Air Force Flying Physical
Medical Examination Standards
Extremities, Flying Classes I, IA, II, and III.
General Conditions.
1. Arthritis of any type of more than minimal degree, which interferes with
the ability to follow a physically active lifestyle, or may reasonably be expected
to preclude the satisfactory performance of flying duties.
2. Documented history or findings of rheumatoid arthritis.
3. Active osteomyelitis or a verified history of osteomyelitis, unless inactive
with no recurrence during the 2 years before examination, and without residual
deformity sufficient to interfere with function.
4. Osteoporosis.
5. Osteochondromatosis or multiple cartilaginous exostoses.
6. Disease or injury, or congenital anomaly of any bone or joint, with residual
deformity, instability, pain, rigidity, or limitation of motion if function
is impaired to such a degree it inter feres with training, physically active
lifestyle, or flying duties.
7. Unreduced dislocation; substantiated history of recurrent dislocations or
subluxations of a major joint if not satisfactorily corrected.
8. Instability of a major joint if symptomatic and more than mild, or if subsequent
to sur gery there is evidence of instability, weakness, or significant atrophy.
9. Malunited fractures which interfere significantly with function.
10. Symptomatic nonunion of fractures.
11. Any retained orthopedic fixation device, that interferes with function or
easily sub ject to trauma.
12. Muscular paralysis, paresis, contracture, or atrophy if progressive or of
sufficient degree to interfere with the performance of flying duties.
13. Demonstrable loose body in any joint (includes osteocartilaginous or metallic
foreign objects).
14. Synovitis with persistent swelling or limitation of motion.
15. Osteonecrosis.
16. Chondromalacia, if symptomatic or there is verified history ofjoint effusion,
inter ference with function, or residuals from surgery.
17. Joint replacement.
18. Myotonia congenita.
19. Scars, extensive, deep or adherent to the skin and soft tissues or neuromas
of an extremity which are painful, interfere with movement, preclude the wearing
of equipment, or show a tendency to breakdown.
20. Symptomatic amputation stump (neuroma, bone spur, adherent scar or ulceration).
Upper Extremity.
1. Absence of any segment of the hand or digits.
.2. Resection of a joint other than that of a finger.
3. Hyperdactylia.
4. Scars and deformities of the fingers or hand which impair circulation, are
symptom atic, or impair normal function to such a degree as to interfere with
the satisfactory performance of flying duties.
5. Healed disease or injury of the wrist, elbow or shoulder with residual
weakness or symptoms of such a degree as to interfere with the satisfactory
performance of flying duty. Grip strength of less than 75 percent of predicted
normal when compared with the normal hand (non-dominant is 80 percent of dominant
grip).
.6. Limitation of motion. Same as A3.27.
Lower Extremity.
1. Amputation or absence of any portion of the foot or lower extremity in excess
of I of the 2nd through 5th toes.
2. Clubfoot of any degree.
3. Rigid or spastic flatfoot, Flatfoot, tarsal coalition.
4. Weak foot with demonstrable eversion of the foot, valgus of the heel, or marked bulg ing of the inner border due to inward rotation of the talus regardless of the presence or absence of symptoms.
5. Elevation of the longitudinal arch (pes cavus) if of enough degree to cause subluxation of the metatarsal heads and clawing of the toes. Obliteration of the transverse arch associated with permanent flexion of the small toes.
3.inability to satisfactorily perform military aviation, or precludes wear of proper military footgear.
7. Verified history of congenital dislocation of the hip, osteochondritis of the hip (Legg-Perthes disease), or slipped femoral epiphysis of the hip with X-ray evidence of residual deformity or degenerative changes.
8. Verified history of hip dislocation within 2 years of examination or degenerative changes on X-ray from old hip dislocation.
9. Difference in leg length of more than 2.5. cm (from anterior superior iliac spine to the distal tip of the medial malleolus).
10. Weak Knee. Dislocation of semilunar cartilages or loose foreign bodies within the knee joint; residual instability of the knee ligaments; or significant atrophy or weakness of the thigh musculature in comparison with the normal side; or range of motion less than specified in A3 .27; or other symptoms of internal derangement or a condition which would interfere with the performance of flying duties.
11. Osteochondritis dessicans of the knee or ankle if there are X-ray changes.
12. Osteochondritis of the tibial tuberosity (Osgood-Schlatter disease) if symptomatic or with obvious prominence of the part and X-ray evidence of separated bone fragments.
13. Limitation of motion same as A3.27.
14. Toes-stiffness which interferes with walking, marching, running, or jumping.
Information derived from Air Force Instruction 48-23, Current as of Dec 2000.
