Bad news for me...

[DestinedAviator]

Well, it looks like I just might not be able to be an NFO for the Navy afterall, now.

I've dreamt of doing it for so long, and now, I just might have to become a commercial pilot. I went to the optometrist yesterday, and they said my vision is 20/400 corrected to 20/20.

So...I guess that's all I have to say! Unless they start letting everyone get PRK, then airlines, here I come! What does everyone think? Should I just give up hope? Or keep the dream alive? I guess that's all I have to say. Good luck to everyone.

"Remember, gentlemen... there are no points for second place." -- Viper, TOP GUN

 

[jaerose]

Find out about PRK.

JR

 

[akamifeldman]

Keep the dream alive!!!

Honestly, find out what your diopters are and see if they will apply with NOMI's guidelines (something like 5.50 or lower is acceptable) for getting PRK. Who knows, with the surgery you might be elegible for the front seat!

The Three D's of Aviation: Never do anything Dumb, Dangerous, or Different!

 

[NavyLonghorn]

Airline pilot aint a bad job either.. but I dont think they need pilots too badly these days... and boy is it expensive to go the civilian route!

 

[fraz76]

NFO just need 20/20 corrected and that is from what I have read.

 

[EA-6B1]

I'm confused. I thought that NFO's just need to be corrected to 20/20. Therefore, you're good to go?! Someone clear things up?

 

[mimisoko9]

I've heard the same thing; if you're correctable to 20/20, you're good to go.

I'm confused.

PS. As I understand it, PRK waivers are not out of the question yet.

 

[BYSun]

http://www.nomi.med.navy.mil/Nami/WaiverGuideTopics/exams.htm#nfo

Hmmm...according to the above site on at nomi, NFO only requries 20/20 corrected. (>20/100 and you carry a spare pair)

Dont give up so easily...persevere if you really want it, but if you dont, than face it, smile, and move on.

Good luck,
Bryce

Those who aren't living on the edge are taking up too much space.

 

[Undertow]

I agree with these guys, double check on that waiver. I just finished my STA-21 package for Pilot and went through a long form flight physical. Being that I'm 1 1/2 weeks short of 25 and my dad had his vision slip just enough to push him from being a pilot to a navigator in 1 year that I was sweating the exam but scored extremely well. Eat carrots, don't spend too much time online and perservere!!!

 

[Dave Shutter]

As for the corrected limits, yes you must be correted to 20/20 but there is an uncorrected limit. 20/40 for pilots, and I think someone mentioned 20/100 for NFO's, I'm not sure what it is. As for PRK I've known people with vision that bad who've gotten zapped and then been accepted...as pilots! I have no clue how the PRK waiver process works now but it definitely happens. I think you have to get accepted to a monitoring program, then have it done, then get a eye check after a certain ammt. of time, then get a waiver...or something along those lines. Lot's of paperwork and phone calls basically. If your Rec' says "no chance", he's full of it and just doesn't want to do the legwork. Search the forum for the people who've done it and then hit them up for info and where/how to begin. This may be something you have to make happen for yourself; make contacts and follow ups on your own, don't wait for your Rec' to pick up the phone. It may be a b!tch but you're definitely not out of the game. Who knows, if you can make it happen NFO may not be your only option?

 

[Meridiani]

The uncorrected visual acuity for an NFO must be within plus or minus 8 diopters. DA's 20/400 vision falls well within those standards.

 

[savingthisone]

The way i read the reg; for nfo you gotta be corrected to 20/20, period. It don't make no mind about uncorrected, it is not even mentioned.

Curve ball: Say you got 20/400 for example, get PRK and come up to 20/25. Big daddy going to fail you because you did not make 20/20. So be careful out there if you going for SNFO and want to get PRK. Get in the door with your spectacles (or contacts if Big Surgeon lets you) until you get in the door, then do the PRK bit. Hey, am only talking about NFO. Understand NA is different.

 

[Meridiani]

Okay, let me see if I can clear this up at long last. The vision standards for designated NFOs is different than that of NFO applicants. Yes, designated NFOs can be blind as a bat as long as they're correctable to 20/20. However, the NAMI literature states that for NFO applicants "REFRACTION
Less than or equal to plus or minus 8.00 sphere in any meridian and less than or equal to minus 3.00 cylinder. No more than 3.50 anisometropia. No waiver." Make sense?

 

[Jolly Roger]

Meridiani,

By the way, Congradulations again on the select! Where did you get that interesting tidbit? I went to NOMI's website and found that the max preop diopters you can have are +/- 5.5 diopters for both SNAs and SNFOs. Have things changed? The material that I looked at seemed to be dated to the begining of the ascension study.

If you are right, which I hope you are, I am in like Flynn (-6.5/-6.75), but if the material on NOMI's website is correct then I am screwed.

Thanks,

Jolly Roger

 

[savingthisone]

Rest my case. Do not give up. Make sure you have right information. I have been told, again, that rhere are "uncorrected" limits to be commissioned in USN and if you can be comisioned, the you can be an NFO, if you are corrected to 20/20. Again, if you go PRK, your correction gotta be at least 20/20 and you cannot have "two" corrections, IE PRK and Glasses. Either on to 20/20

Make sure you get the right info. We all have good intentions, not always accurate.

my two pence!