Eye Vision

[N1478D]

Looking for some opinions on corrective eyewear. I have been wearing multi-vision glasses for a few years. These are the type that are the alternative to bifocals/trifocals. There is not a dividing line between the long distance lens and the reading lens. They worked well till the last new pair that I purchased two years ago. With some more vision change due to aging , the peripheral vision went to almost zero with this type of lens. The optometrist said that peripheral vision was unaffected by bifocals and trifocals. With the muti-vision lenses you have to be pointing your head exactly at what you want to see well, both side to side, and up and down. Judging descent rate out your peripheral vision becomes more of a challenge. It is time to go in for a visit to the optometrist and was wondering what success others have had with different types of lenses, and maybe if the airlines have a standard.

[zero.one.victor]

I've worn glasses just about all my life,just recently had to go to bifocals. The optometrist,optician and some friends all recommended that I give progressive (or multi-vision,as you call them) lenses a try. I couldn't stand them! The main problem was the lack of vision thru the sides of the bottom part of the lenses,on either side of the (centered) close-up correction. At that point,the lenses aren't clear,distance correction,or close-up correction --they're just "whatever". No peripheral vision at all--just a blur. Plus,there was a tremedous amount of parallax or whatever you might call it when keeping my eyes fixed on something but moving my head side to side--kinda like looking at a funhouse mirror.
I went back & they made some standard bifoals for me instead--a gigantic improvement.
One thing I discovered about the FAR's--to get your medical,you must demonstrate 20/40 vision without glasses or 20/30 with them,that doesn't seem quite fair to me. I have trouble getting 20/30 in my right eye even with glasses.I have to cheat (if possible) or really fudge on that one to pass.But my vision is plenty good enough for flying--at least at the speed most GA aircraft fly at. Another reason to favor the self-certify or driver's license in leiu of a medical certificate for private pilots.

Eric

[N1478D]

Hi Eric,

What you described with the progressive lens really took some getting use to. But, after that, they were much better than bifocals. But as a person's vision worsens, the point in the progressive lens that works gets to be a smaller and smaller area of the lens. The rest is out of focus like you describe. How is it using bifocals to read the instruments? Is it just a matter of getting use to tilting your head back?

[n3833v]

The problem I had with bifocals was that the panel was too far for reading and I had to lean front to read the instruments. I went to the progressive lenses and I think it's great. My eyes aren't real bad at this point and maybe in the future they will be bad enough to have trouble with my peripheral vision.
JOhn - n3833v

[N1478D]

It might be possible that Warren Sapp of the Bucs has bad vision and wears progressive lens - he sure moves his head a lot!

Yeah, the progressive lens when my eyes were not all that bad - the farsighted part, have always had really bad nearsightedness, were really nice and worked well. It's looking like they are not going to be an option for the future though.

[zero.one.victor]

I was told that once I got used to the progressive lenses,i'd love them,but I don't believe it.Still getting used to the regular bifocals after about 6 weeks,just about got 'em bucked out. The flight instruments in the panel are a bit too far away for the bifocal part of my glasses,so I look thru the top at them. My GPS is a little closer to me,the bottom of the glasses works pretty good for that. My outside air temp is mounted in the center of the windshield up near the very top,it's pretty close to me so I need to look thru the bottom of the glasses to focus on it,so I gotta tilt my head WAY back--or just look over the top of the glasses like I used to do.But then my ball cap visor is in the way.
Then,if I wanna eyeball something on the ground while flying,I gotta tilt my head way forward to look down thru the top of the glasses.
Man oh man,the fun never ends! It's hell to get old,isn't it?

Eric

[N1478D]

It sure is hell to get old! Glad the subject is limited to vision!

[superpilot_75965]

I tried progressive lens for three years, and they were just fine as you said for straight ahead. As one gets a little older the focusing mechanism get slower. I finally had to go to trifocals for flying. Close and medium correction, and very little correction for distant. I also had clear lens made for night flying. I decided to go this way as I almost took a wing tip off as their was no periphial vision with the progressive. I am happy to be able to see out the sides better.

[Bill Venohr]

I've been in bifocals for about 3 years now--only one set so far (not progressive). My biggest complaint is the top of the bifocal area bisects the instrument panel--I can see the panel just fine out of one or the other but split causes me to typically tilt my head down. My next set of glasses will have the bifocal part a little lower. My peripheral vision is just fine.

[zero.one.victor]

This thread is looking pretty bad,boys. Let's end it now,please,before we start talking about how many times we gotta get up in the middle of the night to pee!

Eric

[N1478D]

This thread is looking pretty bad,boys. Let's end it now,please,before we start talking about how many times we gotta get up in the middle of the night to pee!

Eric

That's not a problem! Can't see or remember where I've been!

Thanks to all for all of the posts on the different lens, it helps before I go see the Doc! Now let's see, these forms need to be . . .

[lowNslow]

Regarding the bifocal cutting off the panel, what you can do is use an old pair of glasses, sit in the airplane and hold your head in a comfortable position and mark where you want the bifocal line to be with a grease pencil. The optometrist can use this when fitting the new glasses. Excuse me, I gotta pee.

[zero.one.victor]

When I went back in to get the regular bifocal lenses ordered up,I specifically asked for a lower than normal position of the close-up section of the lenses. the progressive lenses were configured in such a way that when I was driving down the road,the upper half of the car ahead was in focus and the lower half was blurred,down into the close-up correction area. They had made some measurements & marks on the lenses,but what they decided on didn't agree with how I looked thru them.
This lower placement of the close-up correction also makes it easier to see the TV clearly when kicked back in my recliner. The only bad part is that I have to lean my head back pretty far to look thru the bottom when computering,or else just take the darn glasses off.

Eric

[N1478D]

A hangar neighbor who flies Gulfstreams, etc as a corporate pilot is in his 70's. He had bifocal/trifocal lenses added bottom AND top so he could look up and read the overhead console. It's kind of looking like this is not going to be a very simple trip to get a pair of glasses. One of the nice features of my current pair is that sunglasses magnetically clip on to them.