Medical & HealthNews and debate about medical and health issues as they relate to aircrews and aviation. Any information gleaned from this forum MUST be backed up by consulting your state-registered health professional or AME.
Can someone please tell me if I could pass a Class 1 initial, I've suffered from migraines with electric lights in the past, where would I stand?? CAA won't tell me!
Keep checking the above link for updates. And don't forget that after the handover of licencing to EASA, they might also come up with amendments in this regard. They already have some particular set of licencing and medical issues that are subject to review.
I'd just like to say that yesterday I got my class1 medical certificate and I have heterophoria out of limits but I could succesfully pass the fusional vergence test, it was about stereoscopic vision. Therefore I'd like to say to people who have the same doubt I had about heterophorias that if you have one kind of heterophoria out of limits but you don't suffer from double vision and have a good stereoscopic vision (images in relief) you will pass.
EGBKFLYER, the limits of heterophorias apply with correction no matter what you have without it but what they really worth is your vergence fusional, I mean a good binocular vision, as I said before you show it through double vision test or stereoscopic vision.
I hope my experience help everyone with heterophorias.
I had about heterophorias that if you have one kind of heterophoria out of limits but you don't suffer from double vision and have a good stereoscopic vision (images in relief) you will pass.
I'm afraid that's not accurate. Stereotypic vision is not a requirement for JAA class 1 medicals. Yes, you will get tested for stereopsis but only for the record. Total loss of stereotypic vision won't be a limitation.
Yes you're right, that's an extra test, if you pass it'll be shown you have good binocular vision no matter your heterophoria, whereas if you fail this test I think you have a last opportunity to show your binocular vision by Worth test or similar test. As you said it's for record to show your binocular vision.
I'm hopefully soon to be starting PPL training in the UK (within the next 6 months if all goes to plan) and have some questions about the Class 2 Medical, after reading up on it on the CAA website. In particular to do with the eyesight requirements, given I currently wear glasses.
How do the CAA Class 2 eyesight requirements compare to the UK driving test eyesight requirements of being able to read a "post September 2001" style number plate at 20.5 metres?
I believe I saw on the CAA website that if you need to wear glasses you're required to carry two pairs with you on board at all times. If this is correct, does that mean you have to carry two "normal" pairs of glasses, or will one pair of normal/clear glasses and one pair of prescription sunglasses suffice (assuming no night flying)?
The biggest difference between the eyesight requirements for driving & for flying is the fact that for flying in the UK your *uncorrected* vision is taken into account.
For a PPL you need a class 2 medical, which means your prescription must be between +5 and -8.
Regarding the "reading of a number plate" for driving, I think the standards are probably about the same for flying; I remember having to read letters on a chart, but not sure if it is exactly the same as driving standard or not. Very similar anyway.
If you wear glasses or contact lenses, then you also need to carry 1 spare pair of glasses with you in the cockpit.
I decided I wanted to learn to fly about 10 years ago (just PPL, not interested in CPL). I phoned the CAA medical people at Gatwick & told them my prescription (very long-sighted; +5.00 in one eye, +5.50 in the other). They told me that my eyesight was outside the accepted range even for PPL, & that there was no way I would ever be allowed to fly - end of story.
However, whilst talking to a flying instructor one day at an air show, I was given the number of a nearby doctor who could do CAA medicals; I went to see him & told him about one of my eyes being worse than +5.00; he simply replied "yeah, but your other eye is within the limit so don't worry about it." He gave me my medical certificate & I've now had nearly 10 years of happy flying! If I had just listened to the CAA person at Gatwick I would never have got my licence.
I've also had LASIK surgery a few months ago. While my eyesight now is more or less perfect, I'm concerned about whether or not I'll be able to renew my medical, as I've just been reading about how the "pre-LASIK prescription" must not be worse than +5.00 (the original doctor I saw has since sadly died, so I need to find another doctor who is flexible on this; I'm sure if I went to Gatwick to get my renewal I would fail).
I knew 2 people who got class 2 medicals from a doctor at a North London airfield a few years ago. Both spectacle wearers, they said the doctor didn't ask to see a prescription but just guessed the correction from the uncorrected vision. One of them was borderline in reality, but the guessed prescription had him well inside the limits.
Mind you, that doctor is now in prison for unconnected reasons.
"....All pilots requiring a spectacle prescription must have one clear pair of correcting lenses but can have prescription sunglasses as their second pair. The wearing of plano sunglasses on top of prescription glasses is not acceptable. For night flying, it is recommended that both pairs of prescription glasses are without tint."
If you have substandard vision in one eye due to amblyopia (a ‘lazy’ eye), you can gain a Class 2 certificate if the visual acuity in the ‘bad’ eye is no worse than 6/18 and the visual acuity in the ‘good’ eye is 6/6 or better, which can be with correction. If you do not meet these requirements you should be aware that the National Private Pilots Licence does allow pilots with monocular vision to fly light fixed wing aircraft.
I cannot remember the old Class 2 requirements but they have since changed when I was told I would never fly a plane legally as a pilot by the CAA, this wrecked me for a while but does anyone think I should re-appeal?
Left eye 6/18 with mixed letters (if your a specialist you know what I mean) and single space out letters (6/12) were my right is 6/3 (Better than 6/6)
They may however knock me down on my correction, but Ill have to write to them - does anyone have the contact details for the Cheif Medical Examiner at Gatwick? So I can appeal against there decision.
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