Flying with glasses.

Can you fly ANY aircraft in the air force with glasses? I never thought so.

sorry, nope.

[Brad]

Jayhawk doesn't know what he's talking about. There are lots of pilots who wear glasses or contacts. It really depends on what your specific vision problem is.

I'm a Student WSO and I wear my glasses all the time when I fly. It's all about being corrected to 20/20.

[StoleIt]

If you can get a medical waiver than you can fly with glasses. Simple as that. "Correctable to 20/20".

Tis true, if it can be corrected to 20/20, you can fly.

I was told though that you probably will get co-pilot type job. I do not know if this is completely true though.

[Brad]

^It's not - if it's correctable you can be Pilot in Command as long as you can pass a Class 1 flight physical. If you're not physically qualified to be a pilot, you're not physically qualified to be a nav either. In fact, some of the enlisted aircrew positions have the same requirements as those for pilots.

[meems1128]

You're right. It's all about being correctable to 20/20. I'm going to the AF Academy and am technically only nav qualified. But, when I graduate, I can be re-evaluated on my vision correctness. Most likely, however, I will opt for corrective surgery (like PRK, not LASIK). If the government's paying for it, why not?!

I have another question though, can enlisted people be pilots? If so, I haven't met any!

[Rusty24]

Nope no enlisted pilots in the AF. I can say that I know at least 10 pilots that wear glasses ...... not nav's or backseaters .... PILOTS!

[Godholio]

It's all about the Class 1 flight physical. Basically, if you're corrected to 20/20, and your refractive error is below a certain level (I want to say + or - 1.50) you're ok. There's a little more to it than that of course, but just being correctable isnt enough.

My refractive error is -6.50 in both eyes, correctable to 20/15. I wouldn't get a waiver for a pilot slot, or nav (3.50 IIRC). I got the ABM waiver though, so its all good (5.50 is the limit).

[d'artangan]

Okay, we're talking about two different things. In order to qualify for Undergraduate Pilot Trainging (UPT) you need 20/20 vision. After you are trained, you have to have vision that is correctable to 20/20. I tried and could not qualify for UPT. Been there done that.

[Brad]

Don, I think I've been through the qual process a little more recently. That 20/20 requirement to qualify is no longer the case. It's 20/70 or something like that correctable to 20/20. It's still true, like you say, though, that the requirements change a little once you're in as a pilot.

[d'artangan]

Brad - when did you go through the qual process. I have a class I physical with a requirement to wear glasses to get a civilian license. This allowed me to attend test pilot school as a contractor (flight test engineer, not pilot) in 1995. I recently re-qualled because of job requirements (Class I's expire), and the UPT requirements are 20/40 correctable to 20/20 (at least that's what the Flight Surgeon at Robins told me).

[Brad]

I went through in 2001 and again in 2003.

Here are the Air Force's Class 1A flight physical vision requirements:

Vision:

Distant uncorrected - 20/70, corrected - 20/20

Near uncorrected - 20/20, corrected - NA

Normal color vision

Height - Standing: 64" to 77", sitting: 33" to 40" measured from the base of the spine.

Weight - in relation to height, but in any event not less than 103 lbs or greater than 240 lbs

Blood pressure - maximum 140/90 measured in sitting position

Other - there are many other very detailed medical standards. If you have a specific medical question, send us an e-mail through the "Contact Us" link, and we will have a flight surgeon contact you.

On average, about 30% of initial pilot applicants are disqualified on medical issues

http://www.utsalt.ang.af.mil/outside...lot_hiring.htm