Career help - your opinions please!

[njlawyer]

Hi all! I am seeking your help. Started flying at 15, didn't finish my private...only have the check ride to do. I am 30 now, with vision corrected to 20/30. Stopped flying b/c I was told I couldn't be an airline pilot.

From this forum, I read about a waiver. Are my prospects good to be an airline pilot? I would do ATP's program mainly for speed.

Any ideas or thoughts? Thanks.

 

[kellwolf]

I'm pretty sure for a first class medical you need 20/20 corrected. A first class is required for airline pilots, HOWEVER you only need a second class for charter/corporate. It really depends on the companies, and some may still prefer the first class. You can still get a second class medical and fly corporate, though. Might even be a better career choice under some circumstances.

 

[montanapilot]

Why don't you try this. Vision Correction. The worst that could happen is that you would be out your 10 bucks. Its worth a shot.

 

[Bandit_Driver]

you do need to have your vision corrected to 20/20 in order to obtain a 1st class for PIC in an airline. Some airlines will let you be a FO with a 2nd class medical. I believe the odds would be against you though.

You best bet would be to do some homework on vision correction. Also, you may want to see what charter companies would allow you to fly with a second class.

I know at my old freight company you could be PIC and fly cargo with a second class in the smaller aircraft. But if you wanted to fly the jets or carry pax as PIC you needed a first....

Good luck and do your homework....

 

[eeg]

I know this is a little extreme but can you have Lasik done?

 

[Cosmo1999]

be careful about those eye surgeries. I have heard it can mess up your night vision. In fact I remember reading a while back on here about a pilot who lost his medical and his career because of something like that. I think he flew with united, ended up suing and winning

 

[kellwolf]

United or Continental? Probably pilots from both airlines. This is exactly why I haven't gotten Lasik done.

 

[Kristie]

I know doug used to do vision training (with an opthamologist) before he went into the regionals... it corrected his vision up to 20/20 within a few months...

 

[kellwolf]

I've been looking at that program that's for sale on-line. Someone on here was doing it a while back, but I haven't heard an update on it. Still thinking about it. It was something like eye exercises to strengthen your "eye muscles."

 

[Stone Cold]

Yeah, that was me...still have the kit and all, started the exercises, but then got busy with too much going on...plan on doing the system over my month-long vacation coming up and I'll update then. It recommends wearing prescription glasses or contacts as little as possible and also that you have an old prescription or a doctor working with you to update the prescription during the program. I know, the program is only 30 minutes a day, but then I was wearing contacts for 12-16 hours after the exercises, so I was just spinning my wheels. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif

 

[JohnGalt]

Here is a link to vision correctness tutorial:
http://sunflower.singnet.com.sg/~hanwen/mainpage.htm
Read all of it, it is a good read.