-6.5 diopters; pilot career possible?
#1
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Joined APC: Jun 2018
Posts: 11
-6.5 diopters; pilot career possible?
Hello everyone,
I'm a year away from finishing college and would love to be an airline pilot one day. My concern is I'm nearsighted and I have a -6 diopter prescription in one eye and a -6.5 diopter prescription for the other. I have 20/15 vision with my contacts in. I've read that anything surpassing -6 for nearsightedness precludes you from a pilot career.
I was considering getting Lasik or PRK, but I've also read that the prescription a person has before surgery might disqualify them from flying professionally as well.
Any thoughts or advice?
I'm a year away from finishing college and would love to be an airline pilot one day. My concern is I'm nearsighted and I have a -6 diopter prescription in one eye and a -6.5 diopter prescription for the other. I have 20/15 vision with my contacts in. I've read that anything surpassing -6 for nearsightedness precludes you from a pilot career.
I was considering getting Lasik or PRK, but I've also read that the prescription a person has before surgery might disqualify them from flying professionally as well.
Any thoughts or advice?
#2
There are diopter limits for military pilots, and probably for civilian pilots in many foriegn countries.
But in the US, unless there are other eye problems, there is no limit on diopters, you just need to correct to 20/20 in each eye independently.
If you can see 20/15 in each eye, you should be good, with room to spare.
Your concern about LASIK sounds more like military rules as well. But the risk of LASIK is that complications and possible loss of some best corrected visual acuity (BCVA).
A pilot with 20/400 who corrects with glasses to 20/15 is good to go.
If he gets LASIK, he may not need glasses, but the scarring may reduce his best possible vision to 20/20... or maybe even 20/25, which would need a waiver.
But in the US, unless there are other eye problems, there is no limit on diopters, you just need to correct to 20/20 in each eye independently.
If you can see 20/15 in each eye, you should be good, with room to spare.
Your concern about LASIK sounds more like military rules as well. But the risk of LASIK is that complications and possible loss of some best corrected visual acuity (BCVA).
A pilot with 20/400 who corrects with glasses to 20/15 is good to go.
If he gets LASIK, he may not need glasses, but the scarring may reduce his best possible vision to 20/20... or maybe even 20/25, which would need a waiver.
#4
#6
#8
But always a good idea, I own a spare set that lives in my flight bag. I actually use that one for FAA medical exams, it's large and clunky w/ bifocals, not very hip-looking but good for eye tests.
#9
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2013
Posts: 840
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...h/et/31-34/rp/
If you opt for LASIK make sure you get the latest technology LASIK and do not try to go to the cheapest place to get it done. Do a lot of research on the person doing the procedure and it would be helpful if the Dr. has done many procedures for pilots and with good success.
If you opt for LASIK make sure you get the latest technology LASIK and do not try to go to the cheapest place to get it done. Do a lot of research on the person doing the procedure and it would be helpful if the Dr. has done many procedures for pilots and with good success.
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06-28-2018 10:26 AM