I've been out of the AF for, wow, 10 years now, but the vision requirement used to depend on the commisioning source.

In other words, AF Academy grads could do the 20/70 thing since they opened the place up. ROTC or OTS grads had to have the 20/20 thing because of the competition. It is a supply and demand issue and the AF takes advantage of it. They figure the Ring Bangers are what they are and get the waiver automatically. You then look at the other sources and say how can we eliminate folks from the potential pilot ranks. Vision comes up to the top of the elimination tools.

Isn't right perhaps, but it has always been a supply/demand situation. Vision deteriorates with time and the stats say if your vision is perfect to begin with then the degradation will usually be less over the years.

Instructed at a UPT base for many years during the late 80's, you only saw glasses on an academy grad.

My 2 cents.

Lee