My Vision (eyesight) ... My dream

[wwejosh]

Hello everyone,
I went in today to a LAME to get my first aviation medical, class 2. I always knew that if something would get me into trouble, it would be my eye sight. The reason why I went in to get my medical, is because I hope to go solo in the next month or two and get my gfpt in December. My dream is to become an airline pilot in Australia, I am currently 16 and a half. My heart dropped today when the LAME said I will require glasses If i wanted to fly. As a result my medical will not be processed until I get my glasses.

He said that my vision is 6/9 and 6/12, I am not quite sure how bad this is but I assume its pretty bad. I am fairly worried about this.
Want happens if my eyes get worse even after I get glasses?
Does this mean my chances of becoming an airline pilot are in doubt?

Agh Im worried.

Thanks ...

[Best Speed]

Mate dont worrie about it.

I'm as blind as a bat and I;m an Airline Pilot.
Not too sure of the rules but I think as long your vision can be corrected up to the required standard then you'll be fine.

About 80% (probably more) of airline pilots wear corrective eye wear of some kind.

:cool:

[aussiepilot]

More of concern is going to see a LAME (Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer) for a medical :)

But seriously, most problems with vision can be fixed with glasses. It won't affect your career prospects

[nomorecatering]

Dont stress my friend. Go to an optometrist, get ur glasses, better yet, a set of soft contact leneses for flying. I;m -0.75 in each eye. I cant even see the damn chart on the wall, letalone read any letters. As long as there is nothing else wrong with your eyes you're good to go.

Then..........get your backside in a plane and follow your dream.

Concentrate on going solo and listen to the advice of older and more wise people from here.

Best of luck. let us know how you get on.

[flyhigh744]

6/12 is half the norm. I have 20/20 so I can see the smallest letter on the chart twice the distance from where you would see the smallest letter. 6/9 is pretty much using the same principle.

Not too sure of the rules but I think as long your vision can be corrected up to the required standard then you'll be fine.

That is correct.

Many of my friends wear glasses and they can see just fine. It's just a safety thing for having the requirement of 20/20.

Best of luck.

[ravan]

"20/20" is visual acuity measured in Imperial units (feet), and "6/6" is the same standard measured in metric units (metres).

If you are 6/9, then you have to be 6 metres from a target to see it with the same clarity as someone with normal vision can see at 9 metres and so on....

Bottom line ... who cares what the numbers mean, just do what the previous posters have said; get to the optometrist, get your glasses or contact lenses and go strap an aeroplane to backside and start having fun!!:ok:

By the way, I'm the same as Best Speed - blind as a bat without my glasses but I'm still a pilot.

[Mr Bomb]

Mate as has been said don't worry about it. Get your glasses and if you can soft contacts. All will be good.

Nomorecatring, if you are -.075 in each eye that is not too bad at all. Before laser surgery I was -5.75 in the left and -6.25 in the right.

Now I have perfect vision, well actually better than perfect. In the left eye I am now 9/6 and in the right 6/6. I have had this since 2003. I would recommend it to anyone. At 16 though wwejosh, you are too young for laser surgery, you need to have stopped growing and your eyes to be stable for at least 12 months. All the best.

Cheers
Mr B

[VH-FTS]

Don't forget to get a pair of prescription sunnies at some stage too. You will look as cool as this ->:cool:

Makes looking into the sun so much easier...now that can't be too good for my eyes now I think about it.

Hasn't the RAAF even relaxed eyesight standards as long as they can be corrected with glasses?

[Captain Nomad]

I'm another blind bat -6.5 and -7.5 in a contact lense prescription (yes, that's bad!). I still hold a Class 1 medical and an ATPL (in three countries at one stage).

I would strongly recommend the soft contact lenses as you get to keep your peripheal vision more easily (important with flying), and you can wear normal sunnies :ok: If you go that way you should still carry a spare pair of glasses when you fly. I carry that plus spare contacts!

Good luck and don't be discouraged. I don't know about the RAAF though. I thought they still required 20/20 on entry but then don't care what happens afterwards (and a Hornet jock told me most guys end up wearing something before too long - especially after all the hard study slog!).

[airman1]

A bit of a thread drift :bored:..... But is there any guys or gals out there that had drama's with colour vision ?? I know you can still hold a Class 1 even if you fail the colour plates, I am lead to believe there is two practical test methods that are accepted by CASA ??

Is there any truth to this???

[Keg]

He said that my vision is 6/9 and 6/12....

How are you not already wearing glasses? :eek:

I'm about the same uncorrected and 6/5 corrected on both eyes. CASA- and Qantas and probably most other airlines- don't care what correction you need as long as you meet the requirements.

[flog]

airman1 - I know you can still hold a Class 1 even if you fail the colour plates

It depends.

If you're unlucky enough to be one of those that can't tell the difference between green and red you're screwed as the final test for a pass in the class 1 if you're color blind is going to the airport and getting ATC to shine the indication lights at you, if you can't tell them apart - thanks for coming.

[mattyj]

Once you have your new glasses and you can see properly, you will probably find that you can't land anymore:}:}

Heaps of people with glasses flying airliners
Don't worry

[TonKat]

Mr Bomb - was that a brave decision to go for the laser surgery? I have often considered this but am concerned if they stuff it up and I end up in a worse situation.

Would I be correct in assuming that you were short sighted to begin with and is your vision now 20/20?

Interested in any info, thanks.

[captncannot]

be very cautious before going for laser surgery. Some regulators take a more "80s" stance on laser surgery - get surgery, fail medical, automatic. So do some research before making an irreversible decision. There is also a small but possible chance that you will remove the bandages and discover to your horror that you will probably never hold a class 1 medical ever again, night halo's etc.

[nomorecatering]

Opps, just realised my typo. I;m -7.5 in each eye. Blind as a bat without my specs.

By the way, NASA has recently approved a version of laser surgery for eyes for its active astranauts.

I;m now looking at PRK for myself.

[bushy]

Most people over 40 (ie most airline captains) will probably need glasses. It an aging thing for most of us.

[Mr Bomb]

TonKat,
I researched it for about 12 months before I decided to go ahead with it and also who to do it with. I had LASIK. I did have the advantage of my work paying for it and also only having a certain list of approved doctors that well exceeded the 90% overall success rate.

Would I recommend it to others? I have and I will to both Friends and acquaintances and there are now 12 guys at my work who have had it and every one has 20/20 vision or better.

Note that the RAAF now accepts certain types of laser surgery for pilots. Check with RAAF recruiting as to which one. For my class 1 medical and obviously having to see an opthamoligist he said my eyes were perfect with no side effects. I hope it stays this way for along time yet!

However it may not be for everyone. Research it yourself and go in with eyes wide open (sorry for the pun) and know the risks involved.

Cheers
Mr B

[Flopt]

wwejosh,

6/9 and 6/12 would usualy need -0.75 and -1.00 to correct if simple shortsightedness is the problem [i.e. no astigmatism ]. This is at the low end of the scale .i.e. not needing a 'strong' correction.....and from memory would still pass the requirements for a private licence without spex.

For a CPL a minimum 6/9 is needed in the worse eye [again from memory].

However at 16 years of age shortsighted people tend to progress a bit till the mid 20s. [i.e. -2.25 and 6/36 approx.] Often this stabilizes, but occassionally could keep progressing esp. if parents are s/sighted .

Don't forget that if you need to wear spex ,a spare pair is required to be carried while exercising the priviliges of your licence.

Lasik surgery could be a consideration after 21yrs of age and if Rx has been stable for 2yrs,and most of the time gets excellent results ,but we see the odd duds!

Contact lenses occasionally have comfort issues but are generally well tolerated. Hygene is of the utmost importance .

Spectacles should be light ,comfortable and have thin flexible sides if you are wearing a headset.

Flopt [CPL,optometrist]

[BrokenConrod]

Flopt?

Ya can get pills to fix that (floptiness!) now, ya know!

BC :}

[Peter Fanelli]

Years ago I passed the class 1 medical with glasses and a prescription of -4.5 and -5.5 diopters, at the time the limit was 5 diopters so the doc tried to talk me out of sending in the paperwork saying I would not pass. He almost convinced me, I told him to send it anyway and was approved.

[Flopt]

BC,

Opposite problem says the missus.......she's putting bromide in my tea.

It's the landings mate , you would think they would get better after 4000 or so . Classic example was a 'land' and hold short last night...... Flopt again.:ugh:

Flopt

[TonKat]

Thanks for the info Mr Bomb

You had obviously considered this very carefully before embarking and I understand very well.....

During a visit to an optometrist, I inquired about contact lenses - the usual questions regarding requirements for fitting and cost etc. The reply was, "You're too old......"; meaning the vainity side of not wearing spectacals.:hmm: I was too dumbfounded at the time for an appropriate response to that statement; even if I'm on the downhill side of 40.

[Flopt]

TK,
Find a more interested and understanding optometrist who will take the time to explain your options properly........i.e. stay away from the chain stores.....those guys are on commision/'capture rates' to produce a script in 16 minutes.........

The problem with contact lenses or Lasik or other 'refractive surgery' for 'over forties' is that if your distance vision is corrected perfectly [which I think is the best option ,as it gives you the best depth perception, needed for example for night landings] then you have the same problem anyone with lifelong perfect vision will have [like me].........you will need reading glasses as well.......hit me like a ton of bricks the morning Iturned 46.......and I have long arms! But a trendy little pair of 1/2 glasses [as well] soon solves that problem.:8

Flopt [CPL,optometrist]

[LocoDriver]

I am another .........
started flying at 16.. wore trendy(for the 1970's!) black horned rim glasses.
The prescription changed several times until I was 22, and been about the same ever since............

I am -4 in one eye, -6 in the other and wear toric contact lenses(astigmatism as well)

FLOPT- I too started having problems reading small print at about 47, had to get 'look overs' at 48, held off the doc at arms length re putting 'reading glasses required' on my medical until I was 51 (now 53)

I have considered laser treatment, but I tolerate contacts well, I really need my class one, so surgery to me is a last resort, I dont want to take the risk....................

Cheers
:ok:

[wounded-crow]

has anyone got any idea on the following...

I failed CAA class 1 medical last Feb in Gatwick. I am long-sighted and the restrictions go to +5 dioptres; my left eye is +5.5 and my right eye is +6. needless to say I failed the medical.

I have been advised by pilots that I work with to go down the surgical route but the CAA say that they WILL NOT accept this and that they WILL be able to tell if i have had the surgery. Also it is not guaranteed to work as I am long sighted the results of eye surgery for such cases are alot less proven and because I am quite far in long-sighted terms it will cost up to £3,000 PER EYE.

I have heard random people talking about eye exercises which I am about to start but any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. I am 25 and this is and has been my dream. I want it so much and possibly even more so now that there is this obsticle. I can see fine with my glasses on but as per usual the CAA are having none of it.......

[wwejosh]

Hello everyone,
Thank you so much for your responses, it makes me feel so much better. I'm booked in on Tuesday to an eye specialist, so I am looking forward to getting my glasses and hopefully, if mum and dad can help some contacts.
To be honest I was going to purchase a headset off the net on Friday night last week (8 days ago). But I decided night, because I was so worried that I might not be able to become a pilot.

Thanks for the great responses I am really lucky to have access to such a great community. I have ordered that headset last night by the way, thanks to you guys. I have a lesson tomomorow at YMMB, stalls :). So all is well.
Thanks again everyone.

[jethrolx]

Hey there tiger dont stress, im 6/12 6/15 and fly with glasses without a problem on class 1 medical (corrected 6/6 6/7.5). Stick with it and keep working hard I'M sure you will get there.
VH-FTS yes the RAAF have relaxd their requirements, I have just gone through the hoops to be ruled out on another eye realted issue, although I think i was right on the border line, the doc told me i would probable get through. Shame really had go through all the testing and interviews and would have been on the waiting list for flight screening in tamworth. Damn my poor genetics :ugh: