Eye Sight

[pistol_pete]

I was speaking to a doctor earlier and she was telling me that by having eye sight that is corrected by glasses or contact lenses would be a major disadvantage when applying for work with an airline. I am inclined to disagree but I wanted to see if anyone else knows anything about this.

Thanks

[Ang737]

CASA

If you can meet the class one medical standards then there is no cause to discriminate against you when applying for airline roles. Give CASA a call an in there infinate wisdom they will shread some light on the minimum eye sight requirements 131757

Ang

[blueloo]

Go to the opthamoligist - aviation specialist if you can find one (Dr Elder in Bondi Junction is one off the top of my head) - ask him for his opinion on your eyesight and whether it will deteriorate - I dont know how old you are - but they can usually make an assessment when you are 20 or 21.

Essentially as the previous post suggests if you can hold a class 1 medical you will be fine. There are heaps of guys around who wear glasses thick as coke bottles - As long as your eyesight is 100% with correction you will be fine.

[pistol_pete]

Thanks for all your thoughts so far, the doctor I saw said I only have a minor problem that is 100% correctable with glasses or lenses. But even with this she said my chances of getting employed with an airline just by needing glasses will be greatly reduced. Also I am fully fit to pass a class 1 medical.

[Keg]

Pistol, I'm a F/O with Qantas and I have keratoconus which is a degenerative eye condition. Admittedly, it was only diagnosed after I got in to QF but I now wear glasses and QF have no dramas. They have for a number of years accepted pilots with corrective lenses. Their only questions are whether or not you can hold a Class 1 and whether the condition is expected to deteriorate to the stage where they would have to pay out on their loss of license insurance.

If you have 'run of the mill' eye conditions then I'd reckon it'll be no dramas.

[Bevan666]

Join the club Keg - I have to wear hard contact lenses to fix my keratoconus. I used to wear glasses but it progressed to the point I needed hard lenses to fix it. It hasn't got any worse in the last few years so hopefully I can keep my class 1 medical....

For the original poster - a majority of the population will require near-vision correction later in life and they dont sack all pilots at 45-50! As long as you can hold a class 1 medical thats all thats required.

Bevan..

[RPPT]

I have been offered a job (driver of airframes) with two major international airline companies after having worn my glasses through their entire recruiting processes, including the medicals. Relax pistol pete, your doctor knows not what she is talking about.