On Seeing, on Flying, and on Cataracts

It's amazing how blind one can be and still legally fly. The FAA only
requires that your vision be corrected to 20/40 or better for a 3rd
class medical!
(See the difference between 20/20 and 20/40 he
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_chart )

With a recent pair of glasses, mine never measured worse that 20/30. I
saw my Optometrist regularly and was probably never 20/40 on my worst
day. Still, I left my last flight physical with the impression that I
had come close to failing the eye test. My optometrist is a pilot, one
reason I use him. My specific instructions to him were to tell me when
he would no longer wish to share a pattern with me. He never said those
words, so I never quit flying. Now I'm not so sure I made the right choice.

What's life like at 20/30? Well, I still felt like a perfectly safe
driver, even at night. The main difference was that I had to be closer
to signs to actually read them. But flying is different! You need to
see farther.

My first clue was the TV tower. For many years, that TV tower 5 miles
west of my field represented my personal visibility minimum. If I
couldn't see that tower from the airport, I stayed on the ground, or at
least in the pattern. (Yes, I'm a fair weather pilot.) The trouble was,
my vision had gradually deteriorated to where I couldn't see that tower
even on a severe-clear day. Yet I was still legal to fly.

Also, over a period of a few years, I gradually became used to not
seeing the other planes in the pattern. How did I compensate? First,
by the usual ways. I kept my eyes outside the cockpit, listened closely
to the radio, gave plenty of position reports, confessed when I didn't
"have" the other plane and avoided crowded patterns.

Second, I bought myself a little Zaon MRX. The MRX is a very imperfect
device, but still it beats having no technological help at all. It
beeps when a plane is near. It displays a vague distance, and a
slightly less vague altitude. Unfortunately, it doesn't tell you what
you really want to know, the bearing of the traffic. Still, it serves
at a constant reminder to keep a good lookout.

So that missing tower became my final clue. My vision had deteriorated
below my personal minimum. I saw an optomologist, who diagnosed
cataracts and sent me to an eye surgeon. After one 2-hour trip to the
clinic for each eye to get new lenses implanted inside my eyeballs, I am
now 20/20 again! It's amazing to suddenly have brand new HD vision. My
natural vision had decayed so slowly, over so many years, that I had
forgotten what a human is supposed to see. It's an amazing new world!

My TV tower is back! I can see the other planes in the pattern again!

What does the FAA say about all this? According to the AOPA website,
all I need to do is have my eye doctor fill out FAA Form 8500-7 and
bring it to my next flight physical. Mine is ready and waiting.

So what's my point? If you find yourself in the same boat that I was
in, don't be afraid. Observe your personal minimums. Go boldly to your
optomologist. Your fellow pilots will thank you.

On Nov 15, 7:06*pm, Vaughn wrote:
It's amazing how blind one can be and still legally fly. *The FAA only
requires that your vision be corrected to 20/40 or better for a 3rd
class medical!
(See the difference between 20/20 and 20/40 hehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_chart)

With a recent pair of glasses, mine never measured worse that 20/30. I
saw my Optometrist regularly and was probably never 20/40 on my worst
day. *Still, I left my last flight physical with the impression that I
had come close to failing the eye test. *My optometrist is a pilot, one
reason I use him. *My specific instructions to him were to tell me when
he would no longer wish to share a pattern with me. *He never said those
words, so I never quit flying. *Now I'm not so sure I made the right choice.

What's life like at 20/30? *Well, I still felt like a perfectly safe
driver, even at night. *The main difference was that I had to be closer
to signs to actually read them. *But flying is different! *You need to
see farther.

My first clue was the TV tower. *For many years, that TV tower 5 miles
west of my field represented my personal visibility minimum. *If I
couldn't see that tower from the airport, I stayed on the ground, or at
least in the pattern. *(Yes, I'm a fair weather pilot.) The trouble was,
my vision had gradually deteriorated to where I couldn't see that tower
even on a severe-clear day. *Yet I was still legal to fly.

Also, over a period of a few years, I gradually became used to not
seeing the other planes in the pattern. *How did I compensate? *First,
by the usual ways. I kept my eyes outside the cockpit, listened closely
to the radio, gave plenty of position reports, confessed when I didn't
"have" the other plane and avoided crowded patterns.

Second, I bought myself a little Zaon MRX. *The MRX is a very imperfect
device, but still it beats having no technological help at all. *It
beeps when a plane is near. *It displays a vague distance, and a
slightly less vague altitude. *Unfortunately, it doesn't tell you what
you really want to know, the bearing of the traffic. *Still, it serves
at a constant reminder to keep a good lookout.

So that missing tower became my final clue. *My vision had deteriorated
below my personal minimum. *I saw an optomologist, who diagnosed
cataracts and sent me to an eye surgeon. After one 2-hour trip to the
clinic for each eye to get new lenses implanted inside my eyeballs, I am
now 20/20 again! It's amazing to suddenly have brand new HD vision. *My
natural vision had decayed so slowly, over so many years, that I had
forgotten what a human is supposed to see. *It's an amazing new world!

My TV tower is back! *I can see the other planes in the pattern again!

What does the FAA say about all this? *According to the AOPA website,
all I need to do is have my eye doctor fill out FAA Form 8500-7 and
bring it to my next flight physical. *Mine is ready and waiting.

So what's my point? *If you find yourself in the same boat that I was
in, don't be afraid. *Observe your personal minimums. *Go boldly to your
optomologist. Your fellow pilots will thank you.

Congrats on regaining your vision.

Someday there may be an app to compensate
for bodily wear and tear.
"New cars can park themselves and warn you about obstacles behind you,
and similar technology is expanding into the next generation of
business aircraft."

http://www.forbes.com/sites/business...ne-be-a-drone/

---
Mark

"Vaughn" wrote

My vision had deteriorated
below my personal minimum. I saw an optomologist, who diagnosed cataracts
and sent me to an eye surgeon. After one 2-hour trip to the clinic for
each eye to get new lenses implanted inside my eyeballs, I am now 20/20
again! It's amazing to suddenly have brand new HD vision. My natural
vision had decayed so slowly, over so many years, that I had forgotten
what a human is supposed to see. It's an amazing new world!

Been there, done that. Got back to 20/20 just like you did. Then about 5
years later got hit with Macular Degeneration. Now I'm down to 20/200 and
taking Avaistin injections in both eyes every 6 weeks just to keep what
little vision I have left. I have to confine all my flying to computer
simulation with FSX from now on. I guess I'm lucky to still see well enough
to do that. Being blind sucks.

On Nov 16, 11:43*pm, "sambodidley" wrote:
"Vaughn" wrote

* My vision had deteriorated

below my personal minimum. *I saw an optomologist, who diagnosed cataracts
and sent me to an eye surgeon. After one 2-hour trip to the clinic for
each eye to get new lenses implanted inside my eyeballs, I am now 20/20
again! It's amazing to suddenly have brand new HD vision. *My natural
vision had decayed so slowly, over so many years, that I had forgotten
what a human is supposed to see. *It's an amazing new world!

* * Been there, done that. Got back to 20/20 just like you did. Then about 5
years later got hit with Macular Degeneration. Now I'm down to 20/200 and
taking Avaistin injections in both eyes every 6 weeks just to keep what
little vision I have left. *I have to confine all my flying to computer
simulation with FSX from now on. *I guess I'm lucky to still see well enough
to do that. Being blind sucks.

(Advanced Cell Tech. Inc.) :
"The Company has treated 13 patients thus far in its three ongoing
trials for dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD) and
Stargardt's Disease (SMD) using human embryonic stem cells"

" The RPE layer plays a central role in the health and function of the
photoreceptor layer. In treating various forms of macular
degeneration, such as dry AMD and SMD, the goal of the company's RPE
cell therapy is for repair and replacement of those areas in the eye
where the RPE layer has degraded with new cells, and in doing so,
recapitulate the correct working environment around the photoreceptor
layer."
http://www.equities.com/news/headlin...8560&cat=hcare

(RPE clinical trials) :
http://advancedcell.com/patients/cli...l-information/
http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00931489

Company Headquarters
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.
P.O. Box 1700
Santa Monica, CA 90406
Tel: (310) 576 0611
Fax: (310) 576 0662

.. . . . . . . . . . .

Mark

"Mark IV" wrote

(Advanced Cell Tech. Inc.) :
"The Company has treated 13 patients thus far in its three ongoing
trials for dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD) and
Stargardt's Disease (SMD) using human embryonic stem cells"

Yes, I've heard of that. Unfortunately, mine is the wet variety. So far,
there is no current treatment available for that other than these
injections.

On 11/16/2012 11:41 PM, sambodidley wrote:
Been there, done that. Got back to 20/20 just like you did. Then about 5
years later got hit with Macular Degeneration. Now I'm down to 20/200

So sorry to hear that! My father (still kicking at 94) took that same
path. The same can happen to me or any of us. Our only defense is an
annual retina exam so to catch the disease and start treatment as soon
as possible. (Find a cautious & conservative optomologist though, and
don't be shy about second opinions. I suspect my father was over-treated.)

If/when my vision again deteriorates below my personal minimums, I don't
necessarily intend to stop flying. I will just drop my renter's
insurance. From that day on my PIC will always be a young sharp-eyed
CFI from my flight school. They need the business anyhow!