Losing my 1st class medical
 

I had lasik done in 1999. I went from 20-60 to 20-20 in two days. The doctor assured me that I wouldn't have to worry about glasses for at least 20 years. (I was twenty at the time) As the years went on my vision slowly got worse and worse. Today my vision is right back to 20-60. To make it worse, glasses can no longer correct my vision to 20-20 because of the scar tissue and the jagged line across my eye lense from the incision. When I began flight school I passed my first class medical, three years later (yesterday) I am only correctable to 20-25. I now have a degree in commercial aviation. I am an instructor with 400 total time, and I will not be able to pass the vision portion for a class one or class two medical. Do I have any aviation options other than to keep flight instructing for the rest of my life? If I do have to flight instructor forever, where is the best pay.QOL etc... I was thinking flight safety, or delta connection academy, maybe a place that does type ratings as well as primary training so I can work my way up and eventually fly the big jets in the sim. Anything positive would be helpful. It has been a really bad week for me.

Thanks, UNDGUY

Really sorry to hear this, it seems very very unfortunate. I'm sure there are others on here that can give you a better answer, but if instructing is where you'll be, look for someone with benefits, lots of students, and high pay.

If it were me, i'd also look into the education field, get the master's degree, and go teach at your aviation university. Not sure how pay is at yours, but, it could be rewarding to help get others through your program. Best of luck to you, sorry to hear about the misfortune. Just keep your head in the game, and on track, sounds like you've got the right mindset already.

UNDGUY,

If you haven't stopped by and talked to Doc Jensen, be sure to do so! He might have some insight on some avenues that you can take to regain a medical certificate. (Waiver, alternative procedure, etc).

Sorry to hear about your situation. There are options out there, but you're going to have to beat the bushes pretty hard to find something that isn't a desk job, and many of them will probably require some additional school. That said, I'm more than happy to discuss your situation, if you want. PM me with a phone number.

~Josh
UND class of '00

Sorry to hear about this...Full time instruction is going to be a killer as a job / QOL. I would transition into another career and CFI on the weekends / after work...Most of the big foreign academies that have ab intro training require a class 1 medical...Again, not being callous to your situation but if you can't hold a class 1 I would look into another career sooner than later.

V/r,
LAFF

I used to work in the HAU (korean) program that was taken over by Pan Am International Flight Acadamy and later moved to Phoenix. I dont think they require a class 1 to work for them. Starting pay is $30,000, monday-friday 8-5 with benefits. The minimums used to be higher than what the regionals are hiring at now (1000 tt) but they may have gone down since then. If that is what you are interested in I can get you some contact info for over there. They also have a program there with the chineese that has lower minimums. Don't know the detail on the pay or benefits for that though.

A better bet would be to get on as a ground school instructor at an airline. The guy who did my last recurrent only had a private but had studied his ass off to learn the airplane. I think you might get burnt out less with this option and it might even be able to lead to a sim instructor position.

Getting a masters at teaching at a university or flight instructing at a university may even be a good option. If you are still at UND (or even recently graduated) go talk to your academic advisor. He will be able to offer you the most help.

Good to know - thanks for correcting my faulty assumptions.


-LAFF

That would be great if you could get me the information on the place in phoenix. I am instructing now at an FBO, so I could continue instructing there until I meet whatever their minimums are.

UNDGUY,

Have you talked with Doc Jensen? I'd really highly suggest that you give him a call (since you can't stop by if you're down in PHX). I know that he's helped out other UND students/grads before that have had some medical issues. He can certainly help talk you through some alternatives and probably help put you in touch with some other options if you do ultimately end up losing your medical.

PM me if you don't have his number.

Check your PM

That's a bit frightening to hear, since I've actually been considering the surgery....:eek:

I had PRK done a few years ago and have had no problems at all. I would have the surgery only if your lifestyle is active (sports / military /etc...). Operationals needs and my lifestyle made me a good candidate...

-LAFF

Wow. I cannot believe what I am hearing: no first class, no flying life?

I have a first class, but I have never had a job that required one. There are a zillion jobs that only require a second class. Right now I am flying an air ambulance. I don't make six fugures (and then b*tch on these forums about how pilots are so abused), but I am home every night, and have a ton of free time.

Yeah, if you want to fly a Boeing or "bus, you need a first, but there is more to aviation than heavy iron.

good luck

Quote from UNDGUY in original post

I now have a degree in commercial aviation. I am an instructor with 400 total time, and I will not be able to pass the vision portion for a class one or class two medical. Do I have any aviation options other than to keep flight instructing for the rest of my life? If I do have to flight instructor forever, where is the best pay.QOL etc...

UNDGUY, Have you been told that you cannot have more laser surgery done to repair the scarring and irregularities? I have had lasik, so your dilemma strikes a chord with me. A lot of these complications can be fixed by a second procedure.
http://www.allaboutvision.com/vision...lication_1.htm

These people did my lasik.
Whitten - Perraut Laser Eye
630 Peter Jefferson Pkwy., Ste. 180
Charlottesville, Virginia (VA) 22911
1-800-626-5273
Check out who has trusted their eyes to them, because they are the best.
www.whittenlasereye.com/Results/look.htm
They will let you finance and give a lifetime guarantee.

Here are some other lists of surgeons who maybe can repair your problems.
www.surgicaleyes.org/Clinics.htm
www.surgicaleyes.org/ODs.htm

Surely it's worth some phone calls to find out if it can be repaired?

Good luck!

Sorry to hear this, I'd sue the lasik surgery people.

Additional surgery may be the only answer. There have been many advances in Lasik and a good eye surgeon may be able to help. If not, a full time flight instructor may lead to FBO chief pilot. That could pay enough some day. Good luck.

How long before your vision went worse?

I`d suggest you have the surgery again, wont take more than 20 minutes and its not way better, much more better than the way it was back in 99.

good luck.

Find another doctor to do your medicals.

Try these folks...
 

I can understand how troubling your situation is. Although I have not used these people, they have a very good reputation for fixing problems from previous surgeries. They use some type of super-mapping technology to re-map your eye and (hopefully) repair your problems. I would say do not give up on flying until you have exhausted all avenues. Good luck to you.

http://www.emoryhealthcare.org/depar.../services.html

Update
 

I have been dealing with an eye specialist who is telling me that she thinks she can get my vision to 20-20 in each eye seperately with contacts. She says the reason I can't see 20-20 is dry eyes due to the lasik surgery. Appartently when lasik changes the shape of the eye it changes the routes that the tear ducts follow and in rare cases (mine) causes severe dry eyes. The contact will trap moisture between my eye and the contact thus allowing my eyes to stay moist longer. That is her theory. We shall see. As far as why my eyes have become worse as time has past since the surgery, I spoke to three different doctors while trying to find a remedy to my medical issue. All three of them said that the lasik doctor I went to shouldn't have performed the surgery at such a young age.(19) Most doctors agree that the eye can continue to change shape until about 21 years of age. So, if the surgery is done too early, your eye changes shape after the surgical corrections have been made. One doctor I spoke to said she tells her patients to wait until they are done with college to be on the safe side. Just thought I would give an update to everyone that may be considering lasik. Every doctor I talked to said that the dry eyes are very rare and 99.9% of lasik surgeries happen without incident or side effects. It sucks to be the .1%, but that is a chance you take with any surgery.

No to DCA!!!!
 

Do NOT do DCA. If you make that mistake, then you have erred even further than your Lasik mistake...

Good Flight Instructing Job
 

Check out International Flight Training Academy in Bakersfield, CA. They are hiring like mad right now. A couple of us UND guys have moved to hear. It pays well and has great benefits. A lot of people call it a career here because the pay increases to a nice living. However they do require a 2nd class medical, so if you can get that then you’re in.

http:///www.ifta.aero/hiring.html

Let me know if you want to know more.

Formerly Known as “SLAV”

UNDGUY:

Really sorry to hear about your vision situation. I can just imagine how you felt. Take it with a grain salt. My prayer for you is that the eye doctor is able to help you regain 20/20 vision enabling you to get the medical certificates you need.

All the best. Blue skies.


atp

Mistake see post below

I assume you have already considered Punctal plugs. I had these installed after my surgery. They block the punctal ducts which drain away tear from your eye. The ones I had installed were made of collagen and designed to dissolve in a few weeks. I know there are permanent ones also. Here is a link that mentions them. http://www.docshop.com/education/vis...eye/treatment/
Let us know how it turns out but dry eye seems to be very treatable (a drag though)

Thanks for the advice. I have been to three optometrists and an opthamologist and none of them have mentioned the punctal plugs. I will have to mention it to my optometrist and see what she knows about them. The opthamologist that I went to did say there was a surgery that could correct my dry eyes, he may have been speaking of the punctal surgery. I'll just have to save my flight instructor paychecks for the next 20 years to pay for it.

IFTA would be great. I spoke to a recruiter at the UND job fair last spring. Unfortunately, I don't meet the requirements for a class 1 or 2 because the vision requirements are the same. Do you know why they require a class 2?

Punctal plugs are not surgery. I had them. They are tiny "corks" that plug the drains in your lower eye lid. You can see this drain if you look at you lower eye lid near the inside corner. You can see a little tiny hole. They shove the punctal plug in there and there it stays. It works by retaining the little tears your eye makes. If you do some Google searches for Punctal plugs you will learn more about them than you ever wanted to know. :)

Talk to an AME about getting a SODA or a Waiver....if you can see 20/25, it may be good enough for the FAA if you can demonstrate your vision is adequate......if you are a member of AOPA, call them and see what they say. Back before the rules changed (about 10 years ago), the requirements were for less than 20/400 uncorrected. I had 20/600. I was able to get a waiver for the vision requirement and had a 1st class medical in my hands shortly after that...........

I know this is late in the post here - but I want to assure you that your carrer is far from over. So they denied your medical. Fight it. I have strabismus with 20/15 in the left eye and 20/25 in the right eye. I currently hold a cat 1 medical with no conditions. This however came after a lot of fight on my part.

Too many people give up when they get denied. Your vision might not meet requirements, but neither does most pilots out there glasses or not. I'm not saying they let anyone up. I was a special situation and underwent testing. But there are options considering you have 400 hours assuming incident free. Clearly you can fly the a/c.

I would personally go see you faa medical doctor - (the one who has the say if you get the cat 1 or not). See him in person.

Over the phone I got told quote un quote" "Ron don't bother going for your cat 1 I will never approve you for it". My luck, he retired and another aviation med guy came on and approved me with a restricted cat 1 to dual flying only........then condition removed. My success was making the drive to see him in person.

Just some food for thought!

Ron!

Just an update, I was granted a first class medical. I will just leave it at that.

Congrats, and good luck in your future(even though you're a UNDGUY!!!!) I won't hold that against you!

Awesome!

I'm sure you have talked to many folks about this stuff, but just in case you haven't heard about wave-front LASIK, you might want to look into that someday. By taking into account the various inconsistencies in your cornea and eyeball, this procedure can provide better vision than would ever be possible with any sort of corrective lenses. It is revolutionary...

You mentioned this, but to reiterate for the benefit of anyone else...you do not want to get any kind of laser eye surgery until your vision stabilizes. Don't go by some arbitrary age...wait until your prescription stops changing from year to year. This happened for me in my late 20s. Otherwise your natural aging/growing process will undo your expensive laser correction in short order.

Again, Wave-Front LASIK has the potential for spectaular improvements beyond anything previously possible with glasses, contacts, or surgery. I would not consider anything else unless you are doing it for the military.