Is there a Navy Fighter Pilot Height Restriction?

There are five branches of the US military. The Navy is the branch of the military dedicated to "maintaining freedom of the seas." The Air Force is the branch of the military that protects air space. Fighter pilots are generally members of the United States Air Force, although there are naval aviators.

Naval aviators must be between 62 and 78 inches if they are males and between 58 to 78 inches as females. In addition, there are other specific height requirements to ensure proper reach of equipment and proper fit. These are called "anthropometric" measurements. These measurements may differ depending on the specific position you are seeking within the field of naval aviation and can be obtained through speaking to a navy recruiter. In general, however, males must have a sitting height greater than 34 inches, but less than 38.8 inches while females must have a greater than 33.5 inches, but less than 38.8 inches.

Fighter Pilots

If you are interested in joining the air force to become a fighter pilot, there may be different requirements. According to the website, US Military.com, the height requirements that are in place for fighter pilot positions is a sitting height that ranges between 33 and 40 inches from the floor to the top of your head. You also must have a standing vertical height of anywhere from 64 to 77 inches. These measurements are not necessarily indicative of your physical capabilities, but the minimum height requirements are in place so that your body movements inside a fighter jet’s cockpit are not restricted or dangerous to you or your co-pilot’s health.  There are other physical requirements that you must be able to meet in order to become a fighter pilot in the air force as well. For instance, your vision must be a perfect 20/20 or corrected to 20/20, and you must have perfect color clarity. You must not have had any asthmatic symptoms after the age of 12, and you’ll have to provide medical documentation to prove it. Upon meeting these requirements, you’ll be given a physical examination that clears you for the position.