Jordon11

Any of you guys out there flying for Majors with a SODA for vision or for anything I suppose?

I’m curious to know how your career is going and what maybe you would have done differently.

Thanks!!

Excargodog

Lots of them.

This is 20 year old data, but the FAA is generally even more reasonable now, especially with stable vision issues so:

https://flightsafety.org/hf/hf_jul_aug99.pdf

Uncontrolled seizure disorders not so much...

And the ADA was modified after Sutton vs UAL so it now largely prohibits the airlines from establishing a higher medical standard if the FAA is saying you are medically fit to fly. Generally, they aren't even allowed to ask.

Which is not to say that you necessarily want to make a $100K decision to go down this path if you have a medical condition the natural course of which is not stable and might reasonably be expected to deteriorate to the point that your SODA won't be valid.

Jordon11

Thanks for the info. I heard the ADA doesn’t matter when it comes to “safety” so requiring a pilot be 20/20 correctable is a non issue which is what I am seeing lots of majors require..

rickair7777

The FAA requires each eye to be correctable to 20/20. Has nothing to do with ADA. Visual collision avoidance and landing at night would get very scary, very quickly as your vision degrades much below 20/20.

As long as you have one eye correctable to 20/20 you should be fine, you can get a waiver and airlines today will not apply higher standards than the FAA. There are guys in the airlines today who only have one eye period.

There are plenty of guys with SODA's, often for color vision. If your vision was only correctable to say 20/30 and you got a SODA, that would probably fine for general aviation, especially daytime, but I'm not sure you could land a big jet at night very well with much worse than that.

If you tell us what the actual problem is, we might be able to give better advice.

Jordon11

Okay, so I have 20/20 in my right eye and BARELY 20/20 in my left. my Fear is if I go to the wrong AME next year I might not make it on their eye exam due to poor equipment. (I would go to an AME I know but I am moving to Memphis) My fear is if this happens and I have to get a SODA my career with the Majors will be over before it begins due to the “correctable to 20/20 in both eyes” requirement by most majors.

While I’m at it, anyone know any “pilot friendly” AMEs in Memphis or near?

rickair7777

The requirement is by the FAA, not the majors. The FAA will just give you a waiver for one barely out-of-limit eye, no questions asked, as long as you can see 20/20 with both eyes. I doubt a SODA will be required, since like I said there are guys flying with eye completely missing.

Go to a good ophthalmologist and get checked out. Use a good wall chart, not one of those stupid machines (the one at my AME is full of dust, good thing I can actually see 20/15). If you fail at the AME, you can request a wall chart for distant vision.

I wouldn't worry about it, unless there's something degenerative going on and you know it's going to get worse.

Jordon11

Yeah it’s not getting worse. I think it’s a smudge of amblyopia but OD doesn’t seem to think so since after some work he gets me to 20/20.
Most AMEs will accept the 8500-7 in place of their eye exam all together right?

ShyGuy

As long as you have a valid 1st class medical with a SODA you should be fine. I have a SODA for an eye thing and never had a problem.

zippinbye

Got my SODA for color perception in order to get my student certificate 38 years ago. Color vision is a static psychological “feature” that should never change, hence it’s weird that many AMEs check it each visit. At 2 points on my career path, I almost sh**t a brick, since I really don’t want any further scrutiny of this issue. Unable to pass a clinical evaluation, the SODA was issued after I demonstrated my sufficient abilities to recognized light gun signals from the tower while standing in an airport non-movement area with a Fed. But after investing countless dollars, time and emotional capital in getting to 1500 hours and ready to apply for an ATP, I was slapped with the news that my original SODA was not valid for a 1st class physical. A night flight test was required to attain the required level of demonstration. Not only was there a lot on the line, but the Fed had never conducted one of these evals, so he deferred to a big fat book of regulations and went through it in nauseating detail. His lack of experience and intent focus on the finer points made for the most nerve-racking check ride you could imagine! I got through it, but my future was clearly on the line that evening. A later gotcha occurred recently when I sought to replace my copy of the SODA after the original went through the laundry. OK City’s response was “ we don’t see that in your file.” My SODA was issued before computers were invented, so the thought was somebody messed up when old records were integrated into the digital age. Thank goodness my AME had a copy, which the FAA honored to reverse-engineer a new issuance and all is good now. My point in mentioning all this is to suggest that you investigate the long term requirements for your condition to assure the standards you can met today will carry you all they through your long term aspirations.

All that aside, I just got my 1st Class medical back after a 2.5 year grounding (nothing to do with my SODA). Medical jeopardy is nearly the worst feeling I have ever had in aviation, second only to a tumbled attitude gyro while solid IFR, single pilot in a single engine airplane (I had luck and blessings, but I demonstrated that seat of the pants equilibrium sensations are indeed unreliable and that Mooney builds one hell of a wing spar!).

Like another said, be aware of the long stability of your condition. And see if the SODA you can pass today is enough to last through the years. And good luck to you.

Jordon11

Wow thanks for sharing!

What is your career like with regards to aviation, if I may ask?