--- title: "Pregnant pilots and aircrew grounded for first trimester under new Air Force flying rules" description: "The Air Force also ruled out ejection seat-equipped aircraft for pregnant pilots and aircrew but extended the window for other planes." date: "2025-04-02" modified: "2025-04-02" authors: - name: "Jeff Schogol" job_title: "Senior Pentagon Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jeff-schogol/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-pregnancy-policy/" categories: - "Air Force" - "Military Branches" - "News" tags: - "bomb" --- # Pregnant pilots and aircrew grounded for first trimester under new Air Force flying rules ![U.S. Air Force Maj. Douglas Cole, 510th Fighter Squadron pilot, flies an F-16 Fighting Falcon, assigned to the 309th Fighter Squadron, out of Luke Air Force Base for the final time, March 4, 2025, over Luke AFB, Arizona. The phased retirement of F-16s aligns with broader Air Force efforts to prioritize advanced airpower capabilities. Luke AFB’s full shift to the F-35A Lightning II ensures its role as the primary training hub for fifth-generation fighter pilots. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Mason Hargrove)]() *Under the new rules, pregnant aircrew members cannot be approved to fly during their first trimester. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Mason Hargrove.* Air Force pilots and aircrew who are pregnant will no longer be allowed to fly during their first trimester under revised flight rules [announced by the service Tuesday.]() The move is one of several updates to rules for pregnant women that both restrict and loosen when they can fly. None of the changes were prompted by any specific cases involving pregnant airmen, said Rose Riley, an Air Force spokeswoman. The new rules, she said, bring the Air Force guidelines more in line with other military branches’ policies on when pregnant service members can fly. In 2022, the service began allowing pregnant women in flight roles to apply for waivers to keep flying all the way from their first trimester through the 28th week of their pregnancy, Riley told Task & Purpose. The new rules change that window. Now, pregnant aircrew members cannot be approved to fly during their first trimester when the risk of a miscarriage is highest, she said. But once past that first trimester, women can now seek a waiver to keep flying until the 32nd week of their pregnancy — four weeks longer than previously allowed. However, the new rules put a hard stop to all flying in planes with ejection seats at any time during their pregnancy, Riley said. Those aircraft include fighters, bombers, and trainers. Health risks to pregnant women increase dramatically if they are exposed to more than three times the force of gravity, or 3Gs, Riley said. When ejection seats launch free of a plane, they can generate [around 18Gs.]() Airmen who fly in aircraft without ejection seats — like cargo planes, helicopters and refueling tankers — can still apply for waivers to fly between the twelfth and 32nd weeks of pregnancy, Riley said, a policy change that allows airmen to keep flying four weeks longer than before. The Air Force found no significant increase in health risks for airmen who fly during the 28th and 32nd weeks of pregnancy, Riley said. As part of the latest policy updates, Air Force major commands will now be responsible for approving waivers for pregnant airmen instead of local flight surgeons, Riley said. [The Air Force has nine major commands](), or higher headquarters levels: Air Combat Command, Air Education and Training Command, Air Force Global Strike Command, Air Force Materiel Command, Air Force Reserve Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Mobility Command, Pacific Air Forces, and United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. Having waivers adjudicated at the major command surgeon general level will allow medical professionals with more experience to determine if pregnant airmen face any health risks by flying, according to the Air Force. ## The latest on Task & Purpose - **Those ‘**[**Hegseth bodyguards**]()**’ are actually there for the Air Force’s ‘Doomsday’ plane** - **Army wants junior officers to fix quality-of-life issues that** [**drive soldiers out**]() - **‘**[**100% OPSEC**]()**’ apparently means texting military plans to a reporter** - **Ranger School’s new fitness test is tougher than ever, but** [**nixes sit-ups**]() - **This photo of Air Force special ops pool training is** [**chaos**]()**. There’s a reason for that.** ## Author Jeff Schogol is the senior Pentagon reporter for Task & Purpose. He reports on both the Defense Department as a whole as well as individual services, covering a variety of topics that include personnel, policy, military justice, deployments, and technology. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]() [Twitter]()