Speaking of Vision -- How 'bout Progressive Bifocals?

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:ze6gg.760313$084.313320@attbi_s22...
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.

How long ago was that? Today's lenses are much more oxygen-permeable. For
many people, the "routine" now consists of wearing the lenses for a week,
taking them out, throwing them away, and putting in a new pair.

--Gary

If you are very style-concious, you will be appalled by the unstylish
frames
the progressives require, because it is not possible to make them
effectively
in the tiny little sliver-lenses that all cool people are wearing today.
You
will become persona non grata in the chic bars of Iowa City!

That happened the moment we moved to Iowa City!

Must be the big floppy "EAA" hat, clip-on sunglasses, and graying beard, eh?

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

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.

How long ago was that? Today's lenses are much more oxygen-permeable. For
many people, the "routine" now consists of wearing the lenses for a week,
taking them out, throwing them away, and putting in a new pair.

Over 10 years ago. Erg...gad. More like 20! Dang, how does this keep
happening to me? What seems like last week is now in the 1980s!

Anyway, I've spoken with folks about the new contacts, and how wonderful it
is to just throw them away when they get uncomfortable. It all sounds much
better than when I wore them.

But I still don't want to mess with them.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Sat, 03 Jun 2006 02:09:11 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

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?

Like Bob's, the bifocal (bottom) portion of my glasses only covers
about 2/3 of that area. It starts at the inside and that leaves about
a 1/3 on the outside edge ground for distance. That's handy when
landing as my peripheral vision is still effective.

I tried the progressive's and after 3 weeks I still hadn't been able
to get used to them. I was flying a lot back then and ended up coming
back at night. When I pulled the nose up in the flare I saw three
runways. The glasses ended up in the back seat real quick. Being that
I was wearing the big Telex headset at the time I thought they took my
ears with them.

Prior to 45 my vision was better than average and I thought something
was wrong when it went to 20/20. Unfortunately it kept on changing.
At first I only needed glasses for distance, but after 4 or 5 years I
needed glasses for near and far vision. Now my distance vision is
back to normal or slightly better than normal. Unfortunately I still
need glasses for near vision.

As to whether to go with blended, progressive, or bifocals I think
pretty much depends on the individual.

I also wear photo-gray (TM) glasses/bifocals which work very well.
I tried the "Transitions"(TM), but they wouldn't get dark in the
plane.

I usually "condition" a new pair of photo-gray or Transitions by
setting them out in direct sunlight for a few hours to a full
afternoon. My current pair were "conditioned" right at the doc's
office using an ultraviolet lamp.


Ugh. This getting old stuff sucks.

A true sign that you are getting old is when it's your back that's
stiff in the morning.

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

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

On Sun, 04 Jun 2006 18:58:33 -0400, Roger
wrote in ::

I also wear photo-gray (TM) glasses/bifocals which work very well.
I tried the "Transitions"(TM), but they wouldn't get dark in the
plane.

There are tradeoffs. Transitions will change from/to color/clear
almost instantly.

Jay

Got a pair of progressive and they made me sick. I could cock my head
from side to side and felt like I was on Ocean Liner in heavy seas.

I also had trouble walking up and down steps with the change of height
of each step.

My solution was to get trifocals.

Top - distant vision.
Middle - instrument panel
and
bottom - map reading.

Had lines set so I could fly instruments without moving my head and
getting vertigo.

Got cataracts taken out so now only use bifocals.

Real life story about what I did to see as I grew older.

Big John
`````````````````````````````````````````````````` ``````````


On 2 Jun 2006 14:59:49 -0700, "Jay Honeck" wrote:

ls?
Date: 2 Jun 2006 14:59:49 -0700

Jay

Just tilt your head like you do if your not wearing any glasses to
look straight down.

How often do you do that flying straight and level? If you have
problem just bank the plane.

Big John
`````````````````````````````````````````````````` ``````````
On Sat, 03 Jun 2006 02:09:11 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

Bifocals

On Sun, 04 Jun 2006 23:23:57 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:

On Sun, 04 Jun 2006 18:58:33 -0400, Roger
wrote in ::

I also wear photo-gray (TM) glasses/bifocals which work very well.
I tried the "Transitions"(TM), but they wouldn't get dark in the
plane.

There are tradeoffs. Transitions will change from/to color/clear
almost instantly.

They must have changed the formula as of a couple years ago I really
didn't notice much difference other than they wouldn't change at all
in the plane or car.

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

I have been wearing soft contacts for 20 years now and it is generally 2
minutes in the morning and 3 minutes in the evening. I really have no
problems. Not enough to think about Lasik, PRK, and all the others.
However, I like the idea of progressive reading glasses. I buy mine at
Sam's Club. The 3 for $15.00. Not bad. But they are great for my
everyday work and reading charts. The panel is a little farther away and
night viewing is more difficult. Actually, I got a pair of 'lighter'
reading glasses for computer work, because the screen is further away
when my posture is not appropriately set in my chair. But, I have to
keep switching glasses/

Ross

Jay Honeck wrote:

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.

How long ago was that? Today's lenses are much more oxygen-permeable. For
many people, the "routine" now consists of wearing the lenses for a week,
taking them out, throwing them away, and putting in a new pair.


Over 10 years ago. Erg...gad. More like 20! Dang, how does this keep
happening to me? What seems like last week is now in the 1980s!

Anyway, I've spoken with folks about the new contacts, and how wonderful it
is to just throw them away when they get uncomfortable. It all sounds much
better than when I wore them.

But I still don't want to mess with them.