Life is not just about fun and games for a fighter pilot. Every day is a new challenge with unlimited opportunities. This perhaps may be the only profession in the world where nothing is routine. A fighter pilot is a master of his destiny right from the beginning as he has to take major decisions, mostly split second, about life and death without much assistance from others. However, Fighter flying has its own dynamics, which makes it unique and beyond comparison with any job in the world.
Fighter pilot height limit full#
Like other defence jobs, it is full of commitment and challenges. However, its the fear of the unknown that keeps you on the tenterhooks and grounded to reality.įighter flying has its own set of perks and privileges but it all comes with a certain risk? Could you please share the “highs and lows" of your job with us? Reality probably lies somewhere in between, as fun lies in appreciating the world from the third dimension while a sense of achievement lies in mastering something beyond the reach of everyone. It is fun for the uninitiated and a perceived challenge for the man in the cockpit. When you go for a 'sortie', how does it feel to be seated inside the cockpit? I started fighter flying at a young age of 20 and formally earned my coveted wings, at the age of 21.
I thought life of fighter pilot would be adventurous, challenging and thrilling fortunately, it has worked even better. The respect, awe and admiration a fighter aircraft commands amongst people, something beyond the ordinary, was what attracted me towards this profession. During 1971 Indo-Pak war, I had a chance of witnessing fighter aircraft carrying out bombing and aerial combat. The thrill of this, like a knife in the butter, gave me a high beyond words and imagination. When did you know that it was what you wanted to be?īeing born and brought in the plains of Punjab, sighting a fighter aircraft flying from close quarters was an everyday thing. I am a fighter pilot who has undertaken several thousand flights during 25 years of active fighter flying career. Sir, could you please introduce yourself? You can read the entire excerpt from the sit-down conversation that we guys had Against the backdrop of the majestic Jaisalmer Fort, we got talking, and boy, what an inspiring story he had to share. And guess what? we had the wonderful opportunity to host a veteran fighter pilot from the Indian Air Force at our property in Jaisalmer. These measurements, in addition to standing height, also measure an applicant’s eye height while sitting, buttocks-to-knee length, and arm span, are entered into a computer to determine which aircraft the applicant could and could not safely fit in.Jaisalmer, a desert city blessed with phenomenal natural beauty, also happens to be the home to one of the 6 strategic air bases in the blissfully quaint state of Rajasthan. While the service said its goal in dropping the height requirement was to attract a more diverse group of candidates, it admitted in a news release, “The previous height screening criteria eliminated about 44 percent of American women between the age of 20 and 29.”Īccording to the Air Force Times, “Instead of a blanket height requirement, the Air Force said that it will apply an ‘anthropometric screening process’ to figure out which specific aircraft applicants would be able to fly. Under the previous Medical Standards Directory requirement, a pilot applicant was required to stand between 5’4″ and 6’5″ with a sitting height between 34 and 40 inches.
Last week, the Air Force removed one more barrier to recruiting the pilots it so badly needs by eliminating the height requirement for applicants. The US Air Force still needs more pilots, despite the effects of the COVID-19 virus on the rest of the aviation industry.
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