Bifocals or Varifocals?
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Bifocals or Varifocals?
With the dreaded Class 2 medical looming over the horizon, I am about to arrange an eye test because I am sure that I will need new glasses. For the first time I will probably need bifocals or varifocals - up to now I have been OK with glasses just for close work. Can anyone give me information on the following:
1. Where can I find the required eyesight standard in a form that I can discuss with my optician so that I can be sure I will get glasses which will get me through the test?
2. Does anyone have experience of varifocals vs bifocals for flying. I have been told by one AME that varifocals are OK and, by another in the same practice, that they are not acceptable.
Whichever way it goes the next glasses are going to be expensive and, with the need to carry a spare pair, I cannot afford to get it wrong.
I would be grateful for any advice.
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"If you keep doing what you've always done, you will keep getting what you've always got"
1. Where can I find the required eyesight standard in a form that I can discuss with my optician so that I can be sure I will get glasses which will get me through the test?
2. Does anyone have experience of varifocals vs bifocals for flying. I have been told by one AME that varifocals are OK and, by another in the same practice, that they are not acceptable.
Whichever way it goes the next glasses are going to be expensive and, with the need to carry a spare pair, I cannot afford to get it wrong.
I would be grateful for any advice.
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"If you keep doing what you've always done, you will keep getting what you've always got"
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Last year the class 2 medical eyesight standard was tightened up and though until then I wore glasses when I flew anyway to *sharpen up the numbers* on the ground, it then became an expensive necessity to have two pairs.
For many years I had one pair of bifocals (which were also photochromatic) for flying.
They had a small D at the bottom to allow me to read the map on my lap but the rest of the lens was for distance.
The disadvantage of this was that they were useless for anything else but flying i.e. they were no use for say reading a news paper and watching the TV as well as I had to cock my head back at an uncomfortable angle to see out of the bottom D to read the paper!
When two pairs of specs became a licence requirement I went for varifocals which are excellent and can be used all the time.( However varifocals plus photochromatic are fiendishly expensive at they fall outside the *two for the price of one* offers from specsavers etc.
A few words of warning however on Varifocals:
As the prescription is infinitely variable you have to learn a new technique of reading, moving your head from side to side more than the usual *scanning* movement of eyes only..
Also varifocals are less suitable If you require a fairly large correction: you tend to trip up on pavement edges if you're not careful, and some people get seasick with head movement.
Best thing to do is go to an optician, take you half mil map with you, put it on your lap and explain how you need to be able to read the map, scan the instruments and yet still have maximal peripheral vision for distances.
If he's a good optician he'll have seen it all before (there are plenty of presbyopic airline pilots, some of em needing a D at the top of the lens as well to read the ceiling switches) and golfers often have similar specs to be able to hit the ball and yet see where it goes.
I have compromised: I use varifocals all the time when flying, my mandatory spare pair are bifocals with a small D, and in summer if its very bright I use bifocal prescription sun glasses with a marginally bigger D which I can also use for driving.
safe flying
Cusco
For many years I had one pair of bifocals (which were also photochromatic) for flying.
They had a small D at the bottom to allow me to read the map on my lap but the rest of the lens was for distance.
The disadvantage of this was that they were useless for anything else but flying i.e. they were no use for say reading a news paper and watching the TV as well as I had to cock my head back at an uncomfortable angle to see out of the bottom D to read the paper!
When two pairs of specs became a licence requirement I went for varifocals which are excellent and can be used all the time.( However varifocals plus photochromatic are fiendishly expensive at they fall outside the *two for the price of one* offers from specsavers etc.
A few words of warning however on Varifocals:
As the prescription is infinitely variable you have to learn a new technique of reading, moving your head from side to side more than the usual *scanning* movement of eyes only..
Also varifocals are less suitable If you require a fairly large correction: you tend to trip up on pavement edges if you're not careful, and some people get seasick with head movement.
Best thing to do is go to an optician, take you half mil map with you, put it on your lap and explain how you need to be able to read the map, scan the instruments and yet still have maximal peripheral vision for distances.
If he's a good optician he'll have seen it all before (there are plenty of presbyopic airline pilots, some of em needing a D at the top of the lens as well to read the ceiling switches) and golfers often have similar specs to be able to hit the ball and yet see where it goes.
I have compromised: I use varifocals all the time when flying, my mandatory spare pair are bifocals with a small D, and in summer if its very bright I use bifocal prescription sun glasses with a marginally bigger D which I can also use for driving.
safe flying
Cusco
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Go for photochromic varifocals but you must get the most expensive ones. The cheaper varieties have a narrow vertical band where the prescription is correct and outside that is out of focus. I imagine these are the ones people have problems with. I used to have bifocals when I was only flying my Skylark and I couldn`t see the numbers on the radio through either lens. The expensive varifocals were perfect immediately. For your second (spare) pair, use last years glasses.
Mike W
Mike W
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Thanks Cusco and Skylark4 for some very helpful answers. It sounds like I need more help than I can get from the average 'Specsavers' and will also need to raid the kids' piggybanks again. Still,as I am over 60 I can at least get the eye test for free.
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"If you keep doing what you've always done, you will keep getting what you've always got"
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"If you keep doing what you've always done, you will keep getting what you've always got"
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Pulse 1. I went into this whole business quite fully about a year ago. I am long-sighted and found that with anno domini creeping up on me, I needed extra strength at the bottom of the lenses to allow me to read comfortably. That took me first into varifocals, which I got from Specsavers (or one of the high-street brands) but I found just the problem Skylard 4 pointed out - the prescription only worked in a narrow vertical band. Consequently, I had to scan with my head not my eyes and it was most uncomfortable. I got them changed for split-lens bifocals which work fine. However, I have now found that I really need three strengths of lens: one for distance, one for reading and a third one for middle distance. This middle distance is about arms length and a few feet beyond - just the same as the instrument panel.
So - I have a pair of flying specs which are actually my old set. They give me distance and middle distance with a split lens bifocal. I carry a second pair for maps and planning which give me distance and close-work. (Its a real bu**er getting old!)
I am told that you can have left and right reading lenses set to give middle and close-up respectively.....
You could always go for your Class 2 medical clutching one of those Sherlock Holmes magnifying glasses.....
:
So - I have a pair of flying specs which are actually my old set. They give me distance and middle distance with a split lens bifocal. I carry a second pair for maps and planning which give me distance and close-work. (Its a real bu**er getting old!)
I am told that you can have left and right reading lenses set to give middle and close-up respectively.....
You could always go for your Class 2 medical clutching one of those Sherlock Holmes magnifying glasses.....
:
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Three months ago I began to realise I couldn't read the fine numbers on Instrument Approach Charts or Nav charts. I didn't want to have bifocals and thought varifocals would be better. My optician, who is also a schoolfriend from 35 years ago, said there is a significant difference between cheap varifocals and expensive varifocals. Guess which he recommended I buy from him !
However, unlike the horror stories I have heard, I got used to the varifocals before the end of the day and think they are excellent. Perhaps the horror stories refer to cheap varifocals...
However, unlike the horror stories I have heard, I got used to the varifocals before the end of the day and think they are excellent. Perhaps the horror stories refer to cheap varifocals...
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I too had to sort out this problem recently. If you try varifocals from Boots Opticians, they'll change them for bifocals free of charge if necessary. I had to do this as I found varifocals quite frightening for rotary flying - for landing in confined areas you need to judge height and distance very precisely and I couldn't with varifocals! Maybe it would have improved with practice, but I changed them for bifocals which work fine. Though what I do most of the time is wear contact lenses and keep a pair of reading specs handy to keep the CAA happy (I don't need them in good light), and keep the bifocals as my spare pair. Conclusion - seems to be a fairly individual thing as to what works best.
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To fly is human, to hover, divine.
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To fly is human, to hover, divine.
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Thanks everyone for more helpful replies. I think, Whirlybird, that you are absolutely right in that the decision is based on individual requirements. I was a bit surprised if you can get away with having reading glasses just to get through the medical. My last AME needed my latest prescription and was insistent that one pair of glasses should meet all needs (+ the spare pair of course).
I do not normally wear glasses except for reading and, with two eyes, I can pass the long distance test without glasses – this is because one eye is doing all the work. Up to now I fly with half moon glasses for map reading/ check list etc, and I carry a pair of long distance glasses with me in case I lose sight in my good eye. According to my AME this is not acceptable any more. I should add that I will not be using this AME again as I have discovered that he has charged me almost twice as much as other local AME’s.
Anyway, taking all the above helpful comments into consideration, I am coming to the conclusion that bifocals are probably the safest bet for me, although I may try the Boots option first.
Thanks everyone.
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"If you keep doing what you've always done, you will keep getting what you've always got"
I do not normally wear glasses except for reading and, with two eyes, I can pass the long distance test without glasses – this is because one eye is doing all the work. Up to now I fly with half moon glasses for map reading/ check list etc, and I carry a pair of long distance glasses with me in case I lose sight in my good eye. According to my AME this is not acceptable any more. I should add that I will not be using this AME again as I have discovered that he has charged me almost twice as much as other local AME’s.
Anyway, taking all the above helpful comments into consideration, I am coming to the conclusion that bifocals are probably the safest bet for me, although I may try the Boots option first.
Thanks everyone.
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"If you keep doing what you've always done, you will keep getting what you've always got"
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pulse1, I think if you wear glasses you'd need to have one pair that works for everything. But it seems to be acceptable for contact lens wearers to have a pair of reading glasses available for reading maps etc; at least that's my understanding of the rules. Since my main problem is shortsightedness, and I only have difficulty reading in poor light, that works for me, though I'll have to switch to bifocals in time I expect. Anyway, I found Boots very helpful; I sat there explaining in great detail how you fly a helicopter, so that they had some idea of what was required!
Bifocals may well be your best option, though I know quite a few pilots who swear by varifocals, so it might be worth trying them.
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To fly is human, to hover, divine.
Bifocals may well be your best option, though I know quite a few pilots who swear by varifocals, so it might be worth trying them.
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To fly is human, to hover, divine.
