Pilot qualification

<p>I just read on afrotc’s site that hay fever after the age of 12 will disqualify you from potentially becoming a pilot. Does anyone know if it is possible to get this waivered for minor cases.</p>

<p>simple answer yes.
They will ask for lots of paperwork and have doctor's find out how bad it actually is. But there are people here with hay fever, so I wouldn't be too concerned.</p>

<p>Thanks, the main reason i want to go to the academy is for the potential of a career as a fighter pilot. After reading that, I was like ooooff, there goes my dreams down the toilet.</p>

<p>so tell me sipes, what will you do if you fail in getting a career in aviation?</p>

<p>I'd personally like to go to places like Africa and Madagascar to help in aid and peace. Not sure if the Air Force does that, but if i'm not in the air force it's something i'd do in my own time.</p>

<p>I've actually been thinking about that a lot lately. Currently I am studying civil engineering, but plan to switch to either mechanical or engineering physics for a more parallel curriculum to aeronautical engineering. So if I am not pilot qualified, but get accepted into either afa or usna, I would still want to serve and have always wanted to study aeronautical engineering. As for a career path, I'm not positive. However, if I'm not accepted period, then I'm not sure about anything. I don't want to be a civil engineer, that I know. Probably something in engineering physics.
Does anyone know what the possibilities of a career in aeronautical engineering after graduating from the academy?</p>

<p>You could work for Northrup-Grumman, Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, Bell, Sikorski, Cessna, Gulfstream, Learjet, Piper, and many other companies. You might also be able to become a well-paid civilian contractor for the air force. You could work at the test pilot school and center. Many options are available, just know its a fairly volatile industry due to the ups and downs of both civilian aviation and military aviation.</p>

<p>The majority of aero engineers are baby-boomers. I was just reading an article that said the aerospace industry will be facing shortages of engineers (40,000+) within the next 10 years or so. The aero industry MAY become less volitile in regards to retaining engineers...just a thought.</p>

<p>Thanks for the info. What paths do you guys plan on following after the academy?</p>

<p>I will probably go to grad school. Then I would really like to fly fighters or Spec Ops.</p>

<p>I just found a chart that said "hay fever" and sinus problems can be waivered if they are controllable with medication.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wantscheck.com/PilotSlotResources/MedicalTips/tabid/68/Default.aspx%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.wantscheck.com/PilotSlotResources/MedicalTips/tabid/68/Default.aspx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>In the DC area, my son's has a friend who graduated from VT in 2005 with a EE. For the first six months he work for a company making 40K. He was felt bored and got another job with SRA at 45K, another company came at him 8 months later with a job offer at 65K ( old boss offered him the job at his new company). He took the job offer to SRA and the matched the offer and then they other company came back at him with another offer of 72K. This guy will be 24 in July, so there is a market of Engineers, especially in the DC area!</p>

<p>Hornetguy smart way to get masters done and you shouldn't have to do a year waiting for a slot.</p>

<p>depending on how well you do academically and how hard you apply yourself, usafa offers numerous grad school slots. if you want to get your masters right away, that definetely the way to go: get paid for it</p>

<p>On the subject of grad school... It's likely that if you get a pilot slot, you will not go directly to pilot training; instead, you get put in a different job in the months leading up to your start date. This period of time is known as being on "casual status." While it's not really common, it is possible to at least get a start on a Master's degree during this period of time; of course doing it this way means you do it in addition to your job, at night, etc.</p>

<p>UNcynical, nice to "see" you again! Can you tell us anything about your experience (Uncynical is a recent grad/former cc moderator) who got pilot training? Ever hear anything from DocFrance (moderator before her)?</p>

<p>I see docfrance around campus every so often. Last semester he taught the engineering class next door to mine. I see him mostly at main functions I guess.</p>