© Ronald Bradshaw/388th Fighter Wing/U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II pilots with the 421st Fighter Squadron return after flying a sortie during exercise Red Flag 20-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Feb. 3, 2020. Red Flag is the Air Force's premiere large-scale combat exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by R. Nial Bradshaw)
CNN: The US Air Force is removing height restrictions for pilots, which will allow more women to serve
(CNN)The US Air Force has removed its minimum height requirements for prospective pilots, doing away with a barrier that had disadvantaged women.
Previously, aspiring Air Force pilots were required to have a standing height of 5'4" to 6'5" and a sitting height of 34 to 40 inches.
Applicants shorter than 5'4" or taller than 6'5" had to submit a waiver.
Though most height waivers were approved, the restrictions eliminated about 44% of the US female population ages 20 to 29, according to the Air Force.
"Studies have shown that women's perceptions about being fully qualified for a job makes them less likely to apply, even though there is a waiver option," Air Force mobility planner and programmer Lt. Col. Jessica Ruttenber said in news release last week.
Read more ....
More News On The U.S. Air Force Dropping Height Restrictions
Air Force removes initial height requirement for officer aviators -- US Air Force
Air Force drops height restriction to allow more female pilots -- The Hill
Air Force Scraps Pilot Height Rule -- Newser
6 comments:
I thought thhe restriction had more to do with limitations of the ejection seat vis-vis height and weight and not just a simple discrimination
What David said. Also, you learn in ergonomics class you design things for a percentage of the population. You never design something like a seat for 100% of the population.
Marines have height limits, max & min. Tankers have max height limits.
Will this push get anyone killed?
This isn't a political decision. This is common sense and something the RCAF has already been doing for well over a decade. Different aircraft have different height and weight requirements. No need to have general service restrictions more stringent than aircraft specific restrictions.
"how well you can see out the cockpit,"
The height of a seat can be adjusted. Don't know how expensive it it will be to engineer it or how well it will work.
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The RCAF is what? The Royal Canadian Air Farce. They have flown how many combat missions in the last generation?
76 McDonnell Douglas CF-188A & B aircraft. The size of the Air Guard of 5 typical American states. More of an polo club really for the gentry. Something to put on their resume.
Okay, 7 Canadian jet fighters bombed Gadaffi in 2011, Now, that was brave.
There's a lot of areas where the Canadian military punches above its weight or does things better than other nations. How many American snipers are in the top 5 longest sniper kills? None. But there are three Canadians in that list. And let's not talk about the cement coloured camoflauge the US Army adopted or other epic failures.
Having a 5'4" restriction for pilots when aircraft can be flown but shorter pilots is non sensical.
And you don't see the problem.
The Canadians do not have competing priorities. They have the luxury of taking 10 years for a decision that should be done in a few months and if they come to no decision to take another decade.
Is Canada prepared to fight peer on peer conflicts like on the plains of Europe and also fight insurgencies? Didn't think so.
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