NATS visual requirements
 

Hi,

Im currently thinking of a looking in to applying to NATs to train for ATC. However Im a little concerned on the visual requirement. I know a Class 1 Medical certificate is needed, however the CAA requirements are that correction should be no more than -6 dioptres for short sight. This is fine as I have -2.0 and -2.75 sight. However what concerned me was that the NATS site stated it had a maximum limit of 3 dioptres! This is a huge concern, as after a few years my sight would only slightly have to change and I would be out of a career! Is this correct, am I reading these standards correctly for NATs? Seems a huge risk if I were to change my career!

Thanks for any help

Alex

I'm ready to be corrected, but i think NATS ask for 3 so that you are likely to stay within the CAA's 6 in the forseeable future (no pun intended). At the end of the day its the CAA who give you the medical certificate though...

Yeah I believe the 3 limit is only for the NATS initial... get applying quick ;)

I went through 7 years ago and my eyes were 2.5 and 2.75(so similar to yours) and yes I was told during the medical that nats do set 3 as a general guideline as the limit to take in to account eyes do tend deteriorate with age.(although individual cases are looked at) If your prescription has been steady then there should be no issues, however if you are keen to make this your profession then go for it sooner than later, to avoid any hassle:ok::ok:

Excellent, thanks for the help guys! Going to have to get applying then, just in case!:ok:

Open To Be Corrected - What About Laser Fixing
 

I understood that short sightedness could be corrected by laser treatment.

Is that no longer the case ? Or did I get it wrong ?

In which case, assuming funds are available to get the treatment, there should not be a long term problem with short sightedness ?

which medical class for ATCOs?
 

Sorry to bring this up again but after reading a couple of threads on medical checks at NATS I feel more confused than before... :-)

Less than two years ago I have passed the entry medical check in the Czech Republic. I got a certificate for class 3 which is the standard here for ATCOs. This should be according to Eurocontrol standards.
Now, have there been any changes in designating the various medical certificates, recently? Or do I really need class 1 (which is here only required for CPL/ATPL pilots)?

Oh and by the way, please let me know in case NATS doesn't accept foreign-issued medical certificates a priori, as this would make the whole problem unimportant :-)

I'd be really happy if someone could clarify this to me before I ask at the Health dept.

Thanks!

sirinx,

I think the difference in classes is a difference between UK CAA and European categories. My understanding is that as of next year the UK will move to European categories and all us ATCOs will have Class 2 medicals. However I'm not an expert so hopefully someone with more knowledge will clarify this. Otherwise get in touch with the NATS medical people.

Regards, ADIS

Mine are -3.25 and -2.75, I got in on the error correction of +/- 0.5, well I did back in 1999.

I'm also partially colour blind and can't read some of those numbers in the 'book', but I can pass the lantern test!:ok:

Oh and I'm a vaild area controller, if only one with dodgy eyesight .....:eek:

Yeah, the main reason why I am asking is that my eyesight is around -2.75/-3 so I would prefer to get through on the certificate I already have, rather than worrying that I might not fit within the 3 dioptries limit...

Does anyone know why they make such a fuss about laser surgery?

A chief medical expert in a Finnish aviation related hospital once said
that he personally wants to see a few decades for all the related
side-effects of the eye surgeries to come up.

Especially he put weight on the surgical eyesight correction for pilots,
that should not be used, according to this gentleman with a long
career in aviation medicine. This opinion is a few years back, so
there might be some changes. Half a decade has alredy passed,
so there might be some empirical and statistical evidence already.

P.S. A close friend of mine (Not an atco, not a pilot ) had a
laser surgery in the eyes. The only thing is that the glares from
bright lights in the darkness do disperse a bit more than before.

That was the only side-effect for this person. So far.

You would almost certainly have to get a CAA class 1 medical.

Between the stage 3 and starting at the college you have a NATS medical at Swanwick. If they have any doubts about you passing the CAA Class 1 medical they send you to get it BEFORE you start at college. Otherwise you go and get it at some point during your first course at college. I think this applies to any part of the medical.

The visual requirements are:

20/30 visual acuity or better in each eye
Can be achieved by correction - correction cannot exceed:
+ or - 3 dioptres of spherical error in each eye, cylindrical correction shall not exceed 2 dioptres. The difference between the amount of correction required for each eye shall not exceed 2 dioptres.

I believe it's not exceeding 3 dioptres in EACH eye, not as a total, so you should be (just about) fine.

Straight from the website. Hope that helps! I got my eyes tested and I apparently fall into these categories, it seems like you do too