On Sat, 17 Apr 2004 12:26:47 -0400, "John Gaquin"
wrote:


"Michael 182" wrote in message

Flew today for the first time in two months. .....I really felt slow on
every
thinking step. Had to refer to checklists.....Once
I got off the ground I was fine, and landings were no problem ....the
thing that atrophies first is procedures. Maybe a sign of age...

snip
The first thing I noted degrading at about age 45 was an element of vision.

I had 20/10 vision in both eyes until around 45. Then things started
getting fuzzy. I was really worried and went to the Doc. His
diagnosis. My vision had started to deteriorate. It was now 20/20. I
was thinking, "My Gawd. The rest of the world sees this badly?"

However as time progressed so did the need for glasses. Bifocals even.
Now my eyes are improving and I no longer need glasses for distance or
even reading the instruments. I do need them for reading the charts
though.

Everything was sharp and clear, but landing in the early evening became
problematic. It wasn't really loss of depth perception, just a sense of
being somehow "disconnected". Daylight and full night were fine, just that

I never had that, except the only time I tried landing after dark with
blended bifocals. I saw three runways. I picked the one in the middle
and threw the glasses in the back seat.

I found I need the plain glass on the lower sides as I land in a
relatively nose high attitude. So, I went back to regular bifocals
with the small near vision piece.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

dusky time was difficult. The medico went on and on about age and eyeballs,
but essentially said that's normal, and I'd adjust. For a month or so I
always arranged for the F/O to make any dusky landings, and by then the Doc
was right, I adjusted. Ho-hum.