until two years into NROTC.  Nothing was said about height and I eventually received orders to pilot training at Pensacola.  (Unfortunately, I agreed under pressure to an Admiral Rickover interview a few weeks before being commissioned.  At the end of that day my cherished flight orders were canceled ...the USN needed engineers as nuclear-qualified submarine officers more than as pilots.)

Earlier I had active duty training on carrier USS Intrepid and at NAS Corpus Christi.  The one common very obvious physical characteristic of almost every naval aviator I ever met was height less than 6 ft...often well less.  Even though I did not enter that specialty, I believe it's more difficult (and dangerous) to become a naval aviator than a submarine  officer.  It must at times be more fun...even if it helps to be a Munchkin. :-)

Mike / KK5F

-----Original Message-----
From: Roy Morgan <k1lky68 at gmail.com>
Sent: Aug 27, 2021 6:29 PM
To: Robert Eleazer <releazer at earthlink.net>
Cc: <ARC5 at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [ARC5] Smoking In Airplanes

While on an Airforce base just prior to a Blue Angels participation in an air show, I learned that all the Blue Angel pilots are VERY SHORT. They fly the F/A-18 which has no room for tall pilots. 

Roy MorganK1LKY Western Mass


On Aug 27, 2021, at 5:21 PM, Robert Eleazer <releazer at earthlink.net> wrote:


When the Royal Australian Air Force got the F-111 aircraft they announced that pilots with the following characteristics would not be allowed to fly it:
 
1. Smokers
2. All those over 6 ft tall

Wayne
WB5WSV 

 



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