Zaphod the 0th

Hi,

I'm hopefully soon to be starting PPL training in the UK (within the next 6 months if all goes to plan) and have some questions about the Class 2 Medical, after reading up on it on the CAA website. In particular to do with the eyesight requirements, given I currently wear glasses.

How do the CAA Class 2 eyesight requirements compare to the UK driving test eyesight requirements of being able to read a "post September 2001" style number plate at 20.5 metres?

I believe I saw on the CAA website that if you need to wear glasses you're required to carry two pairs with you on board at all times. If this is correct, does that mean you have to carry two "normal" pairs of glasses, or will one pair of normal/clear glasses and one pair of prescription sunglasses suffice (assuming no night flying)?


Thanks for the help

Tony1961

Does anyone have any answers to my question?

Shunter

Tony, there's no such thing as a medical conversion. If it's your first JAA class 1, you do the full routine at Gatwick. Do you have a reference for the "renewal" route? I've never heard of it; it's something which would have without doubt been mentioned before on this particular thread were it a feasible strategy.

johnuk

Zaphod,

The biggest difference between the eyesight requirements for driving & for flying is the fact that for flying in the UK your *uncorrected* vision is taken into account.

For a PPL you need a class 2 medical, which means your prescription must be between +5 and -8.

Regarding the "reading of a number plate" for driving, I think the standards are probably about the same for flying; I remember having to read letters on a chart, but not sure if it is exactly the same as driving standard or not. Very similar anyway.

If you wear glasses or contact lenses, then you also need to carry 1 spare pair of glasses with you in the cockpit.

I decided I wanted to learn to fly about 10 years ago (just PPL, not interested in CPL). I phoned the CAA medical people at Gatwick & told them my prescription (very long-sighted; +5.00 in one eye, +5.50 in the other). They told me that my eyesight was outside the accepted range even for PPL, & that there was no way I would ever be allowed to fly - end of story.

However, whilst talking to a flying instructor one day at an air show, I was given the number of a nearby doctor who could do CAA medicals; I went to see him & told him about one of my eyes being worse than +5.00; he simply replied "yeah, but your other eye is within the limit so don't worry about it." He gave me my medical certificate & I've now had nearly 10 years of happy flying! If I had just listened to the CAA person at Gatwick I would never have got my licence.

I've also had LASIK surgery a few months ago. While my eyesight now is more or less perfect, I'm concerned about whether or not I'll be able to renew my medical, as I've just been reading about how the "pre-LASIK prescription" must not be worse than +5.00 (the original doctor I saw has since sadly died, so I need to find another doctor who is flexible on this; I'm sure if I went to Gatwick to get my renewal I would fail).

John

Dr Jekyll

I knew 2 people who got class 2 medicals from a doctor at a North London airfield a few years ago. Both spectacle wearers, they said the doctor didn't ask to see a prescription but just guessed the correction from the uncorrected vision. One of them was borderline in reality, but the guessed prescription had him well inside the limits.

Mind you, that doctor is now in prison for unconnected reasons.

Zaphod the 0th

Thanks for replying, johnuk. For the "spare pair" rule can the spare pair be prescription sunglasses, or must both be clear, normal glasses?

johnuk

Zaphod,
I've just found this on the CAA's website

( Guidance on using sunglasses | Medical | Safety Regulation )

"....All pilots requiring a spectacle prescription must have one clear pair of correcting lenses but can have prescription sunglasses as their second pair. The wearing of plano sunglasses on top of prescription glasses is not acceptable. For night flying, it is recommended that both pairs of prescription glasses are without tint."

Hope this helps you.
John

Zaphod the 0th

Thanks for the reply John, I must have missed that.

bmw-rated

You´re not the only one. I fully agree (just as many others)

HeathrowAirport

I cannot remember the old Class 2 requirements but they have since changed when I was told I would never fly a plane legally as a pilot by the CAA, this wrecked me for a while but does anyone think I should re-appeal?

Left eye 6/18 with mixed letters (if your a specialist you know what I mean) and single space out letters (6/12) were my right is 6/3 (Better than 6/6)

They may however knock me down on my correction, but Ill have to write to them - does anyone have the contact details for the Cheif Medical Examiner at Gatwick? So I can appeal against there decision.

Becuase I believe EASA rules are now in Immediate affect? http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/49/JARClass2VisStdsSep09.pdf


Kindest Regards,

Robbie

Tsuen Wan Pilot

Hi everyone , I wonder if someone received lasik 7 years ago will be recruited to be a cadet. Then after his vision has been perfectly normal, no sequeal,
refraction B4 surgery RE -2.25 LE-2.50
refraction after surgery RE 06/6 - 0.25 OR 6/5
LE 06/6 - 0.50 6/5+

Could any fans advise me about this???

THX

WELCO

Tsuen Wan Pilot

Looks like you meet the requirements for visual acuity under JAA/EASA medicals. For the refractive error, you are within the acceptable limits. No worries for you I guess.


Cheers

Tsuen Wan Pilot

Hi WELCO,

Thx for yr advice, but I wonder if I can pass the Hong Kong 's Class 1, ( I did pass the class 1 in Australia). I wanna know the Hong Kong CAD's attitude towards lasik and the CX's attitude as well, since China's and Taiwan's aviation authorities will not allow a person who have received Lasik to get a flying job within their country( meaning I can't work inside China & Taiwan )....... be alert for those who might want to get a job in China (or some asian counties as well), think twice B4 receiving any eye correction surgery...........!!!

I welcome any fans here can advice me about this....!!

THX for yr concern

Riddo

Hello all,
I plan to start training very soon -zero to hero but before i start i thought it prudent to do the Class 1 med...

Results: Passed it just about, re right eye is amblyopic (lazy eye), and visual acuity is 6/9 right and 6/6 left. fantastic!!
As i just barely passed the IAA initial it was suggested by a friend that i do the CAA med as a second opinion ( seems futile now), which i did as ill be investing alot in training and want to be sure i'm fit.
Went to the U.K. to do an initial exam and failed because my right eye was 6/12 and could not be corrected to 6/9..
The standards should be the same of course !!! So passed one and failed the other!!
I plan to fly in Ireland (train in U.K./USA) but not sure how this will affect me down the line , i can resit CAA med but at the time had to get specalist while i was there at initial and he failed me..not sure if i'll pass reassessment..
Any advice really really appreciated, has anyone experience of this?

Dave.

Ref initial eye standards: http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/49/InitialJARClass1Sep09.pdf

ab33t

This topic has been covered ad nauseum on this forum just do a search and you will find loads of info. I am in the same situation , all you can do is what you have said , go down to Gatwick or the Eye Institute near Elephant and Castle they do an intensive test as well .

kenparry

I can only advise from a pilot, not a medical perspective. Having failed a Class 1 initial, I think you would be extremely unwise to put any money at all into professional pilot training unless you find some specialist medical expertise to alleviate the problem, and with some long-term assurance.

I think you will find that CAA will keep your records, so you will not be able to go for another attempt without their knowing what has happened up to now, so they will look at you very closely.

Probably not what you want to hear, but that's my view. Others might see it differently?

But, good luck.

Riddo

Hi Ab33t , Kenparry,

Thanks for your replies,
I obviously want to be 100% sure before i start training, i want this real bad !! you know the way..was just confused as to why i passed IAA med and failed CAA..
Best option i gather is to go to another specialist and get another opinion and there view on the long term prospects.
If looks ok ill do resit of CAA eye exam...


so close yet so far damn!!

FLAP ZERO

Hi. After failing the class 1 initial (eyes only exam) at Gatwick owing to too much astigmatism I had LASIK in both eyes 3 months ago. It was a case of risk it or give up on a lifelong dream so it was an easy decision for me. Intralase flap creation and custom wavefront. Results are better than 20/20 in each eye with virtually no astigmatism. However, at night I can still see small starbursts around bright lights such as brake lights and LEDs in a dark room, plus small halos around street lights and headlights.

Has anyone had these problems 3 months post LASIK and found that they resolved subsequently?

The symptoms are a little better now than they were 2 months post op and much, much better than immediately post op.

Also, are Gatwick likely to fail me again if I see ANY starbursts/halos, even if they are not "problematic". I can drive just fine for example and don't anticipate a problem with say, PAPI lights. I wonder how they test for these things?

I'm sure that you can understand that I am reluctant to ask an AME at this point...

MarcoB.

Hello everyone! I'm new here and I'm going to ask you because I can't find a solution out of my problem!! This is my story:
Last september I went to Sweden for the JAR medical examination but unfortunatly I've been rejected due to hypermetropia +4 from my right eye. For this reason I asked a doctor at the swedish CAA if there was something I could do to fix my problem and if there was still a way to become a pilot! He told me about a surgery which substitute the eye lence with a new one.. I didn't quite understand what it was about, but he also said you do that kind of surgery on old people, so I forgot about that. He also said that I could go to the States, get the FAA CPL and after that ask for the JAR 1 class certiticate.. For this reason I decided to get a second opinion and contacted the english CAA. Well, they wrote me that there's nothing I can do, there's no surgery to fix my problem ( which is weird because I asked an oculist here in Italy and he told me that there's this surgery called LASIK , but I'm still too young for it - I'm 19 y.o.- ) and wished me all the best for any career I'll decide to do! WHAT?! I guesss they didn't understand that this is my life! I've been dreaming of this since I was a child and I don't wanna give up! I wrote to the swiss CAA and to a dutch doctor as well and currently I'm waiting for a reply. Therefore I'm asking you!
What can I do??

FLAP ZERO

The CAA document states that there must be no problems with glare following LASIK. Do they do a tangible test for that or is it entirely subjective?

I see a small starburst in my left eye at night, although for me it isn't a "problem". I'm worried that I will fail. Again...