Donalk

With all due respect Sebastien it is futile trying to predict what selection criteria will be like in 10 years time. Supply and demand is one factor which influence how high or low airlines will set the bar. At present the market is weak so airlines can pick and choose from a large pool which means they can choose to discriminate more easily. As the previous poster rightly pointed out most airlines may also set their own medical standards also.

I can only suggest you research the issue with an AME who might be able to give you a better insight due to the fact that they are closer to the issue and may have knowledge of others who have a similiar error and who are gainfully employed. The FAA website will have a list of of AME's in Belgium. Even then the answers you get will only reflect current and recent practises. Ten years down the road requires a crystal ball.

S_Reyes_V

Just wanted to tell (to answer Donalk's post) that I definitely agree with the fact that hiring possibilities have always been pretty unpredictable, so let's carry on crossing fingers.
I would also point out that I have already got in touch with a FAA medical examiner : after sending a letter to M.D. and AME John DAX (living in Paris, if you must know), he not only had the elegancy of following up on it, but I also got a positive response from him (he clearly confirmed that I could fly without any trouble with -12D, as long as I wore my glasses, that's for sure). Unfortunately, as I wasn't so worried about my chances of getting a pilot job at the time, I did not raise the question).
Anyway, I'll follow your wise remark. I'll try to find another AME who's a little bit more aware about what's going on with the airlines overseas...
What about sending mails directly to the airlines' recruitment department ?

Take care,

BestieGirl

I've been looking into pursuing flying professionally as a commercial pilot but have realised that my prescription is -0.75 over the -6 limit in one eye, though I meet all the other requirements and have 20/20 vision when corrected, I should also have not probelms with the renewal limits, just the initial. I'm 21 and will not start training for at least a year and so am hoping that either my vision or the standards will change by then but I've got a few questions I'm hoping you can help me out with.

Is it possible to get someone from the CAA to look at your prescription and advise you before taking the full medical?

Is there any way around these initial limits if you'd be fine with renewal?

Also, does anyone know why the initial and renewal limits are different? Surely if you are unsafe to fly due to vision at one level then that level should be upheld for renewals.

Thanks in advance for any answers, I really want to see if this is still a viable option for me.

nannodnai

Yes, it is. Write to the Medical Department of the CAA, asking just those questions, and enclosing a copy of your optician's latest prescription.

Address is : Aviation House
Gatwick Airport, South Area
West Sussex
RH6 0YR

It might not be immediate, but you will certainly get a reply.

HeathrowAirport

Ive waited 1/4 of a year now for a reply , for something similar and its tense day by day, and I want it to be at the least of my memory.

Send as soon as possible, and good luck, I hope you and I both get what we want.

nannodnai

To be honest, that's very unusual, and is not borne out by my experience of communicating with Aviation House. There may, of course, be something of which I am not aware which makes your case unusual or difficult.

However, periodic enquiries over a reasonable time scale can always be made to see how things are progressing. General number is 01293 573 700 , you get through to one of these automated synthetic operator systems. You press "1" for Medical, then get four or five other choices. My advice would be to ask to speak to one of the Aeromedical Advisors.

At the very least they should be able to help explain why it is taking so long to make a decision !

BestieGirl

Thanks. I'll send off a letter today.

Nipper2

A friend of my daughter has recently been told by her school careers adviser that she will not be able to fulfill he ambition to become a commercial pilot 'because she wears glasses'. I have a feeling this is not correct.

Without knowing the full details, I believe the lady in question has mild short sight (needs glasses for distance vision) with no complications.

The simple answer is ....?

Thanks in advance.

nannodnai

The combined VISION THREAD is now well over 700 posts in length, and is a great deal to wade through for this information.

Much better to print off this

Vision | Medical | Safety Regulation

and give it to your daughter's friend with the advice to check it out with her optician.

Simple mild to moderate short sight (myopia) is certainly not usually a bar to a commercial flying career if it can be well corrected using spectacles or contact lenses.

Nipper2

Thanks nannodnai. Exactly what I needed.

HeathrowAirport

Unfortunately after returning from the Flyer exibition and returned all happy and enthusiastic, I found a CAA "Personal" letter, and I knew straight away this was it, this is the moment Ill find out the truth..


"I am very sorry to advise you that your opthalmic refraction falls outside the standard of both Class 1 and Class 2 Medical certification. You also have a substandard vission in your left eye due to excess hypermetropia."

So thats it, unless I can improve my eyesight on my left eye by 3M and my Correction by +1D Ill never ever set foot in a a airplane cockpit for the rest of my living days. Now I personally know what the real people go through when they have there wings taken of them due to one or two minor issues.

My left eye is Vissual acuity of (20/40) 6/12, the CAA requirement is (20/30) 6/9, I fall short by 3 meters (9ft) and my Correction is +1D over there +5D at +6D. My right eye has no problems, unless I can sort my left eye out and according to the CAA I need to change my proffesionAnd there rules even state you cannot have Laser surgery if over these limits, how cruel is that, if I have had laser surgery and I can see perfect they still wont let me fly due to my past perscription.

Its been a dream ever since I was a little boy to fly a plane, and I had a taste of that 1 year ago in a PA28 and now I feel like Its over before it even began.

I dont know what to do, I want to become one of you guys and live in the dream world not for the money or anything like that but the pure addrenalin rush I get in airplane cockpit.

Thanks,

Robbie

NurseToPilot

Robbie

Don't be disheartened......

I was in your situation last year where I was told that my Astigmatism was outside limits.. (limit being 2.00±) and i was -3.75D.

I had laser surgery and asked CAA to re evaluate my particular case again to see if I could be considered for CLASS 1.....

They did and on 26th June last year I was granted my CLASS 1 Medical!

THey said i had to wait 3 months before they would see me and I had to supply copies of the ophthalmic assessment, as well as a signed report from my surgeon declaring that it was an uncomplicated procedure......


PM ME If you want more information

JONATHAN

jakeekaj

I posted multipul replys to other threads but noone ever replied to mine!
So my question is
Q. Is this acceptable for a class 1 medical?

R Sph | Cyl | Axis
I +3.75 -0.25 90.0
G
H
T


L Sph | Cyl | Axis
E +0.50 -0.25 20.0
F
T

Thanks.

HeathrowAirport

I have just spent the last 3 hours looking for treatment and many articles wereby one person improved there eyesight from 20/400 (Legally Blind) to 20/20 now with or without the glasses by just playing a computer game and wearing a patch. I know I am living on a dream world but my eyesight is L 20/40 with Amblyopia 0.75 Astig and long sight at 6D+ and my R is 20/10 with +5D and 0.25 Astig., so I am just barely outside CAA Limits.

I am fairly young at 16 and I was once under NHS treatment and my eyesight got to a state were it was at a standard were there was no point in wasting precious NHS money to improve anymore. It was at 6/9 and thats 20/30 vission, its now 6/12 at 20/40, so something has obviously gone wrong in the last 8-9 years of not using that patch.

I am now determined to not give up on my dream and let it slip by me with one persons encouragement on this forum, I am looking at many options.

I have booked an eye appointment with Vission express on Saturday were I wish to ask if I could be referred back to the Hospital such as Kings or Moorfields Eye Hospital.

I wish to not take no for an answer in the quest for my treatement, so what can I say to the Opticians? If they say no there is no point due to your age, when each case is obviously individual and I wish to at least try, and I am very ditermined.

Any Suggestions.

Kindest Regards,

Robbie

baz76

I have got prescription glasses from the optician

the prescription reads as follows

right eye
S=-0.25
C=0.5
Axis=175

Left eye
S=infinity
C=1
Axis=5

Can I go for class 2 initial medical ? what about class 1 initial

spoke to an AME who said they wouldnt accept if my uncorrected vision is worse than 6/9. I am a bit confused as on the requirements it says otherwise


Any advise would be appreciated

thanks
baz

cross bleed start

Baz

I am not sure the S and C in yours are stands for because my
country use different jargon.

This is what the ICAO Annex One(10th edition) says about
eye acuity:6.3.3.2. is for class 1 and 6.4.3.2 is for class 2.

6.3.3.2 Distant visual acuity with or without correction
shall be 6/9 or better in each eye separately, and binocular
visual acuity shall be 6/6 or better. No limits apply to
uncorrected visual acuity. Where this standard of visual acuity
can be obtained only with correcting lenses, the applicant may
be assessed as fit provided that

6.4.3.2 Distant visual acuity with or without correction
shall be 6/12 or better in each eye separately, and binocular
visual acuity shall be 6/9 or better. No limits apply to uncorrected
visual acuity. Where this standard of visual acuity can
be obtained only with correcting lenses, the applicant may be
assessed as fit provided that:

Hope this could be help,

CBS

nicolai

I'm going to assume baz76 has some astigmatism and therefore the S is the spherical section of the lens required and C is the cylindrical section. In the UK these are often written as "sph" and "cyl". Axis is the orientation of the cylindrical part of the prescription.

suddste

Hello, I don't want to be annoying and bump this post up, but I really would like it answered quite soon if possible.


Thanks,
suddste

nannodnai

You will get HUNDREDS of ideas of "what it's like" if you take the time to trawl through this massively long thread in its entirety.

However, to take up slightly less of your time, it would be

The opinions you will get on here are worth precisely NOTHING when it comes to decision making about YOU at the Belgrano.

suddste

Ok, thanks