Contact lens and medical

wrote in message ...
I wasted several years getting into professional aviation because of
unsubstantiated statements made by people like Dale. I remember
hearing so many times that "Professional pilots have to be 20/20, Major
airlines only hire people with 20/20 natural vision, etc."

All total BS. To get a 3rd class medical, you have to be correctable
to 20/40 (distant vision, each eye). To get a 1st or 2nd class, you
have to be correctable to 20/20 (distant vision, each eye).


I have been working for the same airline for 20 years now and I can
tell you that when I first started with my company they did not hire
pilots with corrected vision.
It wasn't till sometime later that I noticed a few pilots with glasses.
I asked those pilots how they got hired with corrected vision and
all of them said the same thing, they were hired with perfect vision
and with age they needed glasses.
So apparently my company discriminated against pilots with glasses
and choose not to hire them, even though they did have pilots that
eventually would need glasses due to old age.

Yes, I still work for the same company but I sometimes wonder
if my career would have been a different one if I would not have
listened to those that told me that the airlines as a whole do not
hire pilots with corrected vision.

Lately I am considering pursuing a late commercial pilot career
as a second job, just to say I did it.

Let this be a lesson to you younger pilots with career aspirations.
Don't let anyone tell you that you can't just because they couldn't.

David - Proud Private Pilot (age: 44)

FLAV8R wrote:

I have been working for the same airline for 20 years now and I can
tell you that when I first started with my company they did not hire
pilots with corrected vision.

Yes, and airlines also didn't hire women pilots awhile back either. I
just get really annoyed these days when I see people like Dale make
these very outdated claims about vision requirements. The fact is that
the FAA has been basing distant vision requirements on corrected vision
for a LONG time. Was there ever a time when they weren't I wonder?

The airlines have been hiring people with corrected vision for a long
time now too - this didn't just happen last year. I'd guess at least
15 years or longer?


Let this be a lesson to you younger pilots with career aspirations.
Don't let anyone tell you that you can't just because they couldn't.

David - Proud Private Pilot (age: 44)

Yes!! One could argue that more research would've been prudent when I
was younger, but the idea of having to have natural "eagle eye" vision
and join the military to be a pilot is (still) so prevalent among the
general population that I didn't even see the point. When I was a
teenager, to me the idea of being a commercial pilot was as far fetched
as becoming an astronaut.

Luckily I figured it out when I was still in my mid-20s. I'm on track
to be a CFI right about the time I turn 30 next spring. I am SO glad I
didn't just give up on the idea when I was younger.

Unfortunately I have talked to other people that did give up on the
idea because they "wore glasses" and are now in situations (age,
family, job, debt, etc.) that won't allow them to pursue their old
dream (at least in their way of thinking).

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
oups.com...

Dale wrote:
In article om,
"Andrew Sarangan" wrote:


I've always had my eyes checked for vision both uncorrected and
corrected (when I wore glasses).

There are restrictions on what you're uncorrected vision can be,
regardless what it is corrected to.

The suggestion to not wear the contacts for 24 hours prior is to allow
the eye to adjust to not having them in. Not sure with newer lenses,
but with hard lenses they reshape the eye somewhat.

I've never been asked to take my contacts out during my medical exam.

-Robert


I have taken out my contacts every time, they checked it corrected and
uncorrected. I don't know what the limit on uncorrected vision is but I know
I can't see a damn thing without glasses or contacts.

-----------------------------------
DW

Darkwing wrote:

I have taken out my contacts every time, they checked it corrected and
uncorrected. I don't know what the limit on uncorrected vision is but I know
I can't see a damn thing without glasses or contacts.

-----------------------------------
DW

There is not limit, he was incorrect in his statement - see the FARs
yourself.

wrote:
Dale wrote:
I wasted several years getting into professional aviation because of
unsubstantiated statements made by people like Dale. I remember
hearing so many times that "Professional pilots have to be 20/20, Major
airlines only hire people with 20/20 natural vision, etc."

All total BS. To get a 3rd class medical, you have to be correctable
to 20/40 (distant vision, each eye). To get a 1st or 2nd class, you
have to be correctable to 20/20 (distant vision, each eye).

To get new hired you generally need 20/20.

Robert M. Gary wrote:
wrote:

Dale wrote:

I wasted several years getting into professional aviation because of

unsubstantiated statements made by people like Dale. I remember
hearing so many times that "Professional pilots have to be 20/20, Major
airlines only hire people with 20/20 natural vision, etc."

All total BS. To get a 3rd class medical, you have to be correctable
to 20/40 (distant vision, each eye). To get a 1st or 2nd class, you
have to be correctable to 20/20 (distant vision, each eye).


To get new hired you generally need 20/20.

Not the case at all. You just need to be able to pass a class 1.

requirements change as the size of the pilot pool and the demands of the
airlines for those pilots vary.

with all the approaching 60-65 pilots ready to retire.. the requirements
will change.. all you need is to pass a Class 1 with corrected vision.

BT

"Newps" wrote in message
. ..


Robert M. Gary wrote:
wrote:

Dale wrote:

I wasted several years getting into professional aviation because of

unsubstantiated statements made by people like Dale. I remember
hearing so many times that "Professional pilots have to be 20/20, Major
airlines only hire people with 20/20 natural vision, etc."

All total BS. To get a 3rd class medical, you have to be correctable
to 20/40 (distant vision, each eye). To get a 1st or 2nd class, you
have to be correctable to 20/20 (distant vision, each eye).


To get new hired you generally need 20/20.

Not the case at all. You just need to be able to pass a class 1.

I wear contacts.. I have since the AirForce approved contact wear for
aircrew in the early 90s. For my civilian medical I have never been asked to
remove them. I have told the AME I have them in. My Class II says,
corrective lenses required for distant vision.

It is recommended that you keep a pair of regular specticals handy (within
reach) while flying, just in case you have to take one out. I only had to do
that once while flying in the Air Force.

The Air Force flight docs would want me to come in wearing my contacts,
check my vision, remove them and put on the specs and check it again. I had
to be able to go from 20/20 or better with contacts to 20/20 or better with
my glasses.

One year, my glasses were out of date, my vision was good with contacts but
not the glasses. I got a waiver from the Command Cheif Medical examiner to
fly until my new glasses arrived. I was the only qualified and current
navigator in the wing after a recent stand down. I was the last to fly
before the stand down so I had the most recent flight currency date.

Needless to say, the normal 2 week wait for new glasses turned into 4 days.

BT

"Andrew Sarangan" wrote in message
ps.com...
I just got my new medical. When I got the certificate I saw that under
limitations it said "None". My previous medical used to say "must wear
corrective lenses". I should have simply walked away with the
certificate, but instead I asked them why that limitation was missing.
The response was "You wear contacts? Well, that changes everything. You
should have told us about the contacts". The FAA form does not ask
anything about wearing lenses (except near vision), and they did not
ask me about it during the exam either. I thought all that mattered was
your corrected vision, not uncorrected vision. In the end we had to do
some extra stuff to get that fixed, and I got another certificate with
the correct statement. She said that I should stop wearing contacts for
24 hours before coming to the medical exam, and bring the lenses with
me. I have never heard of this before. Anyone else had similar
experiences?

Robert M. Gary wrote:
wrote:
Dale wrote:
I wasted several years getting into professional aviation because of
unsubstantiated statements made by people like Dale. I remember
hearing so many times that "Professional pilots have to be 20/20, Major
airlines only hire people with 20/20 natural vision, etc."

All total BS. To get a 3rd class medical, you have to be correctable
to 20/40 (distant vision, each eye). To get a 1st or 2nd class, you
have to be correctable to 20/20 (distant vision, each eye).

To get new hired you generally need 20/20.

Robert,

Yes, 20/20 corrected vision. Here's how it works Robert: to get hired
as an ATP pilot you have to pass a class 1 medical. To fly as a
commercial pilot you have to pass a class 2 medical.

Apparently the link I provided earlier is proving too complicated to
understand. Do you happen to own an FAR book? Look up the following:
FAR 67.203.

Ok, part 2 - The mythical airline requirement for uncorrected vision of
some sort:

Here's a sample of hiring requirements at airlines that are considered
very desireable to work for, and have a HUGE list of candidates to pick
and choose from:

Frontier Airlines:
Requirements:

* Total fixed wing time to exceed 2,500 hours
* Multi-engine fixed wing time in excess of 1,500 hours
* 500 hours pilot in command
* 500 hours jet (turbo-jet or turbo prop)
* ATP
* FCC license
* Authorized to work in the United States
* Must be able to travel in and out of the U.S. to all
cities/countries served by Frontier Airlines
* Current FAA First Class medical
* Ability to work weekends, nights, shifts, holidays and overnight
trips
* Ability to relocate
* Possess a U.S. passport

Continental Airlines:
The following are the minimum qualifications to apply for a pilot
position:

* 1,500 hours fixed-wing total flight time
* 1,000 hours fixed-wing PIC time, or 500 hours PIC time and 500
hours SIC time in a turbojet
* 1,000 hours fixed-wing turbine time
* 1,000 hours fixed-wing multi-engine time (civilian or military)
or 1,000 hours single-engine military fighter jet time
* A current ATP written exam
* A current first class FAA medical
* A current passport
* A Bachelor's degree is highly desired



Federal Express:
Typical qualifications for consideration as a FedEx pilot.

* Commercial Pilot Certificate with Multi-engine and Instrument
rating (without limitations)

* Current ATP Certificate or written

* Current FE Turbojet Rating or written (FEX or Basic/turbojet)

* Must pass FAA mandated drug screen

* Recency and type of experience is considered

* Meet requirements for and currently hold First Class Medical
certification

* College Degree from an accredited college or university

* Eligibility for rapid visa issuance, issued by offices in the
United States to fly to any FedEx destination.

* Ability to obtain clearance from United States Postal Service for
handling or access to U.S. mail, which includes FBI fingerprint check,
and candidate must have resided in the United States for the last five
consecutive years (except for U.S. military assignments)

* Eligibility for issuance of US Security Clearance

* 1500 hours total fixed-wing time as pilot-in-command (PIC) or
second-in-command in multi-engine turbo-prop A/C or jet A/C or
combination thereof, including a minimum of 1000 hours total fixed-wing
pilot-in-command in multi-engine turbo prop A/C or jet A/C or
combination thereof.
Note: PIC for this purpose is defined as Captain/Aircraft
Commander of record, not simply the sole manipulator of the controls.
Note: FedEx considers only pilot time in fixed wing aircraft
toward minimum qualifications. This does not include simulator,
helicopter, flight engineer, bombardier, navigator, RIO, EWO, WSO, NFO,
or Special Crew.

* All certificates and ratings required to be U.S.A. FAA issued
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've posted my evidence, what say you Robert and Dale's of the aviation
world?

Which is what I just said, the ability to pass a class 1.



BT wrote:

requirements change as the size of the pilot pool and the demands of the
airlines for those pilots vary.

with all the approaching 60-65 pilots ready to retire.. the requirements
will change.. all you need is to pass a Class 1 with corrected vision.

BT

"Newps" wrote in message
. ..


Robert M. Gary wrote:

wrote:


Dale wrote:


I wasted several years getting into professional aviation because of

unsubstantiated statements made by people like Dale. I remember
hearing so many times that "Professional pilots have to be 20/20, Major
airlines only hire people with 20/20 natural vision, etc."

All total BS. To get a 3rd class medical, you have to be correctable
to 20/40 (distant vision, each eye). To get a 1st or 2nd class, you
have to be correctable to 20/20 (distant vision, each eye).


To get new hired you generally need 20/20.

Not the case at all. You just need to be able to pass a class 1.