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RAF Police Eye requirements

Hi,
I am looking to start my application process to join the RAF as a police officer. I am quite worried about my eyesight as I believe this will be the only thing that would stop be from joining. I had a test done today at Specsavers and these are the results they have given me.

R: +0.75/ -0.25 x 150
L: / -0.50 x 95

This is my vision without and correct lens and the optician said I do not need glasses. Can anyone give me any information on whether or not they reckon I could pass the medical with these results.

Thank you,

Jessica :smile:
Original post by cmpunk37jess
Hi,
I am looking to start my application process to join the RAF as a police officer. I am quite worried about my eyesight as I believe this will be the only thing that would stop be from joining. I had a test done today at Specsavers and these are the results they have given me.

R: +0.75/ -0.25 x 150
L: / -0.50 x 95

This is my vision without and correct lens and the optician said I do not need glasses. Can anyone give me any information on whether or not they reckon I could pass the medical with these results.

Thank you,

Jessica :smile:


I can't give you an answer, as I don't know, and nobody here will be able to tell you for sure as nobody on here knows the exact current guidelines.

Best bet is to go along to your nearest recruitment centre, and that way you can get better informed both about the area you want to go into, and either find out then and there if your eyesight would be good enough to join, or even if they don't know then if you asked the recruiting officer to find out for you then I'm sure they would, as at the end of the day they're there to ensure that people progress.
Reply 2
Why do you believe that a police officer would require exceptional eye sight?

As long as you're not colour blind it's about 99.9% certain that you'd meet the requirements. Only the flying branches that have eyesight limits.
Original post by Drewski
Only the flying branches that have eyesight limits.


*cough* No it isn't.

The minimum standards for both uncorrected and corrected vision are
determined by service medical staff and are dependent on the proposed employment and branch/trade group. Spectacle or contact lens correction must not be greater than -7 dioptres or +8 dioptres in any meridian. Impaired colour perception (colour blindness) is not a bar to service, but may limit your career choices. You will need to have a copy with you of any acuity prescription from your optician when you go for your medical examination.


http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/AFCO_Form5-U.pdf
Original post by Drewski
Why do you believe that a police officer would require exceptional eye sight?

As long as you're not colour blind it's about 99.9% certain that you'd meet the requirements. Only the flying branches that have eyesight limits.


You can't be a firefighter if you wear glasses too.

Best to go and speak to your AFCO or just apply and talk to them about it when you go in along the process?


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Reply 5
Original post by ProStacker
*cough* No it isn't.


Well ok, but those are the people who have coke-bottle bottomed glasses. I've got relatively bad eyes - quite short sighted - but I'm nowhere near the limits that those regulations set out. So my initial reply was poorly worded.

OP knows that they don't require corrective lenses of any kind. They can therefore be pretty certain that, barring any other eyesight defect like colour blindness, lack of stereoscopic vision, etc, that they'll easily pass the requirements for Police officer.
Reply 6
Original post by Drewski
Well ok, but those are the people who have coke-bottle bottomed glasses. I've got relatively bad eyes - quite short sighted - but I'm nowhere near the limits that those regulations set out. So my initial reply was poorly worded.

OP knows that they don't require corrective lenses of any kind. They can therefore be pretty certain that, barring any other eyesight defect like colour blindness, lack of stereoscopic vision, etc, that they'll easily pass the requirements for Police officer.


I submitted my optician's report and another medical form to Cranwell and, on the basis of the optical report, was ruled unfit for Police Officer, Pilot, WSO and PeDO, but fit for other branches (i.e, while quite shortsighted, I am within the generic RAF limits).

So it does seem that Police Officer has a higher eyesight requirement than, for example, Intelligence or Logistics.

That said, you only have to submit the Optical report to Cranwell if you wear glasses and/or contact lenses, so it may well be that the OP is comfortably within the limits for Police Officer.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by Calsc85
I submitted my optician's report and another medical form to Cranwell and, on the basis of the optical report, was ruled unfit for Police Officer, Pilot, WSO and PeDO, but fit for other branches (i.e, while quite shortsighted, I am within the generic RAF limits).

So it does seem that Police Officer has a higher eyesight requirement than, for example, Intelligence or Logistics.

That said, you only have to submit the Optical report to Cranwell if you wear glasses and/or contact lenses, so it may well be that the OP is comfortably within the limits for Police Officer.


How long ago was this? PEdO no longer exists and I only ask as requirements change all the time so you may have been 'unfit' then but you might be 'fit' now..


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Reply 8
Your prescription is small... probably without glasses you see better then 20/40 so I think you'd be accepted.
You can even be a figherfighter with vision acuity of 20/30 or so. As far as I know you don't have to have 20/20 vision, just good enough to function without corrective lenses.
Reply 9
Original post by teasin_tina
How long ago was this? PEdO no longer exists and I only ask as requirements change all the time so you may have been 'unfit' then but you might be 'fit' now..


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Within the past month. I'm not surprised that there seem to be different requirements for RAF Police- the eyesight standards for civilian police and Special Constables are much stricter than those for most RAF ground trades/branches. I'm sure the requirements for RAF Police are nowhere near as high as for Aircrew, but I'm not in the least surprised that they seem be higher than for, say, Logistics. I should note again that my eyesight is quite poor, so the fact I am unfit shouldn't cause any concern for the OP.
(edited 10 years ago)

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