Minimums!

Hi guys
I had my cathay cadet pilot 3rd stage interview and the medical, but in the medical i had 20/20 or 6/6 vision (better than 20/20 actually) with my contacts. My diopters are -4.75 on both eyes with a VERY slight astigmatism in the right eye. However this does not cause my right eyes vision to drop below 20/20. Because my unaided vision was so terrible (as i recall it was around 4/66 or 6/66 (i might be getting the 60's mixed up), the medical officer told me that I had to go and have my eyes checked by an outside eye-doctor who was airline approved, which i went and did.

Nothing was wrong with my eyes except for one thing. I did a test where the doc used this thing with a faceplate (with two holes for the eyes) connected to another marked plate, about a foot away from my face, with a small bar. On the plate that I was supposed to stare at (the marked plate) there was a horizontal scale with numbers running below its entire length (it looked like a ruler) and a vertical line also running from the center of the top of the plate, to the center of the bottom. Both the horizontal and vertical line had an arrow which pointed to a certain number on that scale, however, my right eye was blocked off by a small screen on this device and a I could only see the horizontal scale from my left eye.

The doc asked me what number the arrow was pointing to on the horizontal scale, but to me the harder i tried to look at the arrow the more it seemed to move. It started out at the "4" mark (to the right side of the plate) and moved slowly until it hit "8" which was just reaching the center of the plate from the right. The arrow on the vertical scale remained at "0" and did not move even when i looked at it.

At the end of the examination, the doc said everything was fine except that i have a slight muscle imbalance (this is what i remember him saying) or he might have said slight misalignment. He also mentioned something about a squint. He said that this was not too large at all, and that everyone has it, however he was unable to tell me if it was a factor in me getting a Hong kong Civil aviation dept. class 1 medical (similar to the UK CAA standards). If anyone could shed some light on this for me i would be very grateful, as i am sick with worry on whether i will fail the interviews because of this.

Also as a note, i couldnt read anything on the eye chart without correction, so the doc made me get up and walk up to the chart until i could read it. Is this bad although i am short sighted?

I have a FAA class 1 and they never did this test there, also when i did my medical with cathay they didnt test for this either. Any info would be helpful.

Minimums!

gijoe

The online version of the new test is very different to the lab version. Please don't think that it is as easy as it appears on a PC screeen - it isn't....but I suppose that would depend on the type of CVD one has !!

2close - it will be interesting to see what the DRC come back with.

G

Flaming

I have just went for a full-body checkup. During one of my eye tests, one of the nurse used a thin long black instrument(about an arm's length) with words printed on a small rectangular box. Then she put the instrument onto my upper part of the nose where the center of both of my eyes are. She then asked me to read the words from a certain distance, read another time at a different length. She can slide the rectangular box up and down. Then she asked me to stop her when the words get blurred when she slide all the way to the front of my eyes. May I know what is the name of this device? and what it is test for?

ecnalubma

Here's an eye test for you, apparently there is a waterfall in this picture, can you spot it?

b747heavy

did someone mention 'full body check-up"?

747dreamliner

Probably she wanted to test you eyes' focusing power. As far as I know they do it By using eye charts, lenses, and special instruments. In my own eye exam, she held a paper with a word written on it at about 5 inches from my eyes and she put a lense infront of my eyes to blur the vision then she asked me to tell her when it becomes visible then she would remove it, she repeated it until my eyes became tired and I couldnt see visibly anymore! Whe I asked her about it, she said its used to measure your eyes strenghth and fatigue! check this: http://www.allaboutvision.com/eye-exam/expect.htm

WOW! b747heavy, all I can spot in that photo is a gorgeous girl! I wish all eye test were like that! Even a blind can see her!

degers

Hi there
I wanted to learn to fly last year, but I didn't bother starting once I'd found out that I couldn't get a class two medical because I am +7.5 and +8.5

I also have some other problems with my eyesight but the CAA said that the refractive errors were the only major problem.
I live in the channel islands so If i wanted to fly, I have to get the JAA PPL and I cant do an NPPL over here!

I have heard this talk about relaxation of vision requirements, do any of you know if I will be able to get a class two in the forseeable future?

And also do you know how long this will be?????


Many thanks,
Degers
(Andrew Degnen)

Andy Bodman

Can anyone help?

I went to my CAA class 1 medical the other day and was told that due to my poor visual acuity, I would NEVER get a Class 1 certificate. This is due to the fact that my left eye is perfect and my right eye is pretty poor, only getting to 6/24 line on the distance vision chart. I needed to get too 6/9 at least, which is 3 lines below my best attempt. The medical officer told me that there is no way it can ever be corrected because it has something to do with the optic nerve not getting signals to the brain (hope this is not too boring!). I refuse to believe that I will never fly commercial because of this. There MUST be something that can be done.

Does anyone know a procedure that can be done or whether the CAA is going to relax its rules a little? I am desperate for information so that I can start my career. I have tried to buy a bionic eye on Ebay, but no luck!!

bafanguy

Andy,

That's certainly discouraging news.

I offer two words: Second...Opinion

I offer two more words: Third...Opinion

If you're determined to fly, I'd beat this horse until it begged for the glue factory.

Best of luck. Come back and let everyone know how it went.

KRDAVIS

I know you are all pretty much fed up of reading questions regarding Colour Blindness, but i really don't know where i stand!!!!!

I'm sure i'm buggered good and proper.

I'll be very brief...........

I have a class 2 Medical up for renual in July this year.

I'm Colour Blind Red/Green, and i got about 6/12 test incorrect on the book test!

I can only Fly VFR, by day and NO IMC

What options do i have for a flying carrer (of any kind!!!!!!!!!!!)

I'm pulling my hair out all i want to do is make a living from flying, but i think i'm totally out of options.

I got turned away at cranwell for failing the medical because of my eyes.

Help!

Are all the Following now out of the question for me........

ATPL
CPL
Instructor Rating
etc...

Any advice would much Appreciated

Human Factor

It's possible to do a "lantern" test instead of the Ishihara plates if you're marginal, although I'm not sure if an AME can do that. It's a long time since I went through that so the information may be a little out of date. It's probably worth ringing the CAA medical people at LGW.

unfazed

KRDAVIS

Take it from you will be as welcome to an airline as a "guide dog in a guide dogs home with Rabies"

I have a restricted JAR license due DCV and an FI rating but it has been an uphill battle and I have put the same resources into this as others but unfortunately the way things stand I cannot get a decent paying job outside of instruction (decent and paying are therefore mutually exclusive in that context).

My advice to you for what it's worth

Keep flying fun and don't ever stop flying
Go FAA route if you wan't a career but be aware of visa requirements
Check out RAF Instructor opportunities (air cadet instructors) as no license is required and you can gain excellent experience and have fun
Hope for changes with EASA but don't hold your breadth (I did that with JAR which was a sham).

Good Luck !

KRDAVIS

Thanks unfazed

I dont ever plan to stop flying, it's something i've always dreamed of doing, so that will never stop.
would you be able to explain to me a little more on the FAA route?!?
what's the process, and hows best to go about it? sorry but you seem to be the only one who has the answers i'm looking for!
so if you get me pointed in the right direction it would be most appreciated.

I never really concidered the RAF Cadet Route even though i got my Gliding Licence that way when i was younger. Its definately worth concidering if the FAA route Fails.

Thanks agin for you Help

Keith

unfazed

The US system is a bit more enlightened and does not impose as many limitations, as long as you can pass a tower light signal test you will be issued a waiver and can gain any level of license.


You will require a work visa or immigrant visa to actually use the license in the US (Outside of the US you may find other restrictions on using the license for paid work).

Not sure what your circumstances are but it is a big sacrifice to leave your homeland and friends just to get around archaic rules.

Might be smarter to keep flying and see what EAsa brings but then only you can decide. If you are young and time is plentiful and committments minimal then you could go to join a US trianing organisation on a J1 visa which will let you work as a flight instructor for 12 months after you qualify.

You will need to resesearch your options

Alternatively - accept the limitations and get a well paid job so that you can buy your own aircraft or setup your own aviation business.

unfazed

advertising Beware of the Sharks out there !

Piper2006

Hi,
I'm a CPL holder in Oz. About 2 weeks ago I saw an optician about slightly blurry vision and was told that i need glasses/contacts for distance vision. My prescription was -0.50 Right eye, -0.75 Left eye. And when i had the contacts in my corrected vision was fine.

Now just today i found out that the trial contacts i've been wearing for the last 2 weeks are the wrong prescription. They are slightly stronger, -0.75 Right eye and -1.00 left eye. My question is, does wearing the slightly stronger prescription make my eyesight worse than it was 2 weeks ago? And should i stick to these contacts, or get a set made up to the original prescription?

Obviously I'm a little stressed about this. I've already told CASA my ORIGINAL prescription, and they say its not problem. I just hope that my eyes havent gotten any worse because of a cock up by the optician. Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated.

Also, and pilots living in melbourne who wear glasses, if you have any recommendations of a good opticians, please send them to me. The people i've been to dont seem to know their stuff!

Feel free to PM me

niknak

I think seeing a different, if possible, personally recommended optitician is the right way to go about it.
Having a stronger prescription than necessary can't be good in the long term, but it's got to be better than goofing up 'cos you can't see properly.

I have very poor uncorrected vision but a good optician sorted me out, don't think that you've anything to worry about.

jimtall

Fourteen years ago I had a dream. That dream was to make a career out of flying. I had never flown an aircraft before and yet I wanted to be a pilot more than anything else in this world. Then I was living in the Seychelles islands, my country of birth.

My dream soon came crashing down when I failed the Ishihara test. I did not know what to do. Back then I was told "you will never become a pilot" I gave up the dream and took a career in Television production which I eventually learnt to enjoy but it was not exactly what I wanted. Back then I was not told that I could get a license with daytime restrictions. The main reason being that the only body running aircraft operations were Air Seychelles and as an airline they would never accept anyone with CVD. Even if I did get a license with restrictions there would be no planes to fly because out there there is no planes to rent.

I am now living in the UK and have done and failed the Lantern test in Gatwick and the desire to become a pilot keeps getting stronger and stronger.

I was under the impression that if one did fail the lantern test in Gatwick then one would be dark adapted and the test would be carried out in the dark. This was not the case. I failed in normal conditions and no test was done in the dark at all. I must specify that the conditions in that room was not proper especially with that Stupid "tube light" straingt in one's field of vision.

My advise to anyone with the same condition is to do the lantern test elswhere. Gatwick now wants me to quote a reference number if I want to try again. I have now become a number whereby I can be identified as another CVD candidate.

I have read that in the Netherlands is a good place to do the lantern test.
If anyone knows of the address in the Netherland please post it here. I would love to take the test again. After all you only have to pass it once!!

Keep the dream alive and keep fighting for one day CVD will be history. It will die a horrible death by the upcoming technological developments.!!

Regards

Jim

whitelabel

Addresses of all the dutch AMC's

CENTER 1
AEROMEDISCH INSTITUUT
Postbus 7700 (SPL/AM)
1117 ZL Luchthaven Schiphol
Tel: (020) 649 34 01
Fax: (020) 649 37 38

CENTER 2
AVIATION MEDICAL CENTER
Le Carré
Beechavenue 126-128 1 ste verdieping
1119 PR Schiphol- Rijk
0800 - 4212121

CENTER 3
Aeromedical Expert Centre
Diamantlaan 97
2132 WV Hoofddorp
Tel. 023-5572555
Fax.023-5627808


I prefer the last one. They are very helpfull.

Good luck

Lord Flashart

Hi,

I am currently looking into a career as a pilot (want to do ATPL) but have CVD, although my colour problems are only slight (R/G) and I'm pretty sure I'll pass a lantern I have problems with ishihara plates, so have a couple of questions:

1. If I do ishihara at Gatwick, fail it then do the lantern and pass that will I get a full unrestricted class 1 medical?

2. Will I have to re-test my colour vision in future if I fail the ishihara then pass the lantern? And am I right in saying that people who pass the ishihara first time never have to re-test?

3. What advantage is there in taking my medical somewhere else in Europe, I see this mentioned a lot and am confused as to the differences.

4. If I try for class 1 at Gatwick, fail or get a restricted medical, then re-take it elsewhere and get an unrestricted C1 will the fact that I failed first time round be recorded and count against me in any way? ie. should I just go straight to some other European country to take my C1 bypassing CAA/GW entirely.

5. If I do determine that I'm better of getting my cert abroad, are airlines likely to prefer candidates with UK CAA C1s over me?

6. Does anyone know if the CAA use the 24 or 38 plate ishihara, and whether the plates are tested in order or randomly.

Sorry for so many questions, and sorry if some of them are already answered in the CVD threads, I have trawled through them at length but am utterly confused and am hoping some of you who have already navigated this minefield will be able to help.

Thanks.

Flashart