Will my height disqualify me from Army flight school or WOFT?

2020-06-05T04:21:39-04:00

Hi Guys. I have a question. Will my height disqualify me from army flight school or WOFT? My height is 5 Feet 2 Inches. The 64 is my dream.

Response by SGT Javier Silva made Jun 5 at 2020 9:10 AM

2020-06-05T09:10:12-04:00

Although the minimum is 64" to fly for the Army, there have been instances, very few, where personnel under this requirement were allowed to fly. The only true way to find out if the Army will allow you to fly is to apply for a waiver. If the branch says non-waiverable, then you have your answer. Until you get a definitive no, you can get a yes.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 5 at 2020 9:50 AM

2020-06-05T09:50:30-04:00

you have to pass a Flight Duty Medical Exam. The FDME includes body-size requirements, such as a sitting height of 40.15 inches or less and arm reach of 64.56 inches or more. so your height won't disqualify you but your arm reach might. In general, your arm reach is about the same as your height. So if your height is 5'2" your arm reach is going to be about 62" which is a couple of inches short of the requirement, Unless you have long arms for your height, you're probably not going to meet that requirement. And I would be very surprised if they would waiver that requirement since it directly impacts your ability to operate the aircraft. You can't fly a helicopter if you can't reach all the controls.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 5 at 2020 11:16 AM

2020-06-05T11:16:24-04:00

I’ve had an LT who couldn’t have the seat adjust high enough for DEP and able to have full collective movement that flew. Just had to sit lower than the DEP. Maybe an option.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 5 at 2020 5:34 PM

2020-06-05T17:34:06-04:00

The AF just announced they are getting rid of height requirements to fly. Just a thought

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/05/25/us/air-force-removes-height-restrictions-pilots-trnd/index.html

The US Air Force is removing height restrictions for pilots, which will allow more women to serve...

Previously, applicants shorter than 5'4" or taller than 6'5" had to submit a waiver. Though most height waivers were approved, the restrictions eliminated a large share of the US female population.