My medical certificate calls for corrective lenses but does not specify the type of vision correction used beyond that. What I do is use bifocals for the AME test, for which they work well, and then (since they are poor in the aircraft) I’ve developed a much better system to use in the plane. My solution not unlike Peter’s initial post. Works great for me in my plane.
I thought the CAA rule says that you must carry two pairs of spectaclers, I don’t recall it making any reference to wearing them.
For many years I used to wear one pair over another to get near vision and sun glasses
Varifocals have advanced rapidly ober the last 25 years, I now really don’t notice them until I take them off and apart from plumbing under sinks, I have never found any great need to move my head.
Varifocals are great..
Initially my medical only said “carry”. Then as my eyesight got worse it now says “wear corrective lenses and carry a spare”
Just looked at my CAA Class 1 medical.
It says
Which one is it meant to be?
Has the AME written put a code on your Class 1?
I can’t see any code anywhere. It appears to be simply both at the same time!
I can’t see any code anywhere. It appears to be simply both at the same time!
VDL is printed on both my EASA papers, the license and the medical.
I wear glasses. I have about -1.00 (hyperopia) and -1.25 cylindrical.
I would not drive in the car without my glasses on.
I was VERY surprised that during the medical test I was told that I don’t need glasses for flying.
So I don’t have a restriction in my medical. Is it safe for me to go flying without wearing glasses? Don’t think so, especially not at the end of the day, when my vision seem to be worse than in the morning after a good night sleep.
VNL is for problems with near-vision (typically presbyopia) – for those who need reading glasses, e.g., for charts, but can see the panel and in the distance just fine. Hence you only need the spectacles available so you can put them on in the unlikely event of having to consult a chart ;-)
VDL is for problems with distance vision, so you need to wear spectacles all the time.
There is also VML (a combination of the two).
