Help Me!!!

[Andy Bodman]

Can anyone help?

I went to my CAA class 1 medical the other day and was told that due to my poor visual acuity, I would NEVER get a Class 1 certificate. :* This is due to the fact that my left eye is perfect and my right eye is pretty poor, only getting to 6/24 line on the distance vision chart. I needed to get too 6/9 at least, which is 3 lines below my best attempt. The medical officer told me that there is no way it can ever be corrected because it has something to do with the optic nerve not getting signals to the brain (hope this is not too boring!). I refuse to believe that I will never fly commercial because of this. There MUST be something that can be done.

Does anyone know a procedure that can be done or whether the CAA is going to relax its rules a little? I am desperate for information so that I can start my career. I have tried to buy a bionic eye on Ebay, but no luck!!

[Pilot Pete]

Perhaps Medical and Health forum would get a better response? I persoanlly don't see how on earth you could correct that amount of a problem in one eye, but I am certainly no expert, not by a long way. I wish you well though.

PP

[Whirlygig]

Currently the CAA do not allow anyone who has had laser eye surgery to have a Class 1 either so don't start thinking about that!

Have you investigated whether you could get an FAA medical? or maybe CASA? If you passed those then you could consider doing your training in US or Oz. It wouldn't be a JAA licence though.

Cheers

Whirls

[jasperyellow]

It may be a very very long shot but I do know someone who was unable to get his class 1 medical due to poor eyesight who was able to get his class 2. Once he had his class two he was then able to get this upgraded to a class one. If you are as desperate as you say you are it may be worth a shot. Good luck with it though.

[chrisbeckett2004]

You are getting me worried now - I am short sighted in my right eye and I now wear glasses for things like the TV computer and balckboards. Will this affect my chances?? I though pilots were allowed to wear glasses....:confused:

[Sunny_Always]

approximately 300deg and below are acceptable.

[chrisbeckett2004]

What does that mean?? I dont know anything about that. When i go for my annual eye check, can i ask my optician if my eyes can pass a Class 1 medical?

[Sunny_Always]

well, your optician has to know what [class 1] means. there's not much you can do anyway, watch less tv maybe? you'll know when you apply.

[OpenCirrus619]

The CAA website contains this document (http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/49/SRG_MED_JAR_C1_Initial_Visual_Stds.pdf) which specifies the Initial Class 1 standards.

OC619

[clanger32]

Don't know if this helps, but fwiw - my experience.
I gave up on any hope of a career in aviation at the age of about 14 because my optician told me I had no chance.

I subsequently found out in March this year that the CAA HAVE relaxed the rules which previously would have stopped me obtaining the class one med. Hence, I've looked into it again and have therefore quit my job to go flight training - well just the mere problem of finding £60k first, but that's just splitting hairs!

Anyway, the long and short of it, having direclty spoken with the AMEs at Gatwick is that laser correction IS accepted (I've had it) but the defining standard is that your eyes without correction (including laser eye surgery - ie your pre-op prescription) must be no worse than -5 dioptres. If your eye is worse than this, then it looks ominous I'm afraid, if not then laser eye surgery could be a way forward. Just beware though, you can't have laser eye surgery to bring you within -5 and then use glasses to get you the rest of the way...you have to have been better than -5 to start with!

So, hope that helps, but suspect it won't. I'm really sorry to hear of your predicament...believe me I know better than most the gut wrench of finding out you can't do it!

[DUB-GREG]

Andy,

Glad to see your keeping the head up and positive.

I did my class 1 medical bout a month ago and was lucky enough to pass.

I wear glasses ALL THE TIME. to see things in the distance. With my glasses i can see almost 20/20...

There is 1 marking on my class 1 cert that says i have to carry 2 pairs of specs when flying.

They say if you want something bad enough (flying) you will find ways to get there in the end.

I dont think you will.... BUT doont give up.

Somebody said you cant get your eyes lazered, you can. But the eye test then involves a glare test i think extra.

Go to your doc, whoever and explore every avenue.
Kind regards,
Greg.

[Whirlygig]

Well, I'm glad that CAA have relaxed their view with respect to the laser eye surgery; that was certainly not the case a year ago when I had my Class 1. I was asked if I could stay behind for some research that they were doing into this and whether they would be able to allow it in future.

As they didn't get too many people of my age through the door with still perfect sight, they were keen for me to do it. It involved a test, sitting in a darkened room and trying to see "shapes" of different shades of grey. I believe their concern with the eye surgery was that it was unknown how an eye that had been operated upon could cope with various contrasts.

Glad to be of service guys!!

Cheers

Whirls