• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

Contact Lenses

Afterburner76

Life is Gouda
pilot
This one's for the TacAir guys...

Anybody wear contact lenses when you fly? I've been wearing cheaters for the last year, but they really do me a disservice in all my "other than the ball" flying. The fact that glasses alter your depth perception along w/ the problem of seeing the frame in your periphery when trying to fly form, tacform, and especially acm makes me interested in the possibility of contact lenses.

For those that use contacts, any problems in high G flight? High altitude? etc?

Thanks!
 

a_m

Still learning how much I don't know.
None
I never noticed any problem with contacts while. They allow (at least for me) a higher peripheral field of view. I haven't noticed any problems from high G or high altitude (nor should I).

Besides, they allow for super cool sunglasses.
 

HuggyU2

Well-Known Member
None
I got on the USAF's contact lens program when it was brand new back in 1990. They are way better than glasses, and I've never had a negative issue with them. Highly recommended.
No, we cannot wear them in the pressure suit.
 

CommodoreMid

Whateva! I do what I want!
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
What's the policy on contacts vs. glasses while in flight training? It seems like they're changing it all the time and I know odds of Tricare covering them are pretty much none, but if I paid for them would I be allowed to wear them? I've worn contacts since I was 11 and I've never even driven a car while wearing glasses, so with the whole peripheral vision issue that was mentioned I am a little nervous about wearing glasses in flight school.
 

Jeff29

Science Project
There's nothing quite like strapping in on a hot day and having sweat running down the inside of your glasses, then turning on the oxygen and having them fog over.

While in training, the Flight Doc referred me to the base ophthalmologist who gave me contacts (i.e. he didn't refer me to an eye doc out in town, and I didn't have to pay for them). I was told that in primary they usually won't give them to you because there is really no need, but once you get to jets they will give them if you want them (you will likely still have to fly with a pair of glasses in your flight bag). Even if you have to buy them, disposables are cheap and if you only use them for flying, you can definitely reuse them a few times.

Overall contacts are much better than glasses. Also, if you do have questionable depth perception, sometimes having contacts that are slightly overcorrected will help the problem.
 

BACONATOR

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
What's the policy on contacts vs. glasses while in flight training? It seems like they're changing it all the time and I know odds of Tricare covering them are pretty much none, but if I paid for them would I be allowed to wear them? I've worn contacts since I was 11 and I've never even driven a car while wearing glasses, so with the whole peripheral vision issue that was mentioned I am a little nervous about wearing glasses in flight school.


AFAIK, the Navy WILL pay for contacts once you're a winged aviator, but not in flight school. As for glasses/contacts, nobody "checks" to see if you wear glasses or not. If you wear contacts, they'll probably just assume that you don't wear glasses if they even think about it. Wear what you want to wear, but USE YOUR CORRECTION either way.

Nobody has asked to see my upchit thus far, I just wear my glasses....;)
 

CommodoreMid

Whateva! I do what I want!
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Hmm, so two different experiences on contacts in training, I guess I'll just wait till I get there and see what happens. Thanks for the info.
 

nugget81

Well-Known Member
pilot
I too wear contacts in the plane. The only issue I ever had with them was when I was in the centifuge -- they seemed to drag down with sustained high g's (6 and above) and caused a little blur. That or it was all the blood leaving my head....other than that I've never had a problem with them with 5+ years of flying.
 

nugget81

Well-Known Member
pilot
To add to your confusion: You can have PRK and still have to wear contacts :eek:. 20/40 is (was?) the limit for uncorrected vision, correctable to 20/20. PRK can degrade with time.
 

Kickflip89

Below Ladder
None
Contributor
I'm confused...I thought you couldn't fly if you had bad vision. Unless you got PRK.

You can be an SNA with vision as "poor" as 20/40, in which case you have to wear something that corrects it to 20/20 (NFOs also have to wear something to correct their vision to 20/20).
 

BACONATOR

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
You can be an SNA with vision as "poor" as 20/40, in which case you have to wear something that corrects it to 20/20 (NFOs also have to wear something to correct their vision to 20/20).

INCORRECT.

You can get ACCEPTED as an SNA with 20/40 or better. You must be 20/100 or better as an SNA (ie: after flight physical).

I was accepted with 20/40 and wear glasses in the plane. (actually got better to 20/30 on my last short form). No biggie. I can go blind to 20/100 and still fly.
 

Jeff29

Science Project
To add to your confusion: You can have PRK and still have to wear contacts :eek:. 20/40 is (was?) the limit for uncorrected vision, correctable to 20/20. PRK can degrade with time.
My understanding is that this is only the case AFTER you have received the PRK waiver. According to the NOMI Waiver Guide, you must be uncorrected 20/20 to receive the waiver.
 

ea6bflyr

Working Class Bum
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I've worn contacts (toric type) in the jet, but they tend to dry out after time in the jet. I carry drops and a spare pair of glasses. Other than the drying out, I have not had any issues.

-ea6bflyr ;)
 
Top