Fit to Fly?

Well, I'm in.

The Army Reserve now officially knows me as SPC (Specialist) Johannsen. I am assigned to training to become a Psychological Operations specialist. While that's a great way to serve my country, it's not what I feel I was born for... my true calling is to be a military pilot.

To that end, I am working with an outstanding Warrant Officer Recruiter. His job is not to get me into the Army Reserve, but rather to move me out of the enlisted ranks and into the Warrant Officer program as an Aviator. There are many steps along the way, but one of the big ones is getting an official answer to the question: "Am I fit to fly for the military?" That answer comes in the form of a Class 1a Initial Flight Physical.

The closest installation that is able to perform the Class 1a is Fort Irwin, in the desert north of Los Angeles. The trip up there is a long one, but the recruiter picked me up at 4am for the long haul up there.

As we drove through the gates, still bleary eyed from 3 hours sleep and an early rise, I spied an expansive landscape where up to 8000 soldiers come for battle drills, swelling the ranks of Fort Irwin for 2-3 weeks at a time. As we drove toward the medical complex, I saw a reminder of exactly why I was there: 5 Blackhawk helicopters stationed for Medivac duty right next to the hospital! My thoughts wandered ahead more than a year, to a future in which I sit at the controls of a Blackhawk, easing the mighty bird into flight.

You might imagine that a military medical facility would be slow, inefficient and bureaucratic. Maybe some are, but Fort Irwin was a model of friendly service and efficiency. The many tests that are required were carefully scheduled ahead of my visit, and a knowledgable receptionist guided me through the entire process. Lab work, hearing, vision, EKG and a visit with the flight surgeon were planned to minimize time spent.

In spite of the careful planning, there was a hickup in the scheduling. I didn't find out until I was sitting with the flight surgeon, the person whose time is most in demand - and who has authority over whether or not I will be permitted to fly for the Army. Images of old war movies and tales from friends and relatives conjured up fears in my mind that I would have to repeat the arduous trip some other day because one thing did not get done the way it should, when it should. My fears were quickly vanquished - the Flight Surgeon himself called over to the other station where more tests needed to be done, and allowed me to walk past receptionists and nurses right back into his office, at my convenience, to complete the physical.

I did have a few concerns going in. I'm right at the upper height limit for helicopter pilots. My vision measures within required standards, but still isn't perfect. There was a slight hesitation, but then the Flight Surgeon smiled and said "everything looks good!".

I am Fit to Fly!