caa/faa sight requirments.GRR!!

[heliwanab]

just got off the phone to caa gatwick about my vision and was told not only do i not qualify for a class 1 i probably dont for class 2 also,:mad:
not great news as you can imagine.
my uncorrected prescription is +8 in both eyes.
fairly large granted.
the way i read the sight requirements,i take it the final result with corrective lenses should be no greater than the stated +5.
does that mean i need an eye exam to see what they are with corrective lenses?all exams at present only give the non-corrected figures.
i had called a few years back to be told the current(few years back)limit of +5 was due to rise to +9,anyone else heard that?
also can anyone let me have the direct number from the uk to the faa to ask them the same question?
tried and falied many times.:confused:

many thanks

[Gordy]

Here:

FAA Eye Sight Requirements. (http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=1eeb0a608b13a577df362583d97bb560&rgn=div8&view=text&node=14:2.0.1.1.5.3.1.2&idno=14)

Title 14: Aeronautics and Space
PART 67—MEDICAL STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION
Subpart C—Second-Class Airman Medical Certificate

§ 67.203 Eye.
Eye standards for a second-class airman medical certificate are:

(a) Distant visual acuity of 20/20 or better in each eye separately, with or without corrective lenses. If corrective lenses (spectacles or contact lenses) are necessary for 20/20 vision, the person may be eligible only on the condition that corrective lenses are worn while exercising the privileges of an airman certificate.

(b) Near vision of 20/40 or better, Snellen equivalent, at 16 inches in each eye separately, with or without corrective lenses. If age 50 or older, near vision of 20/40 or better, Snellen equivalent, at both 16 inches and 32 inches in each eye separately, with or without corrective lenses.

(c) Ability to perceive those colors necessary for the safe performance of airman duties.

(d) Normal fields of vision.

(e) No acute or chronic pathological condition of either eye or adnexa that interferes with the proper function of an eye, that may reasonably be expected to progress to that degree, or that may reasonably be expected to be aggravated by flying.

(f) Bifoveal fixation and vergence-phoria relationship sufficient to prevent a break in fusion under conditions that may reasonably be expected to occur in performing airman duties. Tests for the factors named in this paragraph are not required except for persons found to have more than 1 prism diopter of hyperphoria, 6 prism diopters of esophoria, or 6 prism diopters of exophoria. If any of these values are exceeded, the Federal Air Surgeon may require the person to be examined by a qualified eye specialist to determine if there is bifoveal fixation and an adequate vergence-phoria relationship. However, if otherwise eligible, the person is issued a medical certificate pending the results of the examination.

[GoodGrief]

My FCL-3 tells me +5 / -6.

I stand to be corrected.

[chester2005]

i am under the impression that as far as FAA goes you can get a student pilot medical and when ready for solo or flight test you do a medical flight test and if successful you get a SODA statement of Demonstrated Ability
thereafter your AME does not bother testing the items that would normally have been insufficient to pass a medical in the first place!!!
this is so long as it is a static condition that won't get worse

chester:ok:

[gulliBell]

heliwanab,
So your corrected vision to 20/20 is not an issue, it's your uncorrected vision that's the problem here?

[blackhand]

Is this the start of a joke about a blind pilot - rotates when his passengers scream.:ok:

[helimutt]

Although this thread would probably be better in the Medical forum, it always amazes me about people determined to fly with poor eyesight. I know it's a major setback for those who wish to pursue a career in aviation as a professional pilot, but the limits for eyesight, hearing, etc etc are put there for a reason, or else we could just do away with the medical completely.

I don't wish to start an argument about corrected eyesight etc but the limits are there for a reason are they not?

[John Eacott]

I don't wish to start an argument about corrected eyesight etc but the limits are there for a reason are they not?

I've been sceptical about eyesight requirements for a long, long time, mainly because I was lucky enough to find a loophole in the RN aircrew standards 42 years ago ;)

Unknown to the Medical Board, helicopter pilots only required 6/18 (20/60) uncorrected eyesight, whilst Observers needed 6/12 and jet jockeys 6/6 :ouch: I got in as a helicopter pilot (6/18 in one eye), and it has never been a real issue. The loophole was closed by the time I started at Dartmouth after my acceptance highlighted the anomaly. My only eyesight "problem" was some years ago when I started using multifocals, and found (the hard way!) that sling loads/firefighting and multifocals are a Bad Mix := Easily rectified with a pair of single prescription spectacles :ok:

So, why do we insist limiting people's ambitions if they can achieve 6/6 with (or without) corrective lenses? What is the rationale behind the policy, and what does it achieve? Or have I misunderstood the issue here ;)

[heliwanab]

gullibell,
uncorrected vision as the priscription from the optometrist writes it.
what i need clarified is whether the requirment is WITH corrective lenses,a different sight test all together in my book.
in that event my vision is 6/6 with correction
the conflict with the caa to me seems that they require the uncorrected prescription to base their decisions on,hardly acccurate i would say,

but then i would.

as far as limits being set for good reasons then obviously i agree,if i thought i could not fly safe then why would i start.
seems to be almost as much work getting to the initial training than the actual training itself,heavy sigh:ugh:

[Leftpedal]

What about surgery? I seem to remember that having some types of surgery on your eyes made you ineligible for flying but I'm not sure if this includes more modern, laser surgery. Does it? Also, does anyone know if surgery for a squint - ie surgery that affects only the muscles around the eye and not the eyeball itself - is allowed?