Hi there! well i´m new in this forum and let me introduce myself, I´m Luis, I live in United States,mexican, 16 y.o. ,permanent resident in the US and I love aviation, I´ve been reading pprune many years ago, but never decided to be part of this, nevertheless I´m now here and I´m expecting to have fun and learning things about aviation, that´s why I´m gonna ask for some help. I know there´s some much time lefting before I start flight trainig but i want to be prepared.
Well, firstable, I live in sugar grove IL, near aurora and chicago, since I have concience, I always wanted to be a commercial pilot, I trully love aviation, I think I´m taking this passion in my blood
, but there are some little problems.
firstable, the horrific HEALTH ISSUES
! one year ago, I went to my ofphalmologist, but SURPRISE, he diagnosed me with KERATOCONUS
, in both eyes, but in the right one, the disease was very advanced (KC level 3) but I didnt have hazes or injuries in my chornea, except for the classical striations., inmediately, my doctor proposed me to take the Crosslinking surgery (C3-R CXL) in order to stop the chorneal deformation, so I took the desicion to take the surgery in mexico, wich I think, was the best decision I made. Well, after the surgery i went to a contactologist (a doctor who is specialized in keratoconus an contact lenses adaptation) and prescribed me Gas permeable rigid lenses, wich really fit mé and are very comfortable ima ble to use them for 14 hrs., so, In my left eye i reached more than 20/20, but in my right eye just 20/25, both eyes 20/20+. then I fell in an emotional crysis and I cant get out of it, now, my dctor told me that I was able to reach 20/20 in both eyes separately with visual therapy, I think this are good news, actually i´m in the process of the final adjustments of my lenses an expecting directions of taking the visula therapy or other, I really hope I can reach 20/20 with my 20/25 eye, that is the main problem. nowadays I was like crazy reading forums, visiting the FAA webpage, asking people in order to have some info about how my condition would affect my dreams to become an airline pilot but nothing. I just know that i have to have 20/20 in both eyes, but they dont say nothing about keratoconus, Can I be an airline pilot with this disease? can i approve my first class medical exam with this condition, would it limitate my dreams, my career? I´m so confused an walking in the dark because of this disease, i fell that all my chances of being a pilot are falling down. but I´m waiting for a haze of light, I´m a good student and I think it can help me, I dont drink, I dont smoke, I dont have diabetes, hearing problems. I´m healthy except for this. My contactologist says that she thinks this might not be a problem in flying but she doesnt knows nothing of aviation.
2. LEGAL ISUUES, can I be an airline pilot if I´m mexican but I´m legally a permanent resident in the US? I ask this because in mexico, you have to be born-mexican in order to fly or control airspace.
3.SCHOOLS? I was thinking in American flyers Chicago, some pople say that its schools are good, in fact I know a friend of mine who has his brother working in Aeromexico Connect (E-145 and E-190 A/C´s) what kind of school would you recommend me and wich is the cost approximately?
4.SCHOLARSHIPS. Is there a chance to get a scholarship?
Well then thank you for your help and pardon me if this is bothering, but I think its better to get some knowledge taha keeping me all my boubts.