To qualify as a pilot, does it matter if you are a bit short sighted?

Question

Could you wear glasses if you did?

Can you wear glasses? This is to qualify as comercial/ internation pilot for airlines like BA, AA, Canada Air, Singapur airline

Answer 1

Legally, as long as your vision is correctable to 20/20, you can get a US pilot certificate with no trouble. FAR 67.103 sets forth the requirements, which are task oriented, and not vision-test oriented. It has things like "must be able to read aeronautical charts" and "distinguish colored light signals." Even First Class medical certificates -- the kind airline pilots need -- don't require pefect vision.

You'll get a "must wear corrective lenses" endorsement, though, and legally must wear your glasses or contacts while flying, not that you'd be crazy enough to NOT wear them.

I'm severely neearsighted myself, and when I was doing my flight training, I went out (WITH my instructor to keep me safe) and tried doing a landing without my glasses. It was surprisingly easy: I was familiar with the plane, and could sort-of read the instruments. The sounds and feelings helped keep my approach speed right, and I could see the outline of the runway fine. This added a great deal to my self-confidence, though I still always carry spare glasses in my flight case.

That said, individual airlines will have their own policies. Military flight training tends to reject anyone without perfect vision (I know!) because they get tons of applicants and need to weed them out somehow.

I think that an airline will look first at your qualifications and flight hours, rather than whether you wear glasses, but you'll need to check with each airline individually for their policies.

Answer 2

I am a private pilot and have always worn glasses to fly. You can get an airman's medical certificate if your vision is improved to 20/20 with glasses (and possibly even if it's not quite 20/20).

When I was a kid, I knew a pilot who had lost his sight in one eye. He had to undergo special vision testing (and practical in-cockpit testing also, I think), but he got his medical certificate and was allowed to fly. In fact, Wiley Post (a famous pilot) had lost an eye and wore an eyepatch, but still flew ... however, that was back in the 1930s when the rules, if they existed, were probably different. (Unfortunately, Wiley Post crashed his plane on a flight with Will Rogers, killing both of them. Speculation has it that when the plane was spiralling out of control, Will Rogers exclaimed, "Hey, Wiley! Are you sure you're wearing that eyepatch over the correct eye?")

Now getting an airman's medical certificate is not the same as being hired by the airlines or being accepted for Air Force flight training. Since there are so many applicants for those positions, it is natural that they require better vision. I've heard that they both require applicants to be 20/20, but I think that, at least for the airlines, you don't lose your job if you need glasses AFTER you're hired. (Note that in either the airlines or the Air Force, they wouldn't want a pilot to conceal a deterioration in vision in order to avoid being discharged; that would lead to dangerous situations.)

Final point: Why do pilots need good vision? You certainly don't need 20/20 vision to read the instruments or the charts inside the cockpit. You don't even need good vision to see the runway. In my opinion, the importance of good vision is being able to see other aircraft, which are DARN small until they suddenly get really close ... and you don't WANT them to get really close. Also, good vision can be important for picking out landmarks when trying to find an airport. Even if you're using radio navigation to find the airport, being able to distinguish many different things on the ground (in addition to the runway) is very helpful and increases the likelihood of a successful landing (defined as one you can walk away from).

Hope that helps.

Answer 3

It only matters if cannot be corrected to 20/20. Unless your considering the military, in which case it varies from service to service (check your recruiter to be sure)
In order to have flying as a professional career, you can wear glasses and it would be noted as a condition of your license.
So long as all other qualification are met...carry on and git 'er done!
With respect to PK or RK surgery...Check with your local FAA. I believe , like Canada, there is a waiting period.
Individual airlines may also have policies regarding surgical correction. you'd have to check with individual companies, but most I know are not concerned so long as you meet the requirements of a Class 1 Medical
Hope this helps

Answer 4

I am a commercial pilot and I can say with 100% certainty that in the United States, as long as your vision is corrected to 20/20, it doesn't matter how poor it is uncorrected. I'm -7 in both eyes, corrected to 20/20.

Most of my friends who fly commercially wear contacts as well.

You didn't say what country you are in, but since you listed AA, I'll list the FAA's vision requirements in the source box. These are the requirements for a 1st class medical certificate, which is required to fly for the airlines.

Edited to add - the person who said the FAA does not require perfect vision for a 1st class medical is just WRONG, and the FAR that he references (the same one in my source box) directly contradicts his statement. A first class medical certificate requires vision corrected to 20/20.

Answer 5

Not according to US Federal Regulations. You must have good corrected vision. Individual airlines and particularly foriegn airlines may have substantially differant rules. As an earlier answer mentioned, the military is more strengent on its reguirements, but even they no allow some minor sight problems if they are correctable with contacts.

Answer 6

There are a couple of things that you need to know about flying planes. First, are you flying military planes or civilian, and second do you have muscles for it?

You see, in military planes you need to have perfect vision. It would be absolutely horrible if you shot off the nosecone on a 747 thinking that it was an E-3 Sentry. Also, it would be terrible if the defense department had to inform your relatives you were dead because you failed to ID the fighter coming up behind you. In addition to that, if you are flying off of an aircraft carrier, can you imagine trying to land on the flight deck by going in through the rear hull, especially at midnight?

Now in the case of civilian flying, such as private planes (Cessna, Piper cub, etc.) you can get away with having less than perfect vivion. It is possible to fly being nearsighted. However, you must remember that you must be able to judge distances, analyze weather conditions, and be physically able to handle the plane. You are after all moving 3 or 4,000 lbs of material through the air and using all your limbs. Pulling back on that stick is not easy.

In the case of flying big jets, such as 777, DC-10, etc., you must be able to see the runway marker lights, avoid smacking the radar tower at the airport, and try not to rearend the 747 coming in for a landing in front of you. Those airports can rather busy really fast. However you can still fly them. You just have to check with the company that you want to fly with about restrictions.

In the end, it is important to have good vision, but even those with perfect vision make mistakes. After all, as far as I know, we are all still human. Just remember to line up properly with the runway when you are coming in for a landing and playing chicken in a 747 at 300 miles per hour is not recommended.

Answer 7

For the RAF (air force) you would need 20/20 vision. For civilian aviation that is not always required however you should contact some airlines to ask about these requirements to see how they match up to your level of vision.

Also note that as far as I am aware laser surgery is not accepted as a way to correct
vision for flying due to possible diteriation in night vision that it may cause.

Answer 8

As long as you can wear glasses to correct to 20/20, it should not matter that much. Oh and its Air Canada

Answer 9

Very much so, considering your eyesight is extremely important to your job.

I would check out what is required BEFORE doing anything, such as will an airline hire you which requires unassisted 20-20 vision before you start employment, etc.

Answer 10

ROTFLMAO- LOL lol.... ok.... most pilots I know are short sighted... but anyway... assuming you meant near sighted or far sighted, if you're corrected to 20/20 it's ok if you're a civilian... in the AF, you're hosed if you need glasses. They might take you if you had PRK and you're totally healed. I'd check with an AF recruiter if you're thinking of going military. :) Good luck!