Speaking of Vision -- How 'bout Progressive Bifocals?

"Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe" The Sea Hawk at wow way d0t com wrote

I like the progressives (at least, as far as having bi-focals goes, eh?)

Just be careful on stairways for the first few days. (or on any beams.)

Yep. THAT is exactly why I went with the line option. I want to know if I
am in the close or distance part of the lens. Missed steps can be hazardous
to your health, especially if you are not in full compliance with OSHA fall
protection. g

That is ANOTHER story. I had to go get OSHA certified, and enforce all fall
protection (and other OSHA rules) fully, while teaching my students my
construction classes. Man, talk about slowing down productivity!

I guess it is worth it. I would not want to have a severely injured student
on my hands/conscience.
--
Jim in NC

On Fri, 2 Jun 2006 19:17:19 -0400, "Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe" The Sea
Hawk at wow way d0t com wrote in
::

Just be careful on stairways for the first few days. (or on any beams.)

How do you look out of the top of your progressive lenses when you're
trying to spot something on the ground directly below the aircraft?

I use my neck muscles. Works as designed.

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 2 Jun 2006 19:17:19 -0400, "Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe" The Sea
Hawk at wow way d0t com wrote in
::

Just be careful on stairways for the first few days. (or on any beams.)

How do you look out of the top of your progressive lenses when you're
trying to spot something on the ground directly below the aircraft?

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 2 Jun 2006 19:17:19 -0400, "Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe" The Sea
Hawk at wow way d0t com wrote in
::

Just be careful on stairways for the first few days. (or on any beams.)

How do you look out of the top of your progressive lenses when you're
trying to spot something on the ground directly below the aircraft?

Looking straight ahead I am above the "progressive" stuff so I just look
straight at distant things. Closer things I just look a little down thorugh
the glasses. I'm not even aware of it anymore. Sitting here with the laptop
in my lap, the only time I notice the "progressive" effect is if I
_deliberately_ tip my head up or down to make it go out of focus. It's
become automatic.

The only time I fly anymore is when I visit my brother though... He's a few
states away but he has a homebuilt "Pitts" and a T-18 - I've never noticed
anything uncormfortable about the glasses when flying with him - looking at
the panel, ground, whatever. But then, when he has the stick, the easiest
way to look at the ground is when we are on a "down" line. :-)

The part that really sucks is trying to work under a car - my neck just does
not tip back far enough.

--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

How do you look out of the top of your progressive lenses when you're
trying to spot something on the ground directly below the aircraft?

Crap -- now THERE is something I had not considered. And it's not just
progressive lenses, either.

How DO you guys (that wear bifocals) look down from the plane when you've
got your near-vision corrective lenses on the bottom of your glasses? It
would seem nearly impossible?

Ugh. This getting old stuff sucks.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

I have been flying with Varifocals (as we call them in the UK) for
more than 10 years. They never make me nauseous. I have asked my
optometrist to supply lenses with the widest area in focus(side to
side). I was warned that one of the problems was getting used to the
peripheral vision being in softer focus than with lines type bifocals.

In the UK the CAA discourages the use of varifocals because of the
peripheral vision difference.

I do remember a period of aclimatization when I first got them, not
retsricted to flying. However I have found that every change in
prescription has needed a few days at least to get used to it.

If you get on with them they will be fantastic.

Best wishes

Ian

In message .com
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

I have been forced to face the fact that I can no longer read a
sectional chart with my current glasses. It's been getting worse for
some time, but lately I've realized that it has become downright
dangerous. (Moreso driving a car, actually.)

So, it was off to the eye doctor, who said I would definitely benefit
from progressive (the ones with no lines in the glass) bifocals. When
I asked her about flying, she said that they would be excellent for
viewing the panel (one distance) *and* the charts (another, closer,
distance).

So, I ordered them.

Now, of course, I've talked to a pilot friend who tells me that
progressives totally suck, and will make me nauseous in the plane,
thanks to the eternally variable prescription!

So, what's the verdict from my fellow "old farts" on this group? Do
you guys wear "progressives"? Or do you prefer the "lined" bifocals?
LensCrafters has a 30 day money-back guarantee (I don't actually have
them, yet), so I can change my mind.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"



--
Ian Whitmore Please reply to iwhitmore at argonet dot co dot uk

Dr Ian Whitmore wrote:

I have been flying with Varifocals (as we call them in the UK) for
more than 10 years. They never make me nauseous. I have asked my
optometrist to supply lenses with the widest area in focus(side to
side). I was warned that one of the problems was getting used to the
peripheral vision being in softer focus than with lines type bifocals.

In the UK the CAA discourages the use of varifocals because of the
peripheral vision difference.

You make a good point. I didn't fully understand how progressives
worked when I first got mine. I thought the entire bottom of the lens
would be the near prescription and the top the far prescription and a
blending in between. Turns out, mine are more like a circular variation
with the bottom sliced off. The bottom center of my lenses are the
near prescription, but the left and right side of the bottom part of the
lenses is nearly the same as the far prescription on top. Maybe this is
done to facilitate better distance peripheral vision, but it sure means
a lot more head motion to keep things in focus in the 12-24" range.


Matt

Jay Honeck wrote:

Now, of course, I've talked to a pilot friend who tells me that
progressives totally suck,

I agree with his verdict, but for a different reason (I wasn't flying
when I had 'progressives'). I found that the cone of correction is
-narrow-; I found it necessary to move my whole head side-to-side in
order look left and right across a page (or my computer screen, etc.); I
couldn't just move my eyes because left or right of center, acuity
suffered. The vertical angle also is, or seemed to be, small.

So, what's the verdict from my fellow "old farts" on this group? Do
you guys wear "progressives"? Or do you prefer the "lined" bifocals?
LensCrafters has a 30 day money-back guarantee (I don't actually have
them, yet), so I can change my mind.

I chose bifocals (a few years ago), and as my eyes 'hardened up' I went
even to trifocals. I did have to play with the location of the 'lines'
since that equates to the vertical angle where the correction changes.

I'm very pleased with 'lined' bifocals and now trifocals (I've required
glasses since I was 14, almost 50 years now, so I was already accustomed
to the limitations spectacles impose).

george

gyoung wrote:
Jay Honeck wrote:

Now, of course, I've talked to a pilot friend who tells me that
progressives totally suck,

I agree with his verdict, but for a different reason (I wasn't flying
when I had 'progressives'). I found that the cone of correction is
-narrow-; I found it necessary to move my whole head side-to-side in
order look left and right across a page (or my computer screen, etc.); I
couldn't just move my eyes because left or right of center, acuity
suffered. The vertical angle also is, or seemed to be, small.

So, what's the verdict from my fellow "old farts" on this group? Do
you guys wear "progressives"? Or do you prefer the "lined" bifocals?
LensCrafters has a 30 day money-back guarantee (I don't actually have
them, yet), so I can change my mind.

I chose bifocals (a few years ago), and as my eyes 'hardened up' I went
even to trifocals. I did have to play with the location of the 'lines'
since that equates to the vertical angle where the correction changes.

I'm very pleased with 'lined' bifocals and now trifocals (I've required
glasses since I was 14, almost 50 years now, so I was already accustomed
to the limitations spectacles impose).

Yup. Tri-s are the answer. My mother was an avid bridge player. She
pointed out the value of the intermediate zone in trifocals for looking
at the bridge table. The instant I put them on, I said, "This is
right!" Looking at the instrument panel is the same distance as the
bridge table.

Any prescription for bifocal lenses can be used for trifocals. They put
the middle zone half way between the distance and reading prescriptions.
You can play with the vertical placement of the lens structure.
It's easy to go back to bifocals if you don't like trifocals.

On Fri, 02 Jun 2006 18:31:45 -0400, gyoung wrote:

Jay Honeck wrote:

Now, of course, I've talked to a pilot friend who tells me that
progressives totally suck,

snip

I chose bifocals (a few years ago), and as my eyes 'hardened up' I went
even to trifocals. I did have to play with the location of the 'lines'
since that equates to the vertical angle where the correction changes.

I tried the tri-focals, but hated them with a passion. I do too many
things and the lines were never in the right place. After a couple
weeks I told them I wanted to go back to bi-focals. It only took a
couple days to get used to the bi-focals. I was never able to make the
blended bifocals work for me, but it was the tri-focals that were by
far the most aggravating.


I'm very pleased with 'lined' bifocals and now trifocals (I've required
glasses since I was 14, almost 50 years now, so I was already accustomed
to the limitations spectacles impose).

You youngsters just adapt faster than those of us who have been around
for a while. :-))

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


george