14 CFR 67,303(b) says: “Vision of nearly 20/40 or better, Snellen equivalent, 16 inches in each eye separately, with or without corrective lenses.” The distance of the test is 16 inches, similar to how you might read a book. As with distance vision, if you use corrective lenses to pass your vision test, you should use them in flight. For navigators (called “NFO” or “naval flight officers”), there is no vision to participate in flight training. However, the browser view must be able to be corrected to 20/20 (whatever it is), and there are limits to refraction. The refraction shall be less than or equal to plus or minus 8.00 (sphere) in any meridian and less than or equal to minus 3.00 cylinders. Not more than 3.50 (for anisometropia.) After flight training, there is no limit to refraction so that NFOs can continue to fly in good condition. The FAA has approved the use of the new multifocal contact lenses, which remotely correct in the central part while correcting near vision at the periphery. This layout works well when you`re looking at something to read, but blurs images at the edge when looking from the side and upwards, especially in low-light conditions. Applicants must allow 1 month of adjustment before returning to their aviation-related duties, must be free of visual defects, and must meet FAA Vision standards. There are few professions with such high visual demands as in aviation. It is important that pilots have a clear and clear vision to cope with changing and sometimes difficult conditions.
Do pilots need perfect visibility? No, but if not, they need proper vision correction. While glasses and contact lenses are certainly options for this, pilot laser eye surgery can be an attractive alternative. LASIK surgery for pilots frees oneself from glasses and contact lenses. There is no fear of losing or breaking glasses or problems with dryness and discomfort of contact lenses. The pilot`s eyes are always corrected for optimal vision. A clear vision is not only desirable, but also necessary. This is because there are strict vision requirements for pilots. Distance vision requires less bending of light rays (lower refractive diopters) to focus on the retina than near vision, such as reading.
The young farsighted individual, who has a flatter cornea and lower corneal refractive power, can compensate for near vision problems by using lens accommodation to add refractive power. As we age, the lens stiffens and loses the ability to adapt (presbyopia) or add close-up focusing power. The first thing the pilot or controller will face this problem is holding the objects they are trying to read at a greater distance from the eye. If these distances exceed the length of the arm or cannot be moved (such as a dashboard), the pilot usually reluctantly admits that it is time to read glasses or dual-focus glasses. While civilian pilots are not subject to military restrictions, they have their own policies to ensure they meet visual safety standards. Not all eyeglasses or contact lenses are authorized by FAA rules and regulations. Commercial pilots with refractive errors and presbyopia are asked to wear variable focal length glasses or multifocal glasses to correct their vision to an acceptable level. Can pilots get LASIK? Of course! In fact, they make some of the best candidates. As you have seen, vision requirements for pilots often include uncorrected vision determinations. For those with a significant prescription for glasses, LASIK eye surgery may be the only way for pilots to meet these requirements. In any case, it is recommended that a commercial pilot always travel with additional glasses or contact lenses.
However, a pilot is not allowed to fly until a vision specialist determines that vision is stable and there have been no significant complications or side effects after surgery. The FAA will allow pilots and controllers who have undergone refractive surgery to fly and steer if they have had a positive result. If they meet the uncorrected visual acuity standards for the class of the medical certificate requested, the aviator`s medical certificate is not visually impaired. If vision surgery does not result in compliance with uncorrected FAA standards, but with corrective lenses, the certificate includes standard visual impairments (e.g., “must wear corrective lenses”). If the result of surgery does not allow vision correction according to FAA standards or results in fluctuating vision, the pilot or controller may be denied medical certification. The surgery must be reported to the FAA on Form 8500-7, Ocular Evaluation Report, at the next physical examination. Air traffic controllers must obtain specific approval from the regional flight surgeon before they can return to duty. In the UK, pilots who require glasses are asked (on their medical certificate) to comply with certain guidelines. The most important rule is that these pilots must wear spare glasses while on duty.
However, some glasses are not allowed under CAA guidelines – pilots are not allowed to wear polarized glasses or bifocal contact lenses in flight. Army Aviation LASIK is a way to meet vision requirements. If vision deteriorates above 20/400 without correction, Army helicopter pilot LASIK eye surgery can be used to remain in service. Normal depth perception and normal color vision are of course also required. The Federal Aviation Regulations require a pilot`s distance vision to be 20/20 or greater, with or without correction, in EACH eye separately to hold a first- or second-class medical certificate.
