A bit confused on vision requirements

[SamAca10]

I met with my eye doctor at the Academy last week and he says that I currently meet all of the vision requirements for flight school, even though I do wear glasses/contacts.

From reading the CG Aviation Medicine Manuel, it says that you need distant visual acuity correctable to 20/20, uncorrected to 20/50.

For near visual acuity it says correctable to 20/20.

I've been thinking about getting PRK for awhile now, but is it even worth it if my vision is within the standards? I'd still have to wear glasses/contacts in the cockpit though...

 

[squorch2]

"Manuel, read the instructions."

 

[CoastieFlyer]

I wouldn't get the surgery based on the idea you need it to be a better pilot. If you meet the Coast Guard requirements for vision standards, you are fine. I flew with lots of guys who wore contacts/glasses (especially on night flights). Sadly, I think I'm almost to that point but I'm stubborn and won't submit!

My 2 cents on pilot vision is that as long as you can read a chart, see the instruments and have enough depth perception to land the plane, fly formation, land the plane, etc you can fly just as well as someone with eagle eye 20/10....the old days of needing to spot small contacts over 20 miles out visually have been largely negated by technology.

 

[Davfo]

As far as I'm concerned, from what I've looked up, vision requirements are 20/200 uncorrected, corrected to 20/20. This is the main reason why I decided on the Coast Guard after I get my degree as opposed to the Air Force or the Navy whose uncorrected requirements are 20/70 - 20/50 or something like that. Basically, for the Coast Guard, if you can see the big "E" on the chart without any glasses/contacts (and you have normal depth perception, color vision, etc.) you can be a pilot. With those standards, the Coast Guard would be the only branch to give me a chance to become a pilot.

 

[jbweldon04]

I would strongly suggest not getting PRK prior to service as it'll cost you a few thousand dollars. If you're in the service and you're a pilot, you'll be at the top of the list for corrective refractive surgery.

 

[SamAca10]

I wouldn't get the surgery based on the idea you need it to be a better pilot. If you meet the Coast Guard requirements for vision standards, you are fine. I flew with lots of guys who wore contacts/glasses (especially on night flights). Sadly, I think I'm almost to that point but I'm stubborn and won't submit!

My 2 cents on pilot vision is that as long as you can read a chart, see the instruments and have enough depth perception to land the plane, fly formation, land the plane, etc you can fly just as well as someone with eagle eye 20/10....the old days of needing to spot small contacts over 20 miles out visually have been largely negated by technology.

Do you know if I could get a waiver for my astigmatism? Currently uncorrected I see 20/25 in one eye and 20/30 in the other. Corrected I see 20/20 in one eye and 20/20- in the other. Unfortunately, the medical documents that I've looked through say that my level of astigmatism in my worse eye is out of the range of -1.0 to +1.0 diopters. The astigmatism is the main reason that I would consider eye surgery (as well as the fact that I wouldn't have to deal with glasses/contacts any more!)

 

[jbweldon04]

Do you know if I could get a waiver for my astigmatism? Currently uncorrected I see 20/25 in one eye and 20/30 in the other. Corrected I see 20/20 in one eye and 20/20- in the other. Unfortunately, the medical documents that I've looked through say that my level of astigmatism in my worse eye is out of the range of -1.0 to +1.0 diopters. The astigmatism is the main reason that I would consider eye surgery (as well as the fact that I wouldn't have to deal with glasses/contacts any more!)

What is your prescription exactly?

 

[SamAca10]

My prescription: OD: sphere -0.50 cylinder -0.50 axis 040
OS: sphere +2.00 cylinder -1.25 axis 170

 

[jbweldon04]

Left Eye is too high of cylinder...