glasses and becoming a pilot
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
glasses and becoming a pilot
hi, im a teen from Brisbane and have always wanted to be a pilot since i was a small boy but there is one area i am concerned about - glasses. I have needed them since I was 10 and I my vision is something like -3.25 in both eyes I think. Will this affect my chances? I would like to hear from some pilots with glasses and how they went
thanks in advance
thanks in advance
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Here and Everywhere
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sam
The only time you need to worry about glasses is if your applying for the RAAF, i think Law states (everyone correct me if im wrong) is that two sets are required to be on your person at all time in flight.
As for me i use to wear glasses when i first started training and i waited till i was about 23 and had laser eye surgery (best thing i have done in my life) and now the only glasses i wear flying are my sunnies. Good luck with your career.
A hint of advice. Dive head first into theory and get it out of the way first.
Jnr380
The only time you need to worry about glasses is if your applying for the RAAF, i think Law states (everyone correct me if im wrong) is that two sets are required to be on your person at all time in flight.
As for me i use to wear glasses when i first started training and i waited till i was about 23 and had laser eye surgery (best thing i have done in my life) and now the only glasses i wear flying are my sunnies. Good luck with your career.
A hint of advice. Dive head first into theory and get it out of the way first.
Jnr380
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Ozone
Posts: 250
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Glasses aint a problem at all...before I say anything further tho, I am not a Airline Pilot, but do hold a CPL & ME-CIR. Know a friend who is flying for Cathay Pacific and it seems glasses aint a problem to them~~so yea... you're all good mate!
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 626
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Warning
Be careful about laser surgery at a young age, your eyes maye change some more and you can only burn your eyes so many times.
For now, go for contact lenses, and cary a pair of specs in case.....(I dont most of the time.....what regs??)
Yes this is the most workable for younger eyes, ask a few opto's.......not selling laser surgery that is!
J
For now, go for contact lenses, and cary a pair of specs in case.....(I dont most of the time.....what regs??)
Yes this is the most workable for younger eyes, ask a few opto's.......not selling laser surgery that is!
J
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Enroute from Dagobah to Tatooine...!
Posts: 791
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Mate, my contact lense prescription is worse than your glasses one and that hasn't stopped me from holding a Class 1 medical. I also ditched the glasses in favour of disposable contact lenses and I think it is well worth it. You can wear decent sunnies and you get your all important peripheal (spelling?) vision back. You use that vision a lot subconsciously - especially when landing. I am required to carry back-up glasses when I fly but that is no trouble - drop them in your headset bag.
I have considered laser but am not yet willing to risk my career for it although I know of some pilots who are happy with it. Some 'halo' effects have been reported though which can show up with night flying.
One other thing - find out if you have an astigmatism or not - they can fix that when they give you a pair of glasses but I don't think anything can be done for it with contacts (which means you might have to stick with glasses).
Good luck!
I have considered laser but am not yet willing to risk my career for it although I know of some pilots who are happy with it. Some 'halo' effects have been reported though which can show up with night flying.
One other thing - find out if you have an astigmatism or not - they can fix that when they give you a pair of glasses but I don't think anything can be done for it with contacts (which means you might have to stick with glasses).
Good luck!
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Deep South
Posts: 116
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I used to think you had to be smart, have good vision and hearing to be a puhlot. All not true, look at me! I'm thick as, need glasses and struggle to hear shouting on my wrong side.
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Somewhere in Indo...
Age: 48
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
One other thing - find out if you have an astigmatism or not - they can fix that when they give you a pair of glasses but I don't think anything can be done for it with contacts (which means you might have to stick with glasses).
My wife has used them before and she tells me they can be a bit fiddly, but that the vision is definitely better than with normal contacts.
Having said that, and as mentioned previously, they were happy to give her a medical with 'normal' contacts as long as carried a spare pair of glasses while flying.
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 626
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Gotcha
Hey Bloggsy........took it hook line and sinker!!!!!
Wondered how long it would take someone to react
To be fair, the odd time has been a impulsive circuit or two, otherwise they are in my bag within arms reach.
J
Wondered how long it would take someone to react To be fair, the odd time has been a impulsive circuit or two, otherwise they are in my bag within arms reach.
J
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"They are even able to fix some astigmatisms with laser apparently, I'll wait and see on that one I think!"
Don't forget if you have laser surgery you can't fly for 3 months (as my DAME told me). Also it sems that some airlines may not employ you if you have laser surgery. A friend of mine went for a pilot job with BA back in about 1997 and they told her that they can't employ her because they were going to monitor laser eye surgery over the next 20 years. Things may have changed since then and may be worth calling airlines of your choice to see how they view it.
"Don't forget if you have laser surgery you can't fly for 3 months (as my DAME told me). Also it sems that some airlines may not employ you if you have laser surgery. A friend of mine went for a pilot job with BA back in about 1997 and they told her that they can't employ her because they were going to monitor laser eye surgery over the next 20 years. Things may have changed since then and may be worth calling airlines of your choice to see how they view it.
international
For information, if you're thinking internationally, a JAR medical requires you to be within correction limits for 6/6 vision with both eyes.
Whilst they don't bar laser corrective surgery, your correction before the surgery must still have been within their prescribed limits.
I think they are +5.00 to -8.00 (or -6.00 for Class 1) including astigmatic correction.
A
Whilst they don't bar laser corrective surgery, your correction before the surgery must still have been within their prescribed limits.
I think they are +5.00 to -8.00 (or -6.00 for Class 1) including astigmatic correction.
A
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Here and Everywhere
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I had laser eye surgery and so far its good, had to get a letter from the surgeon though......i can tell you guys now that if you're ever going to do it, ask for multiple opinions from Optometrists.
For me it was myopia (gentics) and my eyes were -2.5 and -4.25 now i got better than 20 / 20. and my Optometrist actually said i was a perfect candidate for it.
Laser eye has come along way and nowadays its like cosmetic denistry and airlines now im guess wont really care. as long as you can pass your Class 1 medical.
For me it was myopia (gentics) and my eyes were -2.5 and -4.25 now i got better than 20 / 20. and my Optometrist actually said i was a perfect candidate for it.
Laser eye has come along way and nowadays its like cosmetic denistry and airlines now im guess wont really care. as long as you can pass your Class 1 medical.
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Great Southern Land
Age: 57
Posts: 434
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Aussie
For my initial medical I mentioned it to the opthimelig .... opthemollig ..... opthumbil ... eye doctor ...
and he didn't bat an eyelid, as they say.
It's been mentioned a couple of times since but no dramas. However I should point out that I've never applied for a major airline so I can't say how they'd react.
For those not au fait with Ortho-K, it's where someone short sighted (-2 in each eye in my case) wears gas permeable rigid lenses to sleep, and the corneas are reshaped by the lense to bring the eyes back to perfect vision.
In my case occasionally one eye will not come back to perfect vision, but still pretty sharp. Most days both eyes are razor sharp. After 8 hrs of lense wear I get about 30-36 hours of perfect or near-perfect vision. The eyes start drifting back to short-sightedness over a period (in my case) from 36 hrs to about 5 days.
For my initial medical I mentioned it to the opthimelig .... opthemollig ..... opthumbil ... eye doctor ...
and he didn't bat an eyelid, as they say. It's been mentioned a couple of times since but no dramas. However I should point out that I've never applied for a major airline so I can't say how they'd react.
For those not au fait with Ortho-K, it's where someone short sighted (-2 in each eye in my case) wears gas permeable rigid lenses to sleep, and the corneas are reshaped by the lense to bring the eyes back to perfect vision.
In my case occasionally one eye will not come back to perfect vision, but still pretty sharp. Most days both eyes are razor sharp. After 8 hrs of lense wear I get about 30-36 hours of perfect or near-perfect vision. The eyes start drifting back to short-sightedness over a period (in my case) from 36 hrs to about 5 days.
SAM,
I have about 3.0-3.5 myopia since 15.
I got knocked back from Qantas in 1995 but they contacted me again in 1996 [when they changed from the then RAAF standard although won't tell me or I might have sued!] and got in in 1988.
I still wear glasses and will soon need correction for reading as age is catching up. Can't stand contacts and worried about laser as my licence is worth too much for me to risk[however small]
Go for it if you want to fly!!
RE other threads about the industry, go in with your eys open!
I have about 3.0-3.5 myopia since 15.
I got knocked back from Qantas in 1995 but they contacted me again in 1996 [when they changed from the then RAAF standard although won't tell me or I might have sued!] and got in in 1988.
I still wear glasses and will soon need correction for reading as age is catching up. Can't stand contacts and worried about laser as my licence is worth too much for me to risk[however small]
Go for it if you want to fly!!
RE other threads about the industry, go in with your eys open!
