Colorado2013

I am hoping to enhance my vision slightly to 20/20 in each eye separately, primarily to start flying commercially again.

· I am 51 years old and have been wearing contacts or glasses for the last 25 years.

· With glasses or soft contacts I am approximately 20/30 in each eye separately.

· I have recently started using scleral contact lenses which are filled with sterile water prior to placement and have the effect of giving the eye a smooth uniform shape. These contacts are hard and have improved my vision. I am now able to get close to 20/20 (but missing 1 or 2 letters, and the others very hard to see) with each eye separately. I think these contacts have the effect of “removing” the astigmatism.

· I have recently started to look at surgery again, although 10 years ago a LASIK company said I was not a suitable candidate due to the astigmatism I have. The LASIK company may have had other reasons why I was not a good fit for surgery, but I can’t recall what they were. They also said that the LASIK surgery if successful would not improve my vision over what I was able to achieve with glasses or soft contacts.

· I am curious to know if eye surgery has changed/improved in last 10 years and whether I could now be a viable candidate.

· I would be interested to know if anyone has had any success with the William H Bates type eye exercises, and if yes how much did the eyes improve and how long did it take.

· I am in some ways very close to my 20/20 goal to be able to fly commercially again, and it seems a risk to be even contemplate surgery, even if it would work.

Any thoughts/suggestions are very much appreciated.

Captain Spam Can

I’m a current ATPL airline Pilot, no restrictions on medical but I am going to have an eye test.

If I need glasses what are the restrictions, is it to carry 2 pairs of sunglasses as well as 2 pairs of normal glasses?

Must the sunglasses be also corrected?

Since if it does happen it won’t be anything dramatic is there a tolerance on the class 1 so it won’t go down as a restriction on my next medical and thus need only 1 pair for distance.

Thanks in advice, much easier than CAA website.

rudestuff

If you need corrective lenses, you need to carry a spare set. That's it. What you actually wear and anything else you carry is up to you.

harryt

Hi All!

Hope everyone is keeping well in this tough time. I am currently studying for my ATPL theory and already have a CAA class 1 medial which I am due to renew next month. I am becoming paranoid about losing my medical because of my eyesight. I wear glasses and my corrected vision is 6/6 eyes together 6/6 left eye, but my right eye is 6/9. So far I have managed to pass my medicals without issues, however I am worried about what happens when my right eye gets worse?

The way I understand it the rules are 6/6 eyes together, 6/9 in each eye.

but what happens if in the future my right eye goes below 6/9 assuming I can still see 6/6 eyes together? Is that it I just lose my medical and potentially my job?
Or do they give you a restriction of any type?

Thanks for any advice you may be able to offer!

Tight Accountant

Hello, This may be the incorrect thread but I'm somewhat stunned about something I've read about pilot eye-sight requirements on Twitter. On the following thread, it mentions that the Captain of TACA Flight 110 which had a landing mishap in 1988, only had one eye. Now, forgive me, I thought pilots had to have binocular vision in order to judge depth? On the same thread, a BA First Officer has stated you can fly with one eye! I'm terribly confused! I always wanted to be a commercial airline pilot but it was ruled out due to my lack of binocular vision. Could someone please provide me with the cold hard facts?

Here's the link but appreciate a Twitter account may be required.


I will be interested to read the replies.

whistla

I am considering laser eye surgery in the near future but will equally be looking to (re)gain my class 1 in the next 12months. Has anyone had any experiences of laser eye surgery and the CAA? I have had a look at the current regulations and it seems a (surprisingly) very simple and easy process.

There are a wider number of clinics in the UK ranging from the high street clinics like Optical Express or Optimax to independents like London Vision Clinic, if anyone has had any dealings or experiences, I would welcome your feedback.

DCS17

Think long and hard about having a surgical procedure to your (presumably) otherwise healthy eyes.
It is not a small decision.
Have a clearly defined goal for treatment to achieve. If it is complete freedom from glasses then make sure the surgeon knows this.
If you are happy to need some prescription, but just lower power, then tell him/her.
Examine the complication rate and downsides, as well as the sucess rate of your individual surgeon in achieving your desired outcome.
What will you do if you are the unlucky one?
Will you be able to look back at the decision to go ahead, and say it was still the right decision, even if your vision is harmed (and perhaps can no longer fly)?
What level of risk is acceptable to you as an individual? It's different of everyone.

Avoid reading the adverts and study the published peer reviewed literature instead.

nonsense

L_ser is used for many different eye surgeries, perhaps tell us what surgery you have your eye on?

whistla

Thanks - I have spent a lot of time looking at the different options and well aware of the risks, if I decide to proceed, it will be with one of the higher-rated clinics (and more expensive) as the additional cost will outweigh the difference in risk.

The main aim is so that I do not need to wear glasses, being a wearer for >15years and with my eyesight now settled, its something I have been considering for a long time. Although I have not yet been for a consultation, it will most likely be a LASIK

RatherBeFlying

You might want to contact your national CAA to explore their long-term experience with pilots who have undergone similar surgery.

nonsense

whistla

Bear in mind that at about 45yo you will develop presbyopia and suddenly being myopic doesn't seem like such a bad idea.

Radgirl

PLEASE be careful. Unless you are qualified you do not know the risks. The only way to determine the risk in your individual case is by a face to face consultation with the surgeon or operator.

I would seek out the individual not put your trust in the most expensive or the flashiest marketing. Sadly many ratings are worthless. I am not casting aspersions on any particular company and some are most professional, but private medicine is famous for slick marketing and ratings written by their own employees......A building or advert doesnt do the procedure, a human being does. Check him or her out carefully.

atakacs

I am getting close to 55 and despite having a Lasik procedure from -10/-8 25 years ago I am still not in need of correction.
I am definitely on the lucky side but it is possible...

A Very Civil Pilot

Since reaching my 50s my vision is slightly deteriorating, and I need corrective lenses. All in all not a problem, but it’s applying it to the aviation world that is the complication.

So, my normal daytime my vision is fine, and I just need reading glasses, (+1.75 I think).
Daytime after a long duty, and my eyes are feeling a bit tired, my long distance vision is fine (i.e looking out for the runway), but my middle distance is a bit blurry (i.e looking at the instruments). I have a slight prescription to correct this, and still need the reading element, so have a pair of Occupational lenses to cover this.
At night it’s similar, but I need to occupational lenses all this time.

The difficulty is that I need 3 focal distances. Long - uncorrected, middle - corrected, near - corrected. At the moment I overcome this by resting my glasses on the end of my nose so that I can look over the top, it works but isn’t the best solution.

Surely I’m not the only pilot to have this issue, so what are the rest of us doing to overcome this?

RatherBeFlying

I have the reverse of your problem.
One pair with full distance correction; fortunately I can just make out the instruments without bifocals. For far sighted people there are lower half lens reading glasses which may help you in the cockpit.

bafanguy

Trifocal lenses ? I wore them for years. I'd expect anyone who can fit you for bifocals can also fit you for trifocals ?

Loose rivets

Don't go for vari-focal, although if the middle band is 0 / planar they might work. Any correction in the middle height seems to be reduced to a ridiculously narrow hourglass which needed head turning simply to follow a line on a page.

I was flying a new type in my old age and needed to be quite sure I was identifying the ATR's overhead buttons correctly. Some of my colleagues were spending hundreds of pounds on tri-focals but that was out of my budget.

I got a 5 quid pair of horn-rimmed ready readers and Dremel'd a horizontal slot out of the middle. Perfect.

I did find some reluctance to making me full size split readers. Spec Savers said they don't do those any more and made me the small rounded readers. I was lucky that I rarely ever needed long distance. Just a touch of CYL correction was nice, but a luxury. I've had a lot to say over decades about focusing with the extraocular muscles. I really annoyed a pal/local optician when I was quite young because I'd report a slightly different angle for the cylinder (astigmatism) correction almost every time I had a check up. In old age it cost me dear.

I repeat this tale whenever I can. I had some very distressing weeks of eye ache and I think found the answer. However, a recent comment on Quora shows people are not open to new ideas. There is something published with the proposal that prime focussing is achieved in youth by way of the extra ocular muscles. If it were true, the following would be substantiated.

I spent a lot of a summer holiday back in the UK with aching eyes and slight defocusing. I sought urgent help but no one could find out what was wrong. The Rivetess had to stand on the brakes for some critter that ran out in front of us and at that moment my eyes relaxed and focussed. I knew what was wrong, and an urgent request for Diazipam gave the muscle relaxant needed for diagnostics. 30 minutes after weeks and back to perfect relaxed focus. It's an odd thing, but when spasms like this get found out, they seem to just dissolve away. I have a friend who was rushed to hospital with a neck that was jammed solid. He'd had a history of it, just now and then. Nursie gave him a huge shot of relaxant and he was fine.

Ironpot

Definitely varifocals! Worth every penny.

You need two pairs in the cockpit - I have one pair tinted.

rob_ste97

Hi everyone.

Going through the stages of trying to get a Class 1 (not hopeful but worth a shot), and had my eye exam today. Right eye is ok, 6/5 but my left eye is 6/7.8 which I understand is approaching the limit for Class 1 certification. I was very shocked as at my last exam at 18 years old I had greater than 6/6 vision in both eyes.
I’m concerned now that my eyesight may deteriorate further resulting in future loss of any Class 1 that I may obtain.

Has anyone who’s flying commercially has similar issues at the tender age of 23? Do visual issues like this tend to get worse, and would my eyesight be considered dangerously close to being out of limits?

Many thanks in advance.

B2N2

Working from memory here, I seem to recall the first issuance is the most stringent and follow ups over the years are more lenient towards hearing and vision.
Can someone chime in and confirm?
Apologies if I’m completely off base here.