Primary flight training performance of student naval aviators with vision waivers

Performance was studied for student naval aviators with waivers for defective uncorrected distance visual acuity who underwent primary flight training at NAS Whiting Field, FL, for fiscal year 1987 (cases = 45). Outcome variables were completion rate, primary flight training grades and flight hours. Controls for completion rate were all other students during that period (N = 1443). For training grades and hours, controls were selected who completed the same training squadron within 1 month of the case. Two controls were selected who progressed to the jet pipeline, with two additional controls selected who progressed to the same pipeline as the cases, either maritime/patrol or helicopter (controls = 180). Results demonstrated the cases were significantly more likely to complete training (p = 0.029), but not significantly different in primary flight grades or hours. These results suggest student naval aviators on vision waivers were competitive with their contemporaries.