this is my first post so u will have to excuse me if i dont know what im talking about but as a coincidence i sort of got the last nail in the coffin for my pilots carear today. im 18 and wannabe a pilot for the raf but obviously that aint gonna happen, but ive been giving consideration to a navigators position, what do u think???

neway if u get glases, i thought u can fly commercialy, so what if your other eye gets lazy, your hardly gonna get blind and if haveing 2 different lenses in each eye means being able to fly, go for it!

ALSO GET A SECON OPINION, IT ISNT WORTH GIVING UP WHAT U WANT SIMPLY ON BAD ADVICE!

Dave

Did you see an optician (one who dispenses glasses) or an opthalmic surgeon (doctor who specialises in eyes)? There are ways and means around nearly every thing. It may cost some money and take some time but sometimes a more pleasing result may come your way.
I don't know what your eye measurements are. However, go to an opthalmic surgeon or better yet, see a doctor that is on the CAA's list of approved medical examiners. Let them tell you that you don't meet the standards. Then sort out a strategy to beat it if required.
Good luck.

Suggest you get hold of a book called Better Eyesight without Glasses by W H Bates.

tas

Hmmm, I would get the book, but I'd have to have met someone who it WORKED on first. I'm still not convinced by holistics.

Do a search in the medical section on PPRUNE. There are loads of postings about dodgy eyesight. Don't give up...the RAF turned me down (twenty years ago) but my eyesight finally stabilised in my early twenties and is now good enough for the CAA (providing I wear contact lenses). The biggest mistake I ever made (aside from getting married) was giving up on my dream for a decade.

Best of Luck

Fried,

Be a navigator in the RAF - if you can get in, that is. Competition's pretty hard.

They don't call them that any longer - they're now WSOs (Weapons Systems Officers). Same job, though.

I was one for 29 years. It was good. I got paid the same as pilots and, on a two-seat aeroplane like the Phantom, Buccaneer or Tornado, there is no question that you do the same job and share the same risks. You're totally interdependant - OK, the nav couldn't do his job withoout a pilot, but in most 2-seaters, the pilot couldn't do his job without a nav either.

Go for it. You'll hear a lot of denigration from pilots with an inferiority complex. Disregard them. Do your own thing.

But it's tough. You've got to be good.

Paul

Indimanana Jones,

I have the book from Bates and I've been using the Bates Method for about 2yrs now. And my eyesight has been improving since then..

Before I was R-6/24 L-6/18, after 2yrs of being patient and practicing my eyesight everyday now its R-6/12 L-6/12. With optical aids its 6/6 for both eyes.

So trust me it works just be very patient. I'm 20yrs old now.

ALL THE BEST

Best Regards,
Herman <img src="cool.gif" border="0">

Don't give up is my advice. Like you, all I ever wanted was to fly. However a RAF Wing Commnader told me I had quote an eye disease unquote when I was 20 and that the end of my dreams - I thought. What he meant was that I was going to be long-sighted and sure enough I am. Okay so I could not go military, but I would have been okay for Class One if he hadn't scared the hell out of me. Three years later I started to wear glasses and my eyes have slowly got worse. But only last month, those nice CAA people gave me a shiny Class One Medical. And what's more, they would probably give you a Class One even if your eyesight was worse than the +/- 3 limits if your prescription will meet the planned limits of +/- 5. And a friend of mine has just had a very similar experience. Please, what ever you do, do not just accept that you might not be able to fly - get specialist advice. Also speak to the CAA: despite what people like to say, they have been fantastic with me (even if #220 is crazy money to issue a PPL). Good luck

Don't give up IJ! I went to a BA seminar when I was fifteen -they took one look at my glasses and just said, "Sorry, pal. We're not taking on pilots with glasses" What they didn't add was that it was a BA decision, and I could have easily gone with another airline!! Doh!

Now that the CAA have increased the leeway to +/-5 diaopta, it shouuld cover a lot more potential Class One applicants with 'poor' eyesight.

My corrected vision with contact lenses has been tested as better than 20/20 (20 being the size of the letters second or third up from the bottom of the eye chart -can't quite remember) Without them my hand at arms length is a blur.

So, moral is, don't give up. Try the eye exercises, I 've heard they really can work.

Hi all just a little information that I gathered recently.... the RAF will NOT accept vision problems for pilots at all. I called them again last week to see if by chance anything had changed and I got a very blunt NO, and goodbye, not so much as can we interest you in another field. I have done a Flying Scholarship through the RAF and was told at the time that i could not do anything to do with flying, eg, Pilot, WSO, Air Load Master etc etc. (and before anyone asks no I'm not that short sighted). However keep trying, terms are "subject to change without notice" or so I've heard.

Also you probably wouldnt have a problem getting a Class 1 as far as i know, I got mine about 4 months ago without a problem. I wera contact lenses now, however even wearing of glasses is fine. As with regard to airlines, I always wear contact lenses, A: because I prefer them and B: so if they have any slight preference to a "perfectperson" you at least get a chance to show them what type of person you are before they get a chacnew to prejudge you (not saying that all airlines do....but its worth a try if they might be)

So dont give up hope, my heart sank at the age of 16 just as me and the family left South Africa, when I had to get glasses becasue I knew the SAAF wouldn't take people with eyesight probs..... but there are many other opportunities and things are looking up. For example I am trying to get hold of someone at the careers office in the Marines and Navy...try them they might be less stingy, but the last time i tried about a year ago the Navy turned me down as well. Things may have changed though...

Like a few othere people have suggested exercises may and sometimes can help, I had a friend who had a lazy eye and is now fine...but depends ont the extent etc..

Hope this has been of some help to you and anyone else.

:) <img src="tongue.gif" border="0"> :)

PS: Above all things.. NEVER GIVE UP! I f u want it bad enough you'll get it. People have conquered worse things before, so where there's a will there's a way!

[ 06 January 2002: Message edited by: RAF TopGun ]</p>

Eyesight...
 

Hi,
Ive been acepted for a sponsorship to become a commercial pilot and I have never needed glasses before. Recently I have reason to believe that my eyesight may not be as perfect as it used to be.

Im really scared about this and would like to know how bad your eyesight can be with glasses to still get a class 1 medical and also should I go get my eyes tested by an opticians now or what?

please help, Im very scared and confused.

Thank you

Wannabe,

Congrats on getting the sponsorship!

The exact requirements for your Class 1 medical can be found here. However, if you've never needed glasses before, I wouldn't worry - I think it's extremely unlikely that your eyesight would deteriorate from not needing glasses at all, to being outside the limits, in such a short space of time.

If you are really concerned, you should contact the CAA at Gatwick for advice. They may be able to test your eyesight for you for a small fee, saving you (or your sponsor) the cost of the full Class 1, or even more, if your eyesight really is outside the limits.

It also seems only fair that you inform your sponsor if you have any worries. If you can't get a medical then you won't be able to complete the course whatever else happens, so you've got nothing to loose by letting them know straight away, but lots to gain in terms of good will.

Hope it all works out for you. And if not, then don't forget that a Class 2 medical is a lot less stringent, so you may still be able to fly for fun whilst finding a different career for yourself.

FFF
--------------

Hi,

Not sure if this helps in any way but: Every now and then I think my eyesight is slipping. So far, I have nailed this down to simply not getting enough sleep. Once I forced my self to go to bed at 22:00 rather than midnight (or beyond) for a few days everything was back to normal.

I understand where FFF is comming from, but I worry that if you speak to your sponsor too soon it may confuse the situation. Personally, I would not say anything until I have had my eyes tested and know for sure one way or the other. But that is me and my judgement, it may well be inappropriate under your specific circumstances.

Just a thought,
HWD.

HWD,

Funny you should say that because I have been going to bed rather late recently, mixture of working hard, playing hard and late night phone calls to the girlfriend!

I really hope this is right as Flyinf for Fun said that it is highly unlikely that my eyes could have deteriorated so quickly.

Not long till the end of uni term so will get some good rest soon!

Thank you both for your help, you have really put me at ease!

Eyesight...
 

'Hi all'

I've recently been perscribed glasses as i'm shortsighted (really badly in one eye and quite bad in the other). I was just wondering how this effects my chances of becoming a pilot?

I currently work as a network analyst and am 23. I'm so bored doing that, so i've decided to do my PPL and was kinda hoping that if that was succesful i'll progress to a CPL and onwards.

But is this dream pointless if i need glasses?

Cheers

Lew

Find a local AME and get a medical done. If the doc is friendly enough, and all the AMEs I've come across are, they should be able to advise you before you go if your prescription is going to cause a problem. Having glasses isn't a problem. There are many pilots who wear them, myself included :8 (There's even a smilie especially for us!)

Regards
Stoney

you could try going to the caa website, www.caa.co.uk.

If you look in the medical section i think they have the eyesight standards on there somewhere. Class 1 (professional) are more restrictive than class 2 (PPL)

Hope that helps a bit!

I stand to be corrected, but from memory your vision needs to be -5 or better for a Class 1 medical (required for your CPL).

Don't take my word for it though, as already suggested, print off the exact requirements from the CAA website and discuss them with an AME or optician.

I had a similar issue a couple of years back. Went to see the CAA for a Class 1, and fell outside the initial limits. But since my prescription had not changed much in the last 3 or 4 years, they issued me with a nice shiny class 1 medical anyway because my eyesight was within the limits for a renewal. Think it's called the "deviation" route or something.

Hi Lewis,

Like DVR6K my eyesight was outside the limits for an Initial Class 1 medical but inside them for the renewal. Having provided my prescription for the last few years to the CAA to show the stability of my eyesight I was issued witha Class 1 Medical with Deviation.

The deviation is considered on an individual basis depending on your past records and is then removed from your medical once your commercial training is completed as you will then be renewing your medical each year.

Hope it works out for you and good luck!