Zarathustra
New Member
Hello all,
First I would like to say thank you for this website, it has and continues to serve as a great database and resource of invaluable knowledge specific to aviators. Unfortunately I could not find information close to my issue I am having and do apologize if I have missed it somewhere.
Now to business. I went for my initial flight physical yesterday and everything went very smooth until the eye exam portion. My uncorrected vision is 20/30 in both eyes, no problems there, but with my eyesight corrected I could not read the 20/20 chart. I could make out the goodlite chart with my vision corrected decently but when it came to the specific lighting eye chart (the one with all 10 lines of letters smooshed together in dim lighting) I couldn't hack it. I missed 1 letter with my right eye and just couldn't read it with my left eye. I had a long sit down with the flight surgeon who was very amicable and motivated for me to pass, but in the end he stressed that my eyesight was right on the cusp but not good enough.
I had been up since 0430 to get down there on time and didn't finish the exam until 1300 on top of being dehydrated and eye exams for 3hrs trying to get it right so I think this may have been an issue?
Now I went to an optometrist yesterday out of frustration and disbelief that my eyes are really that bad. I could read the 20/20 line with both eyes without hesitation, crystal clear.
I am currently in the process of getting another physical just for the eye exam and interview portion. I know I will need surgery even if I can read the chart with my prescription because of my astigmatism at -2 in both eyes.
Now that everything is out there, why is it I could read the goodlite chart but not the dimly lit chart? If my vision is really 20/20 shouldn't I be able to read both? I read in the NAMI guidelines that eyesight needs to be correctable to 20/20 reading a goodlite chart with no mention of these dimly lit charts, I must be missing something and I guess if I had 20/20 I should be able to read both right? The staff sergeant from my dept has 20/17 vision and missed 1 letter on the chart.
Any advice, feedback, info is greatly appreciated, thank you.
First I would like to say thank you for this website, it has and continues to serve as a great database and resource of invaluable knowledge specific to aviators. Unfortunately I could not find information close to my issue I am having and do apologize if I have missed it somewhere.
Now to business. I went for my initial flight physical yesterday and everything went very smooth until the eye exam portion. My uncorrected vision is 20/30 in both eyes, no problems there, but with my eyesight corrected I could not read the 20/20 chart. I could make out the goodlite chart with my vision corrected decently but when it came to the specific lighting eye chart (the one with all 10 lines of letters smooshed together in dim lighting) I couldn't hack it. I missed 1 letter with my right eye and just couldn't read it with my left eye. I had a long sit down with the flight surgeon who was very amicable and motivated for me to pass, but in the end he stressed that my eyesight was right on the cusp but not good enough.
I had been up since 0430 to get down there on time and didn't finish the exam until 1300 on top of being dehydrated and eye exams for 3hrs trying to get it right so I think this may have been an issue?
Now I went to an optometrist yesterday out of frustration and disbelief that my eyes are really that bad. I could read the 20/20 line with both eyes without hesitation, crystal clear.
I am currently in the process of getting another physical just for the eye exam and interview portion. I know I will need surgery even if I can read the chart with my prescription because of my astigmatism at -2 in both eyes.
Now that everything is out there, why is it I could read the goodlite chart but not the dimly lit chart? If my vision is really 20/20 shouldn't I be able to read both? I read in the NAMI guidelines that eyesight needs to be correctable to 20/20 reading a goodlite chart with no mention of these dimly lit charts, I must be missing something and I guess if I had 20/20 I should be able to read both right? The staff sergeant from my dept has 20/17 vision and missed 1 letter on the chart.
Any advice, feedback, info is greatly appreciated, thank you.