"Peter Duniho" wrote in message ...
"Circuit Breaker" wrote in message
news
[...]
What I want to know is why the History channel showed an F-15 pilot
wearing standard civilian sunglasses in the airplane during flight, yet
people who require corrective lenses can't fly the plane. At least, this
is what the recruiters have told me.

I could swear I know more than one (ex-)military aviator who wears glasses.
I am under the impression that glasses are disqualifying for entrance into
the pilot jobs, but that if your vision deteriorates later, you don't get
kicked out.

In other words, it's more likely just a way to minimize complications and
thin out the pool of applicants. After all, "everyone" wants to be a pilot,
so why should the military accept any but those "most perfect specimens of
human physiology"? Of course, once they've invested millions of dollars
training you, it'd be silly to get rid of you then, so if you need glasses
later, you get to stay.

In any case, obviously the recruiter's statement that glasses couldn't be
worn is just ridiculous. There's no obvious physical impediment to wearing
glasses in the cockpit, and even if there were, surely corrective lenses
could be built into the equipment (helmet or otherwise), or contact lenses
permitted.

Since we clearly have the technology to address vision issues in the
cockpit, I take it as granted that a restriction against corrective lenses
has something to do with other than legitimate technical issues. Arbitrary
policy-making seems the most likely explanation to me. I doubt there's any
actual good reason for it.

Pete

I remember when I was in high school and looking into the possibility of
flying for the military, I discovered that the Air Force required 20/20
uncorrected but the Navy did not. I always thought this was strange -
I can land an F-14 on a tiny pitching carrier deck in a storm at night
with glasses, but I can't land an F-15 on a 10000' x 150' runway? There
may be more to it than that (I never entered either service after all) but
it seemed rather odd to me.

--
Allen Johnson