JAR Class 2 Medical

[Hoverfrog]

Wonder if anyone can help....I've just been looking at my Class 2 medical certificate, due for renewal in 2 years. It appears to say that the eye test is only required at initial examination. Can that be right???? Thanks for any advice.

[EGBKFLYER]

Revalidation and Renewal of JAR Medical Certificates | Medical | Safety Regulation (http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=49&pagetype=90&pageid=531) might help you.

You will get an eye test at renewal but it's very basic for Class 2. All the opthalmological stuff is done on initial only. That said, the CAA recommend you take your current prescription to the AME if you wear glasses or contact lenses - as it says here: Initial JAR Class 2 (Private Pilot) Medical Examination | Medical | Safety Regulation (http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=49&pagetype=90&pageid=528) That's for the inital examination but I would take it for a revalidation too, just in case.

Just for information - Class 1 is different. Your eyes are tested at the medical too but you also have to supply an optician's report every 2 years at least.

[Hoverfrog]

Thanks for that. Very helpful. Happy Flying!!!:)

[Jumbo Driver]

Just for information - Class 1 is different. Your eyes are tested at the medical too but you also have to supply an optician's report every 2 years at least.

I am puzzled by this statement, EGBKFLYER, as this is not my experience and I regularly attend one of the most senior AMEs in the country.

I have only been required to submit to a separate opticians examination only once - about 10 years ago - and I have held a Class 1 medical continuously for nearly 40 years.

What would be the source of your information?


JD
:)

[EGBKFLYER]

JD - see my links above for the source. It's the comprehensive eye examination that I was referrring to. I should have added that it applies to those of us who have less-than-perfect sight - apologies for not making that clear. I guess you're one of the lucky ones...

[Jumbo Driver]

Yes, that sounds more like it, EGBKFLYER ...

Just to clarify the point, the first link (http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=49&pagetype=90&pageid=531) you mention states that a Comprehensive Eye Examination, involving an examination by a separate optometrist or ophthalmologist, is "Only applicable to a small number of pilots". This page contains a subsidiary link to Visual - JAR Class 1 Comprehensive Eye Examinations (http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=49&pagetype=90&pageid=534) which further clarifies that a separate optician's report will only be required where a vision correction of 3 dioptres or more is needed.

Thus, I would think only a small minority of Class 1 medical holders are affected - not quite what your original statement unfortunately implied - and of course Class 2 medicals are not affected at all by this requirement.

... we wouldn't want to alarm anybody unnecessarily, would we ... ? ;)


JD
:)

[EGBKFLYER]

Mmm - yes I think I did at least make it clear that the CEE doesn't apply to Class 2 holders...

It also depends on what you define as a 'small number of pilots'. There are more pilots with >3 dioptres correction now than there used to be, due to a progressive relaxation of the eyesight standards over the last few years. I'm one of those that has benefitted from that, waiting in the end for the best part of 15 years to get a Class 1. We may still be in a minority but it's one that will get bigger, which is why I drew attention to it, even though it was slightly more info than requested.

[Jumbo Driver]

It also depends on what you define as a 'small number of pilots'.

... not my choice of words, chum - its the CAA's phraseology, not mine ...


JD
:)