Blue Side Up

I just had an eye test and the doctor said my left eye is 20/60 and right eye is 20/15, so with both combined I have 20/20. I decided to get glasses so I could pass the first class medical. I wanted to know what they put on your medical and whether or not I will have any trouble getting hired by a regional or an airline. I am a commercial rated pilot and am not to far from finishing school. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

rdy4to

You should have no problems as long as you are correctable to 20/20. My uncorrectable vision is much worse than yours and I have never had a problem getting a job. I've been hired by one major airline and one major cargo.

rickair7777

Pre- 9/11 several of the big legacies wanted vision 20/100 or better in each eye. This used to be the FAA standard for airline pilots also, but the FAA dropped it in the 1990's...now they require that you be correctable to 20/20 in each eye.

Many airlines, including most regionals and some majors, just photocopy your FAA medical and consider it good. When the big three start hiring again they may or may not conduct their own medicals and may or may not require 20/100 uncorrected. You can assume that AA will require that however, since eagle still does.

With all that being said, as long as each eye is 20/100 or better you should be fine. They do test each eye individually on aviation exams.

FlyerJosh

I'm 20/400 uncorrected in both eyes (Yeah- I know I can't see the broad side of a barn...)- it's never been an issue for jobs I've applied to. Most airlines have dropped the requirements due to some uncertainty with the Americans with Diabilites Act. If you can correct to 20/20 shouldn't be an issue.

If you need contacts/glasses to obtain your medical, there will be a limitation on the medical that reads "Must wear corrective lenses."

surreal1221

Which is a prefect solution.

I'd like to see the class action lawsuit when / if the Airlines (by Airlines - I mean legacies) attempt to require 20/100 uncorrected after so many years of not.

If I understood rickairQUADseven's post, I'm surprised Eagle is still using such a ridiculous requirement.

rickair7777

Actually pre-9/11 UAL won a lawsuit regarding just that, which set the legal standard allowing airlines to have ther own medical requirements. It was determined that the ADA did NOT apply to folks with poor but correctable vision. Wearing glasses/contacts does not "substantially interfere with daily life", therefore it is not a disability, so the ADA does not apply! Doesn't sound fair, but there it is.

I suspect many majors have dropped the medical exam just to save money. We will just have to wait until DAL and UAL start hiring again to see if the 20/100 requirement stays. You can assume that AA will keep it, since they enforce it with eagle now. I can read 20/100 if I squint, and that is what I had to do to pass the eagle medical (same as the AA medical).

surreal1221

Well that's a downer. . . I guess DAL, UAL, and potentially AA will be out of the list of potentials I could goto AFTER a life at the regionals.

I've got a pretty solid feeling I am worse than 20/100 in each eye.

But anyways, FDX, UPS, here I come.

rickair7777

We'll see what they do after they start hiring...

⌐ AV8OR WANNABE

”I suspect many majors have dropped the medical exam just to save money. We will just have to wait until DAL and UAL start hiring again to see if the 20/100 requirement stays.”

Are you sure UAL required 20/100 before 9/11? Reason I ask is that a very good friend of mine was hired by UAL at the end of 2000 and his vision is (L) 20/400 & (R) 20/600 – corrected to 20/20 on both eyes with contacts. He said he showed them his prescription and had no problems whatsoever, he was told as long as it’s 20/20 when corrected he’s good to go. Also around 1999 I believe they changed their scantron application where the vision requirements where removed from the application (it used to ask about your vision corrected and uncorrected).

"You can assume that AA will keep it, since they enforce it with eagle now. I can read 20/100 if I squint, and that is what I had to do to pass the eagle medical (same as the AA medical)."

That’s another surprise to me. Another friend of mine is an FO on the RJ out of Boston, he’s been there for 3 years or so and his vision is probably even worse, however he is also 20/20 when he wears his glasses or uses contacts. He did the eagle medical and said it was very in depth; they knew his prescription because he brought it from his optometrist and it was definitely worst than 20/100 uncorrected. Well, he’s still an FO over there?!

Ps. He was very upfront with them and did NOT use any ortho-K lenses or similar devices to improve his vision temporarily (he considered it but decided against it). So do they really have a 20/100 rule or are they just saying so hoping people with vision < 20/100 won’t apply?

Blue Side Up

Thank You All for your responses. Puts me at ease. I was pretty worried for a while.