Ulster
1st Nov 2019, 17:29
Has anyone else noticed that about a month ago the wording printed on medical certificates (all classes) requiring a visual limitation was changed ? The requirement to "carry a spare set of spectacles" has been removed.
Are there any strong feelings about this ? It might not matter too much if it's just a simple pair of 1.25 D readers in a middle-aged presbyope, but if glasses were damaged or broken in someone severely myopic then the
absence of a spare pair could be a very severe threat to flight safety. No prior notice of the change was given. The CAA are coy about giving any information ( "we are told what to do by EASA" ). The fact is that the
rules governing this sort of thing have not changed - and still specify that a spare pair should be carried and available - only the wording on the certificate has changed. The wording is set by the CAA's own computer
at Gatwick, which the majority of AMEs use to print certificates. Interested to hear if this has been noticed or commented on elsewhere ?
Are there any strong feelings about this ? It might not matter too much if it's just a simple pair of 1.25 D readers in a middle-aged presbyope, but if glasses were damaged or broken in someone severely myopic then the
absence of a spare pair could be a very severe threat to flight safety. No prior notice of the change was given. The CAA are coy about giving any information ( "we are told what to do by EASA" ). The fact is that the
rules governing this sort of thing have not changed - and still specify that a spare pair should be carried and available - only the wording on the certificate has changed. The wording is set by the CAA's own computer
at Gatwick, which the majority of AMEs use to print certificates. Interested to hear if this has been noticed or commented on elsewhere ?