worstpilotever

Anyone had this done? Looking at having one eye lens replced to allow for close in vision, while the other eye is currently fine for distance. FAA calls it monovision, some minor hoops to jump thru, but interested if anyone had this and how they like it. Guess the brain uses one eye for reading and the other for distance once you get used to it.

goinaround

My dad did it. Hates it. 6 month no-fly period if i'm remembering correctly. The doc who did my lasik is a senior AME and said absolutely don't do it.

JohnBurke

Monocular vision, with either one eye only, or with one eye that meets standards ,and the other eye which does not, can be approved with special issuance for all classes of medical certificates, but come with a six-month waiting period. Usually a statement of demonstrated ability (SODA), in an aircraft, is required.

Intentional monocular intervention such as monocular contact lenses (one far, one near) are not acceptable.

https://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pi...lot_Vision.pdf

https://www.aviationmedicine.com/art...ction-surgery/

https://www.aviationmedicine.com/art...faa-standards/

The only monocular vision correction that the FAA does authorize is surgical; correction by a contact lens, for example (MVCL - monovision contact lens) is authorized. Interestingly, the FAA allows pilot surgical correction of monovision, but not controllers.

I have no personal experience with either the contact lense monovision lenses, or intraocular lense monovision or monovision correction.

Excargodog

You will lose stereopsis, an important part of depth perception. It's not the end of the world, people who lose one eye adapt to it. People who have never had it don't even know what they are missing, but can still fly airplanes. But if you've had it and abruptly lose it, it probably will take you six months to learn how to use the monocular clues that get your depth perception back to approximately normal. That's a sort of long grounding because you don't want to be embarrassed to wear bifocals. You do know that with progressive lenses, no one will even notice the line don't you?

rickair7777

My limited understanding leads me to think it's not something I'd do for convenience... SI delays, and risk of complications.

This is one of those if it ain't broke...

x2 for QUALITY progressives, like TOP-END Varilux. Game changer. Don't go pilot-cheap and get cosco progressives, they will suck.

JohnBurke

I was first given progressive lenses. Hated them with a passion. Couldn't figure out where to put my feet. Ran into targets on the shooting range when resetting steel. Had no peripheral vision. Forget about stairs.

Switched to bifocals. Nirvanah. Some putz during a steel match at the range glanced at my shooting glasses and said "Dude! Are thos bifocals?" as though he'd seen an archaeological wonder, and I smiled and said yes, they are. Different strokes, worked like a charm, and all my glasses are set up that way except a few prescription readers. Taller bifocal lowers with no magnification for the instrument panel, clear line where one begins and the other ends. Sunglasses are like that. I like them.

The FAA doesn't tolerate monocular adjustment with one eye near, one far, in contacts, for good reason. It can be done surgically, but really shouldn't, and it's not a minor thing to have it done, or to press forward with the approval and special issuance. Nor is it cheap. Unlike contacts, however, or glasses, it's permanent.

worstpilotever

According to AMAS (and my AME) there is not a no fly period after single vision lens replacement There is a 6 month period where you must have glasses to correct the near vision eye for distance and then a medical flight test must be conducted. (Waiting to hear form FSDO on that) I currently use bifocals and they work fine. I tried prgressives and it was horrible. I just hate using glasses in general and if a permanent solution is available, i am interested. The doc gave me a near vision contact lens to try out for a day and it was ok, with the knowledge that the replacement lens will work better and feel better. It of course takes time to adjust to the monovison. I am hoping someone has done the same thing as what i am considering and can weigh in on their experience.

rickair7777

For emphasis, try high-end progressives if you haven't already. Cheap ones are garbage, the good ones you forget you're wearing them in a about 30 minutes.

JohnBurke

No desire whatsoever to do progressives. I have to turn my head to look at something; with the bifocal and a constant focus wide lens, I can keep my head position constant and move my eyes and get the same vision correction for the full azimuth of the lens. The day I took the progressives back and came away with bifocals, it was a quantum improvement. I'm fine with Grandpa glasses.

Of curiosity; what are you hoping to get from the FSDO? That's flight standards; nothing to do with medical.

rickair7777

I suspect you didn't try the good progressives. But if you're happy with bifocals, you'll be money ahead, Varilux are not cheap. Bifocals drove me nuts, couldn't get used to the transition line, it actually made my eyes water. Guess my brain thought something was in my eye causing that distortion.