Hi all,

I'm currently holding a JAA PPL and would like to go for a US ATPL. Medical class II examination back in Europe revealed no health problems, I have 20/20 vision in each eye wearing my glasses, but my prescription is rather strong:

R -5.00 -2.50 9°
L -6.00 -2.25 172°

This prescription has not or only marginally changed during the last two decades.

Now, I read the FAA regulations for a class I medical and could not come up with any restrictions on the prescription strength. As long as the examined person has got 20/20 in each eye, everything should be fine.

Really?

Is there any kind of unofficial agreement or undocumented practice among medical examiners to deny a class I certificate beyond a certain prescription strength?

What about the airlines?
I heard of European airlines not even considering job applicants which are beyond a certain prescription strength even if they officially hold a JAA medical I.
Are there such rules with US airlines as well? Will they reject job applicants exceeding a certain prescription strength?

Thanks for bearing with me

bpcw

 

The FAA has no prescription strength limit, you must be correctable to 20/20 in each eye separately (plus near vision I think is 20/40 corrected). If you can do that, you can get an FAA 1st class.

FAA use to have a 20/100 uncorrected requirement (each eye), but that was eliminated over a decade ago. Some US airlines do their own medical exam, and some continued to require 20/100 uncorrected (which you would not meet with that prescription). I think that requirement is going away do to lawsuits, and fewer airlines do their own medical exam anymore...many just accept an FAA first class as good.

 

Coke bottles are fine, so long as you follow your employer's guidance for having to have a backup set, and you see 20/20 with the correction.

The regulations you'd want to dig through are part 67: http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Gu...meset?OpenPage

 

Which airlines do that?
Thats kinda idiotic if you think about it. If you are restricted by the FAA to only fly with glasses, then why should uncorrected vision even mater?

 

AA and UAL were sued over that in the late 90's IIRC (they won). They did their own medicals, to significantly higher standards than the FAA. When the FAA dropped requirement, they kept it.

I suspect DAL had the same policy and probably others.

SWA takes your first class medical and makes a copy, no worries there.

 

Hi all,

thanks for your valuable input.

So, it appears that from an FAA point of view, I should not face any trouble with the class I medical when it comes to the vision/prescription part.
That's good to hear.

Most airlines seem to have dropped custom, tightened medical requirements and examinations.

@rickair777:

You wrote:
"AA and UAL were sued over that in the late 90's IIRC (they won). I suspect DAL had the same policy and probably others."

=> does that mean that the tightened medical requirements are still in place with AA and UAL?
What about DAL as of today?
(Not that I really think I could get a job at those majors, but ... you never know)

 

DAL and UAL were still doing exams when they were hiring last year, not sure if they had their own standards or were just verifying your ability to hold an FAA 1C.

Not sure about CAL and US Airways...anyone?

AA has not hired in years, but as recently as several years ago, Eagle was hiring and requiring the FULL AA physical, which was way more stringent than the FAA exam. I understand they dropped that exam for AE a couple years ago, but not sure if that applies to AA also. Doesn't matter though, AA will not be hiring anytime soon.

The good news: The trend has been towards more relaxed standards, so I think as more time passes most airlines will accept just an FAA medical.