Glasses or Contact lenses?

[woodey]

I have short sight and astigmatism but get perfect visual scores with corrected vision. Are there any reasons why I should choose either glasses or contact lenses for correction for flying? (Until now i have mostly worn glasses and carry a spare pair. I sometimes find the headset moves the glasses up and down!)

woodey:cool:

[Flying Clog]

In my opinion, contact lenses are by far the more hassle-free option. I fly a regional jet and in the last two years, 1000 hours flying, I've never had a problem with them drying out or falling out! I wear monthly disposables and keep a spare set of contact lenses and a set of goggles in my flight bag.

[SAS-A321]

Contact lenses gives you a wide screen view :D. You know with glasses there are blurry fields outside the glasses. With contact lenses, there are not and you might spot a moving object, which you couldn't with the glasses.
I also think it says in FAR that you should use contact lenses if possible!

[Capt. Horrendous]

Another advantage of wearing contact lenses is that the need for a pair of expensive prescription lensed sunglasses is removed. If your perscription changes- your shades don't have to.

The monthly disposables are excellent - they cost about £25 a set and are totally hassle free. Put them in and don't touch them again for weeks !.

[woodey]

Don't you need to take them out at night??:confused:

woodey

[Dakota Queen]

Hi there

I recommend getting contact lenses, I use the J&J Acevue which are daily disposables - no hassle with solutions or cleaning and they are also more hygenic. My vision is perfect and thank god for that because I was up in my Hornet last Saturday on a recon of some of the Pakistani mountains when a stray SAM was launched by a German ground division based in Kandahar. They didnt recognise my IFF signal and I had to get out of dodge. The smoke trail gave it away. Only for those contacts I would be on the way back to the USA in a C5.

[GordonBurford]

Speaking as someone whos eyes have been pretty well FUBAR'D by an infection carried by a contact lens, i'd say go Specs! I've used both, and my vision is noticably better with specs in terms of focus and accuity, but the field of vision is restricted when wearing them.

When I was being treated for my infection I was sent to Morefields eye hospital and I actually asked if contact lenses were okay. The good professor told me to look at the people working there, and bare in mind that those who didn't wear glasses probably had perfect vision. As he pointed out, it's a foreign body in the eye.

That having been said, I had the kind you soak overnight in Peroxide to disinfect, then in saline to neutralise the peroxide. Maybe if i'd had the "new ones every time" kind I wouldn't have got in infection in the first place?

As people have pointed out, Glasses do restrict your vision considerably. Especially the modern lightweight ones with smaller lenses. I notice this when driving, but this can be compensated for by having larger specs (Man at Swinton insurance style).

[Capt. Horrendous]

Woodey, no - you sleep in them thus reducing the handling of them to a minimum and such the possibility of infection.

[GordonBurford]

Hmmm. You know. Maybe this is something I ought to give another go at?

I can't say I like the idea of contact lenses, but I find Glasses a pain in the bum.