Hayfever and RAF Pilot. Also adviced need about joining the RAF.

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Reply 20

KaneD598

would having hayfever affect me getting into the RAF as a PTI ???? :smile:

Reply 21

Drewski

No [Unless you suffered from it really badly].

Reply 22

ProStacker

Yes - it might well do:

http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/rafcms/mediafiles/8AC4A6D0_5056_A318_A8628AA28D2D8DAE.pdf

For ground branches and trades, people with a past history of asthma, wheezing or inhaler use may
be eligible for service following review by medical staff. If you have current asthma symptoms or a current
prescription or you use an inhaler for asthma or wheeze (regardless of cause), you are not eligible to apply
for service.

Reply 23

SillyEddy

This is a late reply, but Google sparked it up, so I figured I would give some insight.

When I went to RAF Careers, they asked me a set of general questions... Is your eyesight okay? Do you have asthma? Do you have diabetes? Do you have hayfever?

The last one struck me too. I replied, honestly, and said... Yeah, I have very mild hayfever.

My hayfever, as a child, was quite bad. But I have learnt to deal with it, and my body has responded. Nowadays, my hayfever is not a problem.

The RAF Careers Sergeant replied... Do you take any medication for it? Once again, I made an honest reply and said no. The matter was not taken any further. I have heard all sorts of weird reasons why hayfever is a concern. Some people say it is a personal weakness, and that the military don't want weak candidates. Others say the the oxygen masks will causes a reaction to your skin (sounds like crap to me).

So long as the hayfever is mild, I wouldn't worry about it. Learn to take yourself off the medication, and I don't think they will have any problems with it. I don't know why it's not allowed, but whatever keeps them happy. It could even develop with you as an adult, so it's not dreadful. It's not like having a missing limb or anything. My greatest concern (which I probably mistake for hayfever) is known as ACHOO syndrome... I sneeze in sunlight. It affects quite a lot of people, it just means that my body dislikes the bright light and tries to make me close my eyes. At least, this is my excuse if they challenge my summer sneezing... And it's only a white lie!

As for Air Cadets... Join if you can, or at an elder age, apply as an adult instructor. It will give you an insight into RAF procedures. It will teach you discipline, it will teach you to dress like an RAF candidate and it will teach you the basics. But beyond the boring stuff, it will be great fun too. You will learn to fly (with scholarships available, as well as many flight and glider opportunities). You get to learn to shoot, you get to learn to camp and survive. It's just a brilliant personality building block. You will meet a lot of new people, and you'll be able to make a name for yourself. If you stick with it long enough, you'll probably be able to get a good reputation with a wing commander too... And if you asked them for a reccomendation, I am sure they will be able to help with any career path you try to choose.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 24

ProStacker

Eddy - it doesn't actually matter why people are not allowed to have hay fever - they aren't. You are not the judge of that - and your thinking and reasoning and advice is misguided and ill informed. The 'reasons' you give are rubbish - but there are lots of good reasons

If you sneeze in bright sunlight, how do you think you would perform either above the clouds in bright sunlight flying, or somewhere like Afghanistan? Either situation, I'd not want you holding weapon controls.

Reply 25

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

The reason aircrew are not allowed to have hayfever is because flying with irritated, inflamed on blocked nasal passages and sinuses is dangerous. If your nasal passages and sinuses are blocked, the normal changes of pressurisation in the cockpit can be agonisingly painful, as you might have found if you've flown on a passenger jet with a cold. If the aircraft undergoes a rapid decompression, this pain can (usually does) become immediately incapacitating. You will simply become unable to operate the aircraft. It's more than not being able to clear your ears - eventually with enough swallowing/yawning etc, ears will clear. You can't clear sinuses in the same way though, so there is no way of getting rid of the pain, other than landing.

Aircrew ground themselves while they have a cold, but as this only happens for a few days a year, it is easy to manoeuvre around without any loss of operational capability. However, if 10% of your aircrew are unfit to fly for 3 months of every year, it is unsustainable - to say nothing of operating in other countries with different seasons and different allergens.

Reply 26

SillyEddy

Original post by ProStacker

I gave reasons that I had heard, but ultimately I concluded that it's just unfortunate, and that you'll have to comply. The above post covers the correct reasons why. As I said, if you'd read it fully, the reasons I gave were rumoured and from what other candidates had said. The careers staff weren't bothered so long as I didn't take medication. So my reccomendation is to get off the medication. If anything, your body learns to control it. After 2 years of no medication, I am absolutely fine.

ACHOO isn't an allergic reaction. For example, if you spent 8 hours inside and then go out, you'll probably sneeze once or twice. It's not like vampirism!

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 27

DeathByNinja

They are hardly recruiting at the moment- massive redundancies continuing until the end of next year.

Reply 28

dumdumdumdidum

The medical list on the RAF careers website does not mention hayfever specifically. It may be outdated slightly but the information I have on hayfever is 'hay fever causing severe symptoms or wheezing'. The AFCO can advise you on this point but the final decision would rest with the medical team.

When applying for pilot, or any career in the armed forces, you should be aware that they don't often directly translate to careers outside of the forces. So an engineer or pilot in the RAF would have experienced very different careers to those outside of the forces simply by the nature of the service. If you are considering becoming a pilot in the RAF and then progressing into the commercial airlines there is a lot to consider:

1. the RAF puts a lot of money into your training and expects a return on this investment. If you want to be a commercial pilot you would be looking years into the future. As a result you have to want to be an officer in the RAF rather than looking upon the career as sponsorship.

2. you have little (no) say in what craft you will be streamed onto. For commercial aircraft multi-engine would be most suited although rotary would still provide opportunity for commercial work after the RAF. Where you are streamed are dependent upon your aptitude and demands of the service. Again, you have to want to be a pilot in the RAF regardless of the aircraft you are flying.

For any commissioned job in the services you should consider that:

1. you are first and foremost an officer of the RAF, second to that you are a pilot/engineer/whatever branch you are operating in.

2. you have to be willing to take a leadership role and the responsibility that goes with this (you need to show maturity and determination).

3. there are greater risks being involved in the military than with other jobs - I can't think of many jobs that order you go to a warzone!

Ultimately, whichever career you choose, if joining the RAF you need to decide what the advantages and disadvantages are and decide whether it is the right career choice for you. Try and get some experience to help you make an informed decision i.e. cadets or UAS.

Reply 29

ProStacker

Original post by dumdumdumdidum

Partially correct.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/canijoin/health.cfm

On the pdf linked from that page it says:

f you suffer from asthma or have done in the past, you cannot be considered for flying branches of the RAF. For ground branches and trades, people with a past history of asthma, wheezing or inhaler use may be eligible for service following review by medical staff. If you have current asthma symptoms or a current prescription or you use an inhaler for asthma or wheeze (regardless of cause), you are not eligible to apply for service.