Any vision challenged pilots that can give some advice?

BT wrote:
I've read the posts on Progressive lenses and Bi / Tri focal lenses. And I
have both.
I need glasses for distant vision correction and have since my early teen
years. For years I flew in the USAF with prescribed contact lenses, or
regular single prescription lenses to correct for distant vision and the
younger eyes can adjust just fine for up close work.
But we age, and now I have to correct for near vision.

The eyes are too old to make that forced correction on their own and can no
longer adjust from the distant to near with my "distant" corrective lenses..
For most of my work, I wear the contacts and keep reading glasses handy for
computer and reading. Now the time has come that I cannot read a VFR chart
or a standard sized approach chart without reading glass assistance if I
have my contacts on.

I know many pilots that have fine distant vision, but use the half high
reading glasses in the cockpit.

I have used bifocals and find them workable, I am able to read the glass
cockpit panels with no problems at the intermediate range.
I have progressives, I have found from driving a car with the progressive
lenses that the periphery vision is blurred.. not as clear as looking out
the sides of my bifocal lenses. This gives me concern that if flying with my
progressive lenses that distant objects (aircraft) in the periphery will not
be clear and in focus and could easily be missed. I find that I have to look
directly at what I want to see and then adjust my view vertically with the
progressive to find the clearest picture. Not what I want to be dealing with
while flying.

I tried progressives. The Optometrist said most people take a week or
two to adjust and some never do.

I'm one that didn't, the distortion was just too great and agravated
by looking at things with parallel lines.

In a video store looking at the racks I got vertigo so bad I could barely
stand up.

A fellow pilot prefers the bi focal, with the line, he knows which part of
the lenses he is using to see out the window, and to see his instrument
panel. His glasses are adjusted, so that at normal sitting position, the
line of his bifocal is right at the line of the glare shield.

That's what I wound up with. You get the frames with plain glass, sit in
the cockpit and put a piece of tape on the glass where you want the line,
and take them back. Also the Optometrist had me measure the distance from
my nose to the nearest and farthest parts of the panel and set the lenses
for the mid distance so the entire panel is clear.

The most important thing is to have an Optometrist that is willing to
listen and work with you.


--
Jim Pennino

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