I am a 38 years old Australian male who is considering a career change to follow my dream and become an airline pilot.
Physically I am in very good condition without any problems. However I was born with a congenital deformity where I only have three fingers on my left hand. This has never hindered me in any way nor caused me any problems but I was wondering if this may be an issue when undertaking the medical examination.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
Darren.
Hi Darren,
An aviation doctor tells me that as long as you have at least a thumb, it would not be a problem. However, the doctor would need to check the strength of your grip on the left hand with the three fingers. Furthermore, you may have to demonstrate your ability to handle the flight controls in a simulator safely. If you can satisfy these requirements, your three-finger issue is not really a big problem.
You may need to see an authorized aviation doctor in Australia that deals with such a congenital deformity.
Yes, I don't see you having much problem to become a pilot but you may have a hard time convincing an established airline to take you in. You see, they may have an unwritten policy, for public relation purpose, to choose one other suitable candidate with five fingers ...
Well, this is only a minor handicap where flying a plane is concerned. Look at the YouTube video of a lady pilot flying without hands below!
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