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Eyesight

croakerfish

Well-Known Member
pilot
Has anyone here got through OCS Flight Physical and moved on as an SNA with less that 20/20? They advertise that 20/40 is the limit for SNAs but in reality it seems that anything less than 20/20 is a no go in real world.

I was 20/25 at OCS and had no problem.
 

JFShampy

Member
pilot
I'm a SNA currently in IFS. 20/40 in my right eye at OCS and here in Pensacola. Gave me a fancy pair of glasses that I'm required to wear while flying.
 

speedroller

Rangers
I'm a SNA currently in IFS. 20/40 in my right eye at OCS and here in Pensacola. Gave me a fancy pair of glasses that I'm required to wear while flying.

Would you be required to wear them all though out the training? What about once you are in the fleet, contacts?

Thanks
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
Would you be required to wear them all though out the training? What about once you are in the fleet, contacts?

Thanks

If you're up chit and/or physical (and by extension, if you have a waiver...though I'm not sure if they do that still) says you require glasses to fly, you're required to wear them from FAM 1 in Primary on when you're in the aircraft. The fleet is big boy rules, but officially you're required to wear them. You can ask for contacts at some point (I don't know when) and I would guess that's either at the FRS or after.

Personally, I couldn't stand my contacts, so I just keep wearing glasses when I fly and they work fine. I could understand the desire not to where glasses in a jet, but they've worked for me in the 200 knots and under category.
 

speedroller

Rangers
If you're up chit and/or physical (and by extension, if you have a waiver...though I'm not sure if they do that still) says you require glasses to fly, you're required to wear them from FAM 1 in Primary on when you're in the aircraft. The fleet is big boy rules, but officially you're required to wear them. You can ask for contacts at some point (I don't know when) and I would guess that's either at the FRS or after.

Personally, I couldn't stand my contacts, so I just keep wearing glasses when I fly and they work fine. I could understand the desire not to where glasses in a jet, but they've worked for me in the 200 knots and under category.

Very interesting, I never knew that SNAs can wear glasses. Thank you for your input, sir.
 

CommodoreMid

Whateva! I do what I want!
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
If you're up chit and/or physical (and by extension, if you have a waiver...though I'm not sure if they do that still) says you require glasses to fly, you're required to wear them from FAM 1 in Primary on when you're in the aircraft. The fleet is big boy rules, but officially you're required to wear them. You can ask for contacts at some point (I don't know when) and I would guess that's either at the FRS or after.

Personally, I couldn't stand my contacts, so I just keep wearing glasses when I fly and they work fine. I could understand the desire not to where glasses in a jet, but they've worked for me in the 200 knots and under category.

I got a contact lens waiver when I was in primary as an NFO. Waiting for the paperwork to come through I had to do my first couple flights wearing my glasses but then was able to pop in my contacts once the waiver was written.

Even more awesome is that the Navy will pay for your contacts. I think you might have to be winged for that part, but can't remember. Hopefully will be getting LASIK this winter once my schedule isn't insane.
 

speedroller

Rangers
I got a contact lens waiver when I was in primary as an NFO. Waiting for the paperwork to come through I had to do my first couple flights wearing my glasses but then was able to pop in my contacts once the waiver was written.

Even more awesome is that the Navy will pay for your contacts. I think you might have to be winged for that part, but can't remember. Hopefully will be getting LASIK this winter once my schedule isn't insane.

Can one wear glasses, if selected jets? Don't beat me up about those beautiful grey flyers, just want to know if such handicap would restrict aircraft choice.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
I got a contact lens waiver when I was in primary as an NFO. Waiting for the paperwork to come through I had to do my first couple flights wearing my glasses but then was able to pop in my contacts once the waiver was written.

Even more awesome is that the Navy will pay for your contacts. I think you might have to be winged for that part, but can't remember. Hopefully will be getting LASIK this winter once my schedule isn't insane.

That's good to hear. Contacts were a new fangled device that had only been around for several decades when I went through as SNA, so they weren't "allowed" until you hit the fleet, and then needed a specific reason (like NVGs) for the waiver. I think that was quickly becoming less of an issue by the time I finished my JO tour.

Can one wear glasses, if selected jets? Don't beat me up about those beautiful grey flyers, just want to know if such handicap would restrict aircraft choice.

Yes, but one thing can can potentially be an issue is having to look through multiple lenses when doing any kind of manuevering with another aircraft. If you're wearing glasses, that's three different optical "thingies" to look through (windscreen/canopy, visor, glasses). Add to that the spooge that forms up at the top of your glasses from your brow/forehead, and it could add up.

Again, I generally haven't had an issue in T-34s and helos (except the spooge part), but I can understand jet guys not being excited about it.
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I got a contact lens waiver when I was in primary as an NFO. Waiting for the paperwork to come through I had to do my first couple flights wearing my glasses but then was able to pop in my contacts once the waiver was written.

I wore my contacts from the start and never got a waiver because I didn't know we had to get one (when did that start?). Never had a problem with it.
 

CommodoreMid

Whateva! I do what I want!
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Not sure, but when I did my NAMI whammy and they found out I wore contacts they told me if I wanted to be legal in flight with them I needed to apply for a waiver. It was not a big deal, the optometrist just wanted to see that I was fully correctable with the contacts and that they didn't cause me any eye problems and I got the waiver.
 

UMichfly

Well-Known Member
pilot
None
The contact lens waiver went away in April/May of 2007 I believe. According to the NAMI waiver guide, contact wear is allowed for "aviation personnel" as long as they've had an eye exam with them to preclude any sort of issues (see excerpt below). You'll still have to meet the uncorrected vision standards (20/40 for applicants, 20/100, 200, or 400 for anyone post NAMI whammy, dependent on platform) as well as a few other wickets spelled out in section 12.16 of the waiver guide.

NAMI Waiver Guide section 12.3 said:


Disclaimer: I'm not a flight doc...just a dude who has done a decent amount of wrangling with the eyesight portion of the waiver guide in my day.
 

Legend05

New Member
Thank you everyone for replying. Strangely, my eyesight was determined as 20/15 in my left eye and 20/25 in my right at MEPs. Can I expect similar eye tests moving forward?
 
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