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Lightning ace
11th Jun 2001, 20:31
Having some problems with my class 1 at present.
Passed first time in 1998 with only a minor report required regarding a convergance problem. Report being a £10 eye test from specsavers and a subsequant letter to Caa. Saying I was fine because the weakness was only in one eye.
Firmly decided I want to fly for a living, so went back to Gatwick late May for a class 1.
Only to find the gereatric doctors all gone and a bunch of young ones in situ.
After a quick drop in a cup, pricked finger and srip search it was on to the optomatrist.
Had a quite look at my file and the letter from specsavers. Read the letters, Madox wing test. Then said my vision was not a JAR standard..........
Because my NPC was 31cm and eyes not working 'normally'.
Actual vision is fine, both long and short. But still a failure. Next........

Walking out the door I had only entered an hour and a half earlier and £ 400 worse of I was not a happy bunny.

Decided to go to the top straight away and got wnet to see a eye surgeon in Harley street for a solid answer.
Results. Yes my NPC is poor in the left eye, always has been. Hence the right eye makes up for it naturally and I never know any difference. Was tested for sterioscopic vision (not done by CAA) which was fine.
The surgeon couldn't understand what the Caa were complaining about. My brain has learnt to cope with the left eye at close range, I never get double vision and my reading and sterioscopic vision is perfect (but not my spelling). And yes he has dealt with Class one standards / problems before.
Because of all this he says surgery would only be a last resort and very complicated because the problem is not pronounced enough and my brain has already dealt with it.
Where do I turn. I need a Class 1.
I have read JAR Standards Appendix 13 subparts B and C, visual requirements:
4, Convergance outside the normal range may be considered acceptable provided it does not interfere with near vision (30-50 cm and 100 cm).
Do I have a chance.
Or do I find an Americam wife and go live out my dream the other side of the pond.
Any help greatly appreciated.
Paul..

Cypres
16th Jun 2001, 02:56
Lightning Ace,

I’m having problems with my eyesight and a Class 1 Medical at the moment. Believe me I know how you are feeling, I’ve done a lot of hurried research into eyesight recently since failing my Class 1 due to excessive long-sightedness in my right eye. Something that I’m actively pursuing at present is ways to improve my sight without glasses or invasive procedures.
I’ve enlisted the help of a Bates’s teacher and it’s providing very real results. Have a look at www.seeing.org (http://www.seeing.org) for more info and as I’ve said in other posts take a look at some of Mr Magoo’s posts. For God’s sake don’t let any butcher near your eyes until you have exhausted every other possibility. And then still don’t do it. When looking at the Bates’s info keep an open mind. The conventional wisdom touted by opticians is that once your eyesight deteriorates you can’t do any thing about it. That’s simply not true. You can (and I am).
Now I'm not qualified to say whether Bates's methods can help your particular condition, but from what I've seen so far(pun definitely intended) I'd put money on it.

Good Luck

Cypres