Are you interested in becoming a pilot or career enlisted aviator, but you think you’re too short? Your height does not have to be a barrier to entry into the world’s greatest Air Force – U.S. Air Force
One of the most disappointing moments in my young Air Force career occurred just a few days before one of the most exhilarating and rewarding moments.
As with so many young men joining the U.S. Air Force, my dream was to fly.
I had just emigrated to the United States and did not yet meet the U.S. naturalization requirements and consequently did not meet a key requirement for commissioning and for reaching out to my ultimate dream: To become a military pilot.
No problem. I would enlist and fly as an enlisted aviator. The “real flying” would come later.
During the first few weeks of basic training, I made my wishes known and passed all aptitude tests and physical exams to become an airborne radio operator. All except for one: I “topped” at 63 ½ inches while the minimum height requirement for an aircrew member was 64 inches. I was disqualified and devastated.
That night in the barracks after “lights-out,” with a flashlight under my blanket, I penned a letter, not to my Technical Instructor (T.I.), not to the base commander, but to the two-star Wing Commander. Having the lowest possible enlisted rank I might as well write to God…
My letter expressed my deep desire to serve my country as an aircrew member, my view that lacking half of an inch of required height should not affect my performance in that capacity, and I promised to become an airborne radio operator that the General would be proud of.
A few days later, to my amazement, a shiny, blue “staff car” pulled up to the barracks to take me back to the flight medicine clinic for “re-measuring.”
Lo and behold, I had grown another half inch virtually overnight and, no, I did not ingest Miracle-Gro.
That was not the only surprise. A few days later, I received a letter from the Air Wing Commander, Major General H. L Grills, commending me “for the intense interest” I had shown in my first duty assignment and expressing hope that I would “ maintain this interest” throughout my entire Air Force career — which I did, for the next 20 years.
It is impossible to know how many otherwise well-qualified young men and women have been denied their dreams because of height requirements.
While anthropometric considerations are pertinent for certain aircraft and aircrew specialties, “blanket” height standards — too short or too tall — have always been controversial.
Last May, the Air Force removed blanket height requirements for officers who are otherwise qualified to become aviators. Men and women shorter than 5’4″ or taller than 6’5″could apply and, if otherwise qualified, would be able to fly certain aircraft in the Air Force’s fleet.
Gwendolyn DeFilippi, assistant deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, said at the time, “This is a huge win, especially for women and minorities of smaller stature who previously may have assumed they weren’t qualified to join our team.”
Last week, the Air Force established new height standards for career enlisted aviators (CEA) expanding the pool of airmen who can serve in such positions, according to the Air Force Times.
The new standards, ranging from 4’10” to 6’8″ depending on specialty, replace the previous qualifications requiring applicants to be between 5’4″ and 6’5″.
The U.S. Air Force no longer uses airborne radio operators, but there are plenty of other enlisted aviator career fields (inflight refueling specialists, flight engineers, aircraft loadmasters, airborne mission systems specialists, airborne cryptologic language analysts, airborne Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operators, etc.,) — accounting for approximately 35 percent of the service’s total force aviator community – that will benefit from these changes.
