height and the airlines.

[saviboy]

A friend of mine is 5 feet 1. she is wondering if her height might be a problem for her career.
thanks

 

[sstearns2]

Don't worry about it. I've never heard of a civilian height limit for pilots.

Scott

 

[Bluto]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you wouldn't mind, though, please ask her to readjust the seat when she gets out. "How does she drive with the dang seat so far forward!!"

 

[Lead Sled]

Don't worry about it. I've never heard of a civilian height limit for pilots.

Not so. If she is interested in an airline career there could be a problem - there is a minimum height; however, I don't remember for sure what it was. I do remember that it was determined by how much was needed with the seat slid full forward and the rudder peddles cranked full out. It seems that it was something like 62 inches, but again, I don't remember for sure.

Along those lines, one of the female applicants that was hired by Western Airlines was taken to a chiropractors office, during her company physical, and hung upside down by her feet for a while. Then they quickly measured her. We called her stretch. (Do you think that they would have done that for one of the guys?)

The same thing would apply when it comes to bizjets - there is a certain minimum height that is necessary to properly operate all of the flight controls with the seat properly adjusted and the rudder peddles cranked full out.

Lead Sled

 

[milehigh6080]

I'm on the short side for a guy at 5'5" and I've found that I have an easier time fitting in and reaching all the controls in a bigger plane than I do in some smaller ones. A lot of older GA planes don't adjust all that well for me, but the King Air that I fly now has so much travel in the seat that I don't even slide the seat all the way forward and i only adjust it about half as high as it goes in the vertical. I've also found that to be true of Navajos and Cheyennes. Those are the biggest planes I've flown, so I can't speak about anything bigger, but my point is that the size of the plane doesn't really reflect how difficult it is to adjust the seat properly. YMMV

 

[bobbysamd]

Physically challenged

The inserts that come with airline apps always say "height sufficient to reach and operate all controls." Define "height sufficent to reach and operate all controls." That statement is purposely vague to try to avoid discrimintion and the ADA.

In any event, at Mesa I knew at least two gals at Mesa who were on the petite side at about 5-1. One was a former student and co-worker at ERAU whom Mesa hired as an FO. The other was an MAPD instructor who was elevated to the line (sorry).

If women of that height are being hired, surely men of the same height should be hired as well. At least that's what you'd think.