Fighter Pilot - Did You Know The Health Requirements To Become One?

Fighter pilots are military aviators trained in aerial warfare. Recently, Flight Lieutenant Mohana Singh recently became the first woman fighter pilot to fly a Hawk aircraft. She is an inspiration for everyone, especially women.

IAF pilots undergo specialised training in air-to-air combat for about 6 months. They are trained in various fields such as physical fitness, endurance, alertness, decision-making, etc. Physical training includes daily exercise, stretching, running, etc.

They also take courses in writing strategies, war principles, management, field leadership and air force history. In this way, they are fully trained for aerial warfare while being in the cockpit of the aircraft.

Here we are discussing some of the health requirements for being a fighter pilot:

Health Requirements:

1. Vision: Pilots must meet eyesight requirements and should have normal colour vision. Distant vision must be at least 20/70 uncorrected, and near vision must be 20/30 uncorrected, but both distant and near vision must be corrected to 20/20. Corrective eye surgery can disqualify a candidate from flying. 
2. Medical History: Pilots cannot have a history of hay fever, asthma or any kind of allergies after age 12.
3. Height: Pilots have to meet the Air Force’s height requirements. They must be 64-77 inches tall when standing and 34-40 inches tall when sitting. 
4. Weight: They must weigh 160 to 231 pounds, depending on their height. 
5. Body Fat: Depending on age, men cannot have more than 20 to 24 per cent body fat, while women cannot have more than 28 to 32 per cent body fat. 
6. Military pilots also must be able to complete a minimum number of push-ups and sit-ups and finish 1 ½-mile run in a given period of time.

How To Achieve It?

Fighter pilots do a lot of strenuous work. So, give yourself time to relax and unwind as stressing can only degrade your performance. Here are some ways to achieve good health:

• Stay away from processed foods such as white bread, baked goods and other typical snack foods. They can affect your blood sugar level which can hinder your performance on a long cross-country flight.
• Stay hydrated. When you feel a craving for snacks, first drink some water. Those hunger pains may actually be your body’s way of telling you that it needs water.
• Don’t be afraid of fatty foods. Include whole milk, real butter, nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, avocados, coconut oil, olives, etc in your diet. Moreover, a study revealed that pilots on high-protein diets performed significantly worse than pilots on high-fat diets and high-carbohydrate diets.
• Take proper physical training. Fighter pilots also report more musculoskeletal pain and stress on the spinal structure than other pilots. Here, comes the importance of physical training which helps in maintaining operational readiness.
• Must include leafy green vegetables and carrots in your diet for good eyesight.

By adopting these tips, you will be fit and fine and will be able to perform better in aerial warfare.