DAMN MY EYES!

[Indiana_Jones]

"I am pleased to confirm that your educational qualifications are acceptable for Naval College Entry. However, the Central Air and Admiralty Medical Board has informed us that you are permanently medically unfit for the Aircrew Branch due to your eyesight"

They say I'm only fit for marines or logistics (well they said engineering, but that needs a degree)

Damn eyes

-Indy

[sAsLEX]

lol I got that from the army and i thank them every day for it!! Join the navy get a degree see the world!!!

[ManDownUnder]

They say I'm only fit for marines or logistics (well they said engineering, but that needs a degree)

Damn eyes

-Indy

On one hand I feel for ya.. and on the other... if you happened to get a forces sponsored degree out of it, I'd be happy to see my taxpayer's dollar going to something worthwhile.

It'd cost you $50,000+ if you did it yourself (including lost wages, fees, resources etc)

Gift horse is right there chap... but the (very real) question is... is that what you'd like to do?

MDU

[Indiana_Jones]

gift horse?

Also this is for the British forces

-Indy

[The Tazman]

Mate I know how you feel as my eyes stopped me getting into the police force, stopped me getting a race lisence in the UK and then some.

I agree with the others re getting the degree etc but only if that is what you want to do. Doing something you want and enjoy will make for a much happier life. Most people don't like there jobs they just do them!!! Get it right now and you will be sorted.

All the best with the decision.

[James Deuce]

"I am pleased to confirm that your educational qualifications are acceptable for Naval College Entry. However, the Central Air and Admiralty Medical Board has informed us that you are permanently medically unfit for the Aircrew Branch due to your eyesight"

They say I'm only fit for marines or logistics (well they said engineering, but that needs a degree)

Damn eyes

-Indy

Logistics is both more interesting and rewarding than it sounds. In a modern service the ratio of frontline positions to logitstics positions runs at about 4-6:1. That is the guy shooting stuff needs 4-6 guys to keep him there. Ther are a huge range of jobs available to do that, and they ALL translate to a civilian specialty that will give you an extremely comfy life.

The Royal Marines on the other hand, get treated worse than their US cousins. But it really is the Travel, meet interesting people, and kill them job of the British armed forces.

Now for some real life advice: Cheat.

Stop playing by the rule book.

[SPORK]

Hm, I'm interested in entering the Air Force, ("Pah!" I hear you say) and becoming a pilot (hopefully helicopter). My eyesight is pretty good, but I'm very slightly colourblind. Would this affect my chances much?

Anyone got any advice?

[James Deuce]

Hm, I'm interested in entering the Air Force, ("Pah!" I hear you say) and becoming a pilot (hopefully helicopter). My eyesight is pretty good, but I'm very slightly colourblind. Would this affect my chances much?

Anyone got any advice?

Are we allowed to be honest, or are you after a some reassurance that it'll all be OK?

I failed the Pilot entry requirements, back when the RNZAF had real aircraft through two things:

1. I failed the mechanical aptitude test by 1 point (didn't know the difference between a rasp or a file)
2. Very slight Red/Green colour blindness.

I wasn't allowed to apply for Navigator because I failed the mechanical aptitude test. So I went into IT instead.

[flyin]

mmm class 1 medical is very thorough....... they wouldn't give me one cos i kept failing drug tests......... farkem I'd rather have ma head fly than become a glammed up taxi driver....

[SuperDave]

So what exaclty with eyesight is considered to be unacceptable for the airforce? Any eye weakness, or is there a certain cut off point?

[Indiana_Jones]

Well the airforce here didn't have an issue with my eyes when I applied for AOEP, though there is a cut off point i think.

I don't see why I can't be an warfare officer in the Brit navy if I wear glasses.

-Indy

[sAsLEX]

you should be sweet for non piloty stuff wearing glasses, god knows i am as blind as a bat and i am in weapons engineering.
Colour blindnesss could be a problem though as navigations lights etc are red and green so a touch of that and they wont touch you! ie being a seaman officer or warefare same sort of thing you need to be able to drvie ships around, cant do that if you cant tell the diff between starboard and port markers!

[James Deuce]

you should be sweet for non piloty stuff wearing glasses, god knows i am as blind as a bat and i am in weapons engineering.
Colour blindnesss could be a problem though as navigations lights etc are red and green so a touch of that and they wont touch you! ie being a seaman officer or warefare same sort of thing you need to be able to drvie ships around, cant do that if you cant tell the diff between starboard and port markers!

Red/Green deficiency isn't quite as obvious as not being able to see red and green. Basically the worst thing is a combination of red writing on a green background for instance, particularly lighter shades of those colours, like you sometimes get on a map. It causes an odd 3D effect which makes it difficult to read the subject matter.

You're right though. Colour blindness is worse in those situations than a lack of visual acuity that can be corrected by lenses.

[sAsLEX]

Red/Green deficiency isn't quite as obvious as not being able to see red and green. Basically the worst thing is a combination of red writing on a green background for instance, particularly lighter shades of those colours, like you sometimes get on a map. It causes an odd 3D effect which makes it difficult to read the subject matter.

You're right though. Colour blindness is worse in those situations than a lack of visual acuity that can be corrected by lenses.

yeah thought it was somehting along those lines, but the thing is approaching a channel late at night in limeted vis through fog, the red and green channel markers could be over lapping and haloed in the fog, depth perception becomes the key issue in driving the ships!!

Same reason ship drivers aint allowed polarized sunnies as they can hide things in certain lights!

[MacD]

Hm, I'm interested in entering the Air Force, ("Pah!" I hear you say) and becoming a pilot (hopefully helicopter). My eyesight is pretty good, but I'm very slightly colourblind. Would this affect my chances much?

Anyone got any advice?

Depends what "very slightly colourblind" means really.

Can you pass the Ishihara test (the booklet where the coloured dots make up numbers etc)? If so, you would be OK for most (if not all) branches/trades.

If you fail the Ishihara test then you need to do a lantern test where you have to accurately name coloured lights (effectively like naming navigation lights). If you can pass the lantern test you would be OK for most branches but not some of the technical ones. If I remember correctly you might still be OK for Pilot training?

You could go to one of the CAA-accreditied Optometrists or the University of Auckland Optometry Clinic and have an eye/colour vision test if you want to avoid approaching the Airforce first.