USAF or Naval Aviation?

[phrogpilot73]

What?

You're not serious, are you? There is a max/min height/weight for ejection seats. If you are over or under, you apply for a waiver.

 

[Son of a Grunt]

So if your over the limit it won't eject you? Why would they grant a waver for something that could save your life?

 

[magnetfreezer]

So if your over the limit it won't eject you? Why would they grant a waver for something that could save your life?

From https://www.netc.navy.mil/nascweb/anthro_/files/Form_Increased Risk Ack_ Ejection fill in.pdf

Injury Risks For Lighter Weight Crew Members. The ejection seat catapult was designed for the ejection seat qualified/certified weight range.
1. Occupants weighing less than the qualified/certified lower limit are subject to a higher risk of injury on the ejection seat catapult due to greater accelerations.
2. Occupants weighing less than the qualified/certified lower limit are at risk of parachute entanglement at low speeds.
3. Occupants weight less than the qualified/certified lower limit, are at greater risk of injury due to seat instability before main parachute deployment.
4. Occupants weighing less than the qualified/certified lower limit are at greater risk of injury during ejections above 300 knots due to seat instability during drogue deployment.
5. Occupants weighing less than the qualified/certified lower limit, are at risk of injury during ejections near the upper end of mode 1 (approaching 300 knots) due to high parachute opening shock.
Injury Risks For Heavier Weight Crew Members.
1. Occupants weighing more than the qualified/certified upper limit may not attain sufficient altitude for parachute full inflation in Zero-Zero cases or at extremely low altitudes and velocities.
2. Occupants weighing more than the qualified/certified upper limit are at a greater risk of injury during parachute landing due to high descent rates.
3. Occupants weighing more than the qualified/certified upper limit may not attain sufficient altitude to clear the aircraft tail structure. Source: FA-18 A-D NATOPS Flight Manual

Being on the tall side when I had the anthro done they were concerned about your head breaking through the canopy before the seat, not sure what the concerns for short people are.

 

[schwarti]

I'd imagine that there's a little bit of leeway. It's not like you'll eject fine if you're 210#, but if you're 215# it just won't work at all.

That's just a guess.

 

[brownshoe]

Wow, MB. . . you're a fat ass Does the trailer lean and groan when you embark? By the way, the T-45 is spacious compared to the A-4. I am totally average Ht/Wt and I thought the A-4 cockpit was small.

MB must be a growing boy. I sent him four steaks and the "PM" he'd sent me said that he was having two for dinner the day he'd gotten them. I suspect he ate the other two the next night. Pretty good sized steaks too!

As far as an A-4 cockpit; well I was 145 pounds, 69 1/2" tall then, and it was a tight fit for me. How in the world did you guys fly them?

Steve

 

[Catmando]

Started flight training at 6'4" .........and retired 20+ years later at only 5'8".

I guess all those years of pulling hi-G's have now made me, "short for my weight."

 

[usmarinemike]

My dad said that I can't get jets because I will be to tall(over 5'8") and to heavy(over 180lb.). Is this accurate?

Sounds exactly like something a grunt would say. You think pilots have to be damn horse jockeys or something?

 

[Son of a Grunt]

That's why I asked since I couldn't find any documentation on it.

 

[bsubdevils]

Well, personally, I say Navy's better - even though my uncle flew F-4's for the Air Force. My personal taste I guess.

BUT, I was in Alaska this summer talking with a bush pilot in Ketchikan talking about aviation and he mentioned he likes flying with Naval Aviators over Air Force pilots, because according to him they think "more out of the box, on their feet, it's more enjoyable" whilst Air Force guys it's "all about numbers".

Don't know how correct he is, but thought I'd pass it on.:icon_tong

 

[SemperGumbi]

Too heavy=sign an "If I eject and sie I know you told me I would" waiver.

Of fly soemthing without an ejection seat.

If you are waaaaay to heavy, call Jenny.

 

[Huggy Bear]

Started flight training at 6'4" .........and retired 20+ years later at only 5'8".

I guess all those years of pulling hi-G's have now made me, "short for my weight."

That's Funny. With each PRT my "documented" height kept going up.

 

[AFBrandon]

To be fair, this isn't the best place to come for an unbiased opinion on the air force.

 

[FLYTPAY]

To be fair, this isn't the best place to come for an unbiased opinion on the air force.

Here is my unbiased opinion....the Air Force sucks.:icon_smil

 

[USNMark]

I was just at work this morning (911 EMT) and a nurse overheard my partner talking to our patient about my desire to be a naval aviator and the nurse had it in him to say "Oh.... the NAVY huh??? maaaaan... that's a shame" to which I said, "Lemme guess... the Chair Force, right?" it was pretty funny watching him turn from smart ass to pissed off in about 2 seconds. Everybody laughed and then he had the 'good sense' to say, "he wants to join the Navy because he doesn't want to be a real pilot." All I said was "you know what everybody says about "The Force" right? Flare to land, squat to pee" and then I left. I didn't want to waste any more of my time.

 

[e6bflyer]

...the nurse had it in him to say "Oh.... the NAVY huh??? maaaaan... that's a shame" to which I said, "Lemme guess... the Chair Force, right?" it was pretty funny watching him turn from smart ass to pissed off in about 2 seconds. Everybody laughed and then he had the 'good sense' to say, "he wants to join the Navy because he doesn't want to be a real pilot." All I said was "you know what everybody says about "The Force" right? Flare to land, squat to pee" and then I left. I didn't want to waste any more of my time.

First of all: Male nurse? Kind of like this guy?

Second: This story is like something out of the Chris Farley show skit on SNL, where it sounds really cool when you do it, but when you tell the story it is actually really lame. I hate to think you were bested by a male nurse in the Air Force (very fitting, by the way), but....