Air Force removes height restrictions for pilots

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/air-force-removes-height-restrictions-for-pilots-2020-05-23/

By Audrey McNamara
May 23, 2020 / 5:21 PM / CBS News


The U.S. Air Force announced this week that it is changing its height restrictions for pilots. Applicants below 64 inches (5'4") or above 77 inches (6'5") can now enter a cockpit without a waiver.

Under the Air Force's previous requirements, an Air Force pilot applicant — barring waivers — needed to have a standing height between 5'4" to 6'5" and a sitting height of 34-40 inches. That requirement eliminated about 44% of the U.S. female population between the ages of 20 and 29, according to the Air Force.

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In place of the blanket height requirement, the Air Force will now use an "anthropometric screening process" to asses individual applicants "for placement in an aircraft they can safely fly."

Anthropometry is a science that "defines physical measures of a person's size, form, and functional capacities," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition to measuring height, an anthropometric assessment also takes into account weight, body mass index, body circumferences (waist, hip, and limbs), and skinfold thickness.

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