Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Tampa Bay news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Charlotte news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
An Air Force pilot climbs into a EA-18G Growler aircraft in 2018. Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
The Air Force removed its minimum and maximum hight requirement for pilots in an attempt to expand the diversity of its pool of prospective applicants, specifically to encourage more women to enlist.
Why it matters: The previous height requirement of between 5-foot-4 and 6-foot-5, with a sitting height of 34 to 40 inches, eliminated around 44% of American women between the ages of 20 and 29.
- The new policy, which went into effect on May 13, no longer requires applicants to submit a height waiver.
What they're saying: "We’re really focused on identifying and eliminating barriers to serve in the Air Force," Gwendolyn DeFilippi, assistant deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, said in a statement. "This is a huge win, especially for women and minorities of smaller stature who previously may have assumed they weren’t qualified to join our team."
- Lt. Col. Jessica Ruttenber, Air Force mobility planner and programmer and team leader on the Women’s Initiative Team, said the waiver process for initiates outside the height requirements "served as a barrier, which negatively impacted female rated accessions."
- Ruttenber added that, historically, most of the Air Force's aircraft were engineered around the height of an average male.
Go deeper: Military scrambles to recruit during coronavirus pandemic