I use to have asthma as a kid, can I still join the USAF as a pilot?

Question

I had it when I was a small kid but do not have it anymore. Is it possible for me to join as a pilot?

Answer 1

You need first a pulminary function test, possibly followed by a methacholine challenge test. These can tell your recruiter that you no longer have asthma, with an error rate of about 1 in 10. Also, some people may do a methacholine test without the PFT.

Read about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metacholine_challenge_test

http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/intmedstandards/blmeth.htm

Find a place in your area by checking in the Yellow Pages or on the internet, often under "Physicians and Surgeons."

It can be expensive, so you might want to ask your recruiter for the cheapest way for you to get this done. Or you may want to just bring them the paperwork, in case you get a false positive the first time.

And remember to relax. It's a freaky test to some people, but relaxing is not only going to give you a better outcome, it's good practice for being a pilot. :)

Answer 2

No. Not if they find out and they can dig up your medical records from the past.
This is especially true for the Air Force in general as they are very selective. It is even more so for a pilot. A potential pilot must take many tests before being allowed in the program. The Air force does not want to spend lots of the tax dollars training someone who will have to quit because of health or because they get an attack when they have the air mask on or are stressed out.
One of the physical tests they give is the Lung test where you breathe through a tube and it records your breaths.

My son was in the Civil Air Patrol plus Navy ROTC for 7 years. He applied to the Air Force for a scholarship and was turned down. He got one from the Army. He tried to get a pilots slot for the Army and they put him through rigorous testing both physical and eyes, mental and book work. He passed all. But he had to go through it all again a second and third time. He passed each time. Then when the slots came up they said they needed to fill a quota of women pilots and he was forced into another field.

Becoming a pilot is not easy in the Military. They want only the Creme of the Crop (top grades, well rounded, perfect scores etc). Many get denied even when they pass their testing. My son has honors in Civil Air Patrol (Air Force Aux) and he was the cadet commander. He gave it his life and they passed him up.

My son had asthma as a child and we found it was because he was allergic to dogs and cats. He is perfect away from them. It just depends on the damage the asthma caused to the lungs. The inhalers cause more damage with steroids. So it really depends on how long and what damage may have been done. The thing about asthma is that you can control it so that it does not show up. But under stress or high altitude and such it can show up and you may not be able to stop an attack.

Good Luck

Answer 3

2

Answer 4

Not sure.. it's hard to even enlist when you had asthma at any point. As you can imagine, getting commissioned is MUCH more difficult especially as a pilot. Its the most competitive job in the Air Force so I hope you plan on going to the Academy! You could always just not tell them or "forget to mention" your previous condition. But if they find out then you could be kicked out for a fraudlent commission or something. Hope I didn't crush your dreams

Answer 5

Hope some of this information can help you........

Pilot
Normal color vision
Distant vision: Uncorrected 20/70, but corrected to 20/20
Near vision: Uncorrected 20/30, but corrected to 20/20
Meet refraction, accommodation and astigmatism requirements
Corrective eye surgery could be a disqualifier
Have no history of hay fever, asthma or allergies after age 12
Meet Air Force weight and physical conditioning requirements
Have standing height of 64 to 77 inches and sitting height of 34 to 40 inches

Answer 6

I'm in the Army so I'm unaware of if you can or can't join the Air Force. But I do know that if you had asthma younger than 13 you probably could. You can in the Army! Besides the reason why that is so important is because in basic you do so much physical fitness!