Speaking of Vision -- How 'bout Progressive Bifocals?

In article ,
Roy Smith wrote:

In article
,
john smith wrote:

My motivation for finally getting bifocals was not being able to read
the small print on approach charts at night.

These days, of course, you can solve that by downloading the PDFs and
printing them any size you want!

That's true, but when you don't know where you are going in the first
place, it is difficult to know where you will end up. :-))

On 2 Jun 2006 14:59:49 -0700, "Jay Honeck" wrote
in .com::

I have been forced to face the fact that I can no longer read a
sectional chart with my current glasses. It's been getting worse for
some time, but lately I've realized that it has become downright
dangerous. (Moreso driving a car, actually.)

Well, at least you're getting wiser. :-)

So, it was off to the eye doctor, who said I would definitely benefit
from progressive (the ones with no lines in the glass) bifocals. When
I asked her about flying, she said that they would be excellent for
viewing the panel (one distance) *and* the charts (another, closer,
distance).

The main drawback of progressive lenses compared to trifocals, is the
narrow, vertical, corrected viewing area of all but the distance
correction at the top. (Did the optician show you a diagram of the
portion of the lenses where the correction is?) This forces you to
turn your head and point your nose at what you want to see in the
close/medium range. It seems you're always nodding up and down to
make sure you're looking through the best spot for the distance you
want to see. You do that with trifocals also, but you know when
you've transitioned from one zone to another.

So, I ordered them.

Now, of course, I've talked to a pilot friend who tells me that
progressives totally suck, and will make me nauseous in the plane,
thanks to the eternally variable prescription!

I didn't suffer nausea, but I found trifocals far superior for IFR
operation. Just have the middle zone made wider (top to bottom) and
raised a few millimeters.

Beware. Polarized lenses will make it difficult for you to read LCD
displays.

Nikon polycarbonate transition lenses are light weight and very
scratch resistant. However, expect the windscreen to block enough UV
to impair the darkining while flying/driving.

Consider two pair of glasses, Trifocals with a magnetic clip-on sun
glasses for combined night and day flying use use, and progressive
transitions for casual ware. That way you can cater to your vanity
without impacting your airmanship.

Beware. Polarized lenses will make it difficult for you to read LCD
displays.

Boy, you can say that again!! When I got my Stormscope WX900, I was about to take it back, until I looked at it without my shades on. Al though I've read that polarized lens are not good for pilots anyway. I assume that 's because they attenuate the glint off other planes in your scan.

Hi jay,

I'm on my second set of progressives.

The first had a relatively large (say 30%) portion for reading and the rest
for distance.

Last year, I happened to change optometrists and it turns out the new doctor
is also a pilot. We got to discussing progressives and he asked me if had
problems with flares and touch downs. After I admitted I did, he attributed
it to the fact that at a stall angle I was actually viewing the runway with
the top edge of the reading portion of my glasses. So, he prescribed and
built a pilot's version of progressives with a very small portion for
reading things on your lap and panel. VOILA! Big improvement.

I'm still using them and they are excellent.

Marc


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have been forced to face the fact that I can no longer read a
sectional chart with my current glasses. It's been getting worse for
some time, but lately I've realized that it has become downright
dangerous. (Moreso driving a car, actually.)

So, it was off to the eye doctor, who said I would definitely benefit
from progressive (the ones with no lines in the glass) bifocals. When
I asked her about flying, she said that they would be excellent for
viewing the panel (one distance) *and* the charts (another, closer,
distance).

So, I ordered them.

Now, of course, I've talked to a pilot friend who tells me that
progressives totally suck, and will make me nauseous in the plane,
thanks to the eternally variable prescription!

So, what's the verdict from my fellow "old farts" on this group? Do
you guys wear "progressives"? Or do you prefer the "lined" bifocals?
LensCrafters has a 30 day money-back guarantee (I don't actually have
them, yet), so I can change my mind.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Last year, I happened to change optometrists and it turns out the new doctor
is also a pilot. We got to discussing progressives and he asked me if had
problems with flares and touch downs. After I admitted I did, he attributed
it to the fact that at a stall angle I was actually viewing the runway with
the top edge of the reading portion of my glasses. So, he prescribed and
built a pilot's version of progressives with a very small portion for
reading things on your lap and panel. VOILA! Big improvement.

Cool! I'll have a new excuse for lousy landings!

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Last year, I happened to change optometrists and it turns out the new doctor
is also a pilot. We got to discussing progressives and he asked me if had
problems with flares and touch downs. After I admitted I did, he attributed
it to the fact that at a stall angle I was actually viewing the runway with
the top edge of the reading portion of my glasses. So, he prescribed and
built a pilot's version of progressives with a very small portion for
reading things on your lap and panel. VOILA! Big improvement.

Choosing your optometrist/opthomologist an important consideration.
Richard Collins of FLYING magazine wrote about getting propperly fitted
bifocals back in the late 80's/early 90's.
He too, recommends finding one who is a pilot or familiar with aviation.
Collins focal length fell in the distance to the panel range. So much so
that he had several pairs of glasses made up for different panel
distances. This because he was actively flight testing/reviewing
aircraft for the articles he was writing for the magazine.

Jay

Got a pair of progressive and they made me sick. I could cock my head
from side to side and felt like I was on Ocean Liner in heavy seas.

I also had trouble walking up and down steps with the change of height
of each step.

My solution was to get trifocals.

Top - distant vision.
Middle - instrument panel
and
bottom - map reading.

Had lines set so I could fly instruments without moving my head and
getting vertigo.

Got cataracts taken out so now only use bifocals.

Real life story about what I did to see as I grew older.

Big John
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On 2 Jun 2006 14:59:49 -0700, "Jay Honeck" wrote:

ls?
Date: 2 Jun 2006 14:59:49 -0700

Jay Honeck wrote:
I have been forced to face the fact that I can no longer read a
sectional chart with my current glasses.


Jay - I ended up with bifocals after enjoying a couple of years that I
technically didn't even need glasses - after needing them to see
farther than about 6 ft, for about the last 30+ years. Even passed the
driver's license "eye exam" without them the last time around. So it
was a bit of a change, to say the least, to go the bifocal route. I,
too, picked the progressive lens.

Be prepared to get accustomed to them for a week or three or more.
Going back to your old pair "just for this one thing..." will just make
it take longer to get used to the new ones.

The first time I walked out of the eye doctor's office with them on, I
just about got motion sickness (and I am not one prone to such things.)
- every horizontal line, from sidewalk curb to dashboard in my truck
appeared curved and varied in curvature as I moved my head. The
curvature distortion went mostly away (still can see it, if I look, but
I think my brain has built a "filter" for it for the most part.)

Periphial vision is still fuzzy - I have to turn my head way farther to
the right or left and adjust the elevation of my head to make out
detail to the side. I am not a pilot (wish I were....) but just the
simple act of looking at my gps mounted on top of my truck dash tells
me that I wouldn't want to fly a plane with this particular pair of
glasses.

I expressed these concerns to my eye doctor, who said that next time,
he'll adjust the ratio of near to far lens and how fast they
transition, to address my complaints.

You may have a completely different experience, so I relate my
experience so you won;t be surprised if things look strange.

Best Regards,

Randy

Periphial vision is still fuzzy - I have to turn my head way farther to
the right or left and adjust the elevation of my head to make out
detail to the side.

Thanks, Randy -- but this doesn't make sense to me. The "progressive"
part of the reading lens starts below the half-way point down the lens
-- so why would they have ANY effect on peripheral vision?

Well, unless you're looking down, I suppose?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:

Periphial vision is still fuzzy - I have to turn my head way farther to
the right or left and adjust the elevation of my head to make out
detail to the side.


Thanks, Randy -- but this doesn't make sense to me. The "progressive"
part of the reading lens starts below the half-way point down the lens
-- so why would they have ANY effect on peripheral vision?

Well, unless you're looking down, I suppose?

Jay, I'm not Randy, but I'll reply as I have progressive lenses. Mine
don't have the prescription in the bottom uniformly across the bottom as
with more conventional bifocals. The different presecription is more of
a circular shape and things read through the lower half of the lens are
only clear if nearly centered in the lens. The prescription on the elft
and right sides of the lower halves of my lens is about the same as the
prescription on the top half of the lens. So, my peripheral vision,
whether looking through the top half or the bottom half, is through my
distance prescription.


Matt