Need an Agony Aunt!!

[chimpie]

Hi

Apologies for writing but feel as though i have just been shot in the heart and had the carpet ripped from under my feet and none of my friends seem to understand. Just found out that my eyesight evidently isnt good enough for ATC and now feeling a high degree of mortification. Is there anyone out there with any ideas as had set my heart on air traffic control and the rest of my working life pretty much sorted (well subject to college!).

Any advice or ideas for similiar work would be very much appreciated.

Thanks for listening.

[atcea.com]

Many years ago there lived a peasant. One day as he returned from the fields, he heard a noise behind him. He turned to see a stray horse following him home, so he brought him along and tied him behind his house. Later that day, the neighbors came by. "What good fortune!" they declared. "You've got a horse now. What luck!"

"Perhaps," the old man replied.

The next day, the man's 20-year-old son decided to ride the horse. He hadn't been on it more that a few minutes when it reared up and threw the young man to the ground, breaking his leg. Later that day, the neighbors came by. "What bad fortune!" they declared. "Your son has been hurt. What terrible luck!"

"Perhaps," the old man replied.

Later that same week, the king sent soldiers into the villiage to force all the young men into military service. They pulled the youths from their homes and dragged them away, all except the peasant's son who was disabled with the broken leg. Later that day, the neighbors came by. "What good fortune!" they declared. "Your son has been spared. What good luck!"

"Perhaps," the old man replied.
---
OK, I'm sure you get the point. My first dream had been to fly helicopters in the military, but poor eyesight prevented it. Bad luck? I did not get sent to Vietnam and I did end up in a career, ATC, that I knew nothing about but came to love over the years.

Is your notice, however unwelcome, that you won't be able to persue an ATC career a stroke of bad luck?

Perhaps.

[divingduck]

chimpie, what did you fail on exactly?
Wa sit colour blindness or short sighted?

If the latter, get to the nearest laser surgery (after thinking about it long and hard) and get the vision corrected. Wait an appropriate time and go do the testing again.

Just a thought, I know lots of people who have had this done, myself included.

[PPRuNe Radar]

The UK CAA requirements are here:

UK CAA Eyesight Requirements (http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?categoryid=49&pagetype=90&pageid=537)

Whilst they accept people who have had corrective surgery, their eyesight must meet the limits which someone wearing corrective glasses would have met before surgery (+/- 5 dioptres). In other words, if wearing glasses won't raise you to within the limits then the corrective surgery won't either.

In any event, give the CAA Medical Branch or NATS a call to discuss it as they will be able to give you chapter and verse. The ATCO standards are broadly similar but there may be a slight difference or two which might give you a chance.

[7000]

I had a similar problem, my eyesight was extremely boarder line, however I did get in. Be careful about the laser surgery, some ATS providers WILL NOT accept you if you have had it.

But what I would advise is to check other countries and see what their standard is.

[opschic]

try sending departures beckham a PM i think he may be in a similar situation;)

[SIGMET nil]

I was in this situation early in 1986. Did all the tests done by the DLR (German Aerospace Research) for German Air traffic control. Passed with two others out of 15 in the final run and then the doctors just laughed at my eyesight.
Drove the VW beetle home 700 km from Hamburg, cried eight hours all the way and went to a great punk music concert that same evening.
I then chose to be an aviation weather forecaster rather than a dispatcher at Lufthansa, who tested me, found me acceptable, but asked me to come only two years later.
Weather is nowhere near the glory of ATC or flying for a living but I like the profession a lot.
Else, I think to be an airline dispatcher can be a very satisfying profession.

[Shaft109]

I was in a similar position 8 years ago when going into the Military and flying at the same time. To be honest I Didn't realise asthma was a major hurdle it just didn't occur to me it would be a problem. To be told i couldn't join and had to stop flying at about the same time was devastating but now i hold a full CAA class 1 medical flight crew licence (no restrictions) and am applying to NATS as an ATCO so there ARE ways around it sometimes you just have to be very patient!

[chimpie]

Thanks guys for your words and advice. Really helps hearing from people who actually understand my current situation. I am fighting for it and looking down avenues and will keep you posted. Still low and can relate completely to the 8hour drive home of crying but have been changing the punk music to gin!!

Just hope i get some information (and positive at that) soon!

Your words are so appreciated.