Speaking of Vision -- How 'bout Progressive Bifocals?

"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.

Use 'em. Like 'em. I set them on my nose so the view out the
windscreen is in focus and the panel is in focus. Then when I have the
sectional in my lap..it's in focus.

Al
1964 Cessna 172
1953 Eyes
KSFF Spokane, WA

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"

How about contact lenses (for distant vision) plus reading glasses that
you can perch on your nose to read the charts.

I wore contacts for 10 years, and grew to really hate the routine, as well
as what hay fever, dust, and air conditioning did to my eyes while wearing
them.

Lasik (and reading glasses) is probably the ultimate solution, but I keep
balking at the idea.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

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

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

Believe it or not, you can get glasses with the strong (close) part of the
lens at the bottom, (like regular bifocals) and the top, for just such work.
There is a name for them, but I've got CRS syndrome, at the moment. g
--
Jim in NC

"Jay Honeck" wrote

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?

It is not even "no big deal." It is a non event. You get in the habit of
tilting your head, wherever you need to look. You don't even think about
it.

You get stronger neck muscles, though. Think of all the calories you will
burn, with all of this new exercise. g
--
Jim in NC

"Al" wrote in message
...
Use 'em. Like 'em. I set them on my nose so the view out the windscreen
is in focus and the panel is in focus. Then when I have the sectional in
my lap..it's in focus.

Al
1964 Cessna 172
1953 Eyes
KSFF Spokane, WA

This is all very enlightening. I hope to resume my PPL training soon, after
a 20-year hiatus. I was fitted with progressives last year, and have adapted
to them fairly well. (I did not try the lined lenses).

It did not occur to me that there might be problems in the cockpit related
to these lenses. I do very well while driving, now that my brain has adapted
to the zones, so I assumed reading the instrument panel would be similar. i
gather it will e, based on what I've read so far in this thread.

I do find my peripheral vision is best from the center up.

Horace

The lower part of my bifocals do not go all the way to the edge of either
lens. If I'm looking down and left (out the pilots window), I end up
looking through the distance prescription to the left of each reading
window. Still have distance, 3D vision of the ground below me.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)


"Morgans" wrote in message
...

"Jay Honeck" wrote

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?

It is not even "no big deal." It is a non event. You get in the habit of
tilting your head, wherever you need to look. You don't even think about
it.

You get stronger neck muscles, though. Think of all the calories you will
burn, with all of this new exercise. g
--
Jim in NC

"Jay Honeck" wrote

Lasik (and reading glasses) is probably the ultimate solution, but I keep
balking at the idea.

For good reason, IMHO.

I don't care if the "bad" result rate is only .1%. I do not want to be the
one in a thousand that gets worse vision out of the deal, or bad enough
vision that you could never fly again.

Glasses are not that bad, once you get accustomed to them. I'll keep mine,
thanks.
--
Jim in NC

I have used them flying for the last 5 years (progressives, both clear
and sunglasses)

Worky great, no issues..

Dave


On Fri, 02 Jun 2006 18:27:49 -0700, Al
wrote:

Use 'em. Like 'em. I set them on my nose so the view out the
windscreen is in focus and the panel is in focus. Then when I have the
sectional in my lap..it's in focus.

Al
1964 Cessna 172
1953 Eyes
KSFF Spokane, WA