Joining the RAF (reserves) medical / health check

Has anyone got experience of joining the RAF reserves? If so, in the health check do they check your hearing, and would tinnitus be a reason not to accept you?

If it’s the same as the army medical then yes they’ll check your hearing.

I don’t think tinnitus would be a reason for failing the medical, but hearing loss would be.

You’ll be put in a sound proof cubicle with a button to press each time you hear a noise. They’ll have a minimum level of hearing that you’ll need to meet.

Yeah that’s what I was thinking – thanks.

Just be careful when you’re asked to touch your toes, they’re not checking for aching joints or lack of flexibility.

I can’t remember exactly but I think you’ll be required to mention the tinnitus…it was a while ago now.

Just be careful when you’re asked to touch your toes

Confusing the Air Force with the Navy, disregard the advice.

If its on your GP’s files then you may have an issue, if its not then don’t tell them about it.

Yes you may well have an issue. I had exactly the same problem.
I have tinnitus and noise induced deafness (ironically from previous career in army). I went to join the RAF reserves some years ago and failed the hearing test.
it’s standard test (soundproof cubicle, tones played into headset).
It is a show stopper, but I was borderline so was recalled for a re-test on another day, again borderline, higher authority was consulted and I was allowed through.

I subsequently didn’t go through with training due to other reasons though.

In short: yes it can prevent you getting through medical and subsequent enlistment.

A question for mchamish or Mortuk2k,
If anyone with tinnitus joined up the reserves, are they risking more hearing damage?

Has anyone got experience of joining the RAF reserves?

Unless you’re ex-RAF, you won’t be joining the RAFR, but the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. /pedantry

Stuff like this inundates the Navy Net forums (and I dare say the ARRSE too). The difficulty is that without being able to quantify your tinnitus and any associated hearing loss, it’s near impossible to tell you whether it will be a problem. A quick perusal of the JSP 346 Ch4 covering standards of fitness in service does mention tinnitus but without access to the service intranet I can’t give you a precise answer what the entry standards are.

What did the AFCO say when you asked them?

Andy

DOI: Dr; have some experience of both conducting and undergoing service medical examinations.

Guys coming back from Afghanistan have been medically discharged for hearing loss due to gunfire noise. Now they are issued with custom made ear plugs which are supposed to be very good. You’ll only get those if you mobilise though.

If you do any live firing you’ll wear the issued Peltor ear defenders which are actually very good. The issue I have is that often when blank firing you don’t get the time to get you ear defenders on. For example you go out for a days patrolling where you are likely to get bumped a few times. Its obviously not practical to wear your ear defenders the whole time and you don’t have time to put them on as you’ll need to get fire returned asap. Many of our SAA instructors feel that you don’t need hearing protection when firing blanks and I believe that the regulations do allow a certain number of blanks per day with no protection needed.

Personally I can hear ringing in my ears after firing only a few blanks with no ear protection so I do try and use disposable ear plugs when we are out and about. I’ll maybe invest in a pair of the Gucci ones that don’t stop you hearing normal voices etc as well.

Rockhopper = Rockape?

How dare you! Nope, RE(TA).

Hi Rockhopper just realised who you are. If I’m correct I’ve just seen a photo of a patio on FB?
Back for long?

Hello ratherbeintobago,
They didn’t know what to make of it. I’ve filled in the application forms and mentioned it on there.

btw, Does the recruit course involve lots 6am starts with “square bashing” and drill sergeants?

They didn’t know what to make of it. I’ve filled in the application forms and mentioned it on there.

Recruiting staff are not trained to make medical calls. Unless it precludes you, you will have to pass the same hearing test as anyone else. If the tinnitus stops you passing that test, then it stops you.

Does the recruit course involve lots 6am starts with “square bashing” and drill sergeants?

You need to go and chat to the Squadron you are planning to join – it doesn’t sound like you know what is coming your way.

You only get the moulded plugs if you are CAT2+ or 3. I went through as a CAT2 and had to make do with the rubbish yellow/green ones.

I’m not sure that they are the cause, but my hearing between mob and de-mob had dropped from H1/H1 to H1/H2. 25 rounds fired total. I shall be annoyed if they are the cause.

Recruiting staff are not trained to make medical calls

No, and I’d not expect them to be. However, the occupational physicians who the AFCO contract to do entry medicals are – If someone presents with what they feel is a significant enough medical problem to mention it, I”d assumed (perhaps incorrectly) that there would be a mechanism for asking the question ahead of the medical.

btw, Does the recruit course involve lots 6am starts with “square bashing” and drill sergeants?

Don’t forget sleeping on the floor next to your bed so as not to disturb your carefully laid-out kit, and learning how to fold everything to the footprint of piece of A4*. It does seem to go away after New Entry is out of the way, though.

Andy

*which I appreciate may be a dark blue aberration related to the size of lockers on a Type 42

*which I appreciate may be a dark blue aberration related to the size of lockers on a Type 42

When I was a sprog it was A5 the size of BR1938, may have been due to the size of a locker (pigeon hole) on a Leander.

Ha haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh swing that lamp, pull up a bollard an I`ll spin you a sea dit or three………….me hearty !!!!

You’ll be tested but no need to mention the tinnitus unless it really causes a problem.

Just transferred from full time RAF to Reservist Aircrew and they just used my last medical to screen me, that incorporated a hearing test but as aircrew it always does.

if you have noised damage deafness and tinnitus then any further exposure to loud noise will make it worse.

when I had my medical many moons ago, I made the mistake of going to a concert the night before at the Ulster hall……when they put me in the sound booth I couldnt hear a thing apart from constent ringing 😆