Do I have this right?

You know for law enforcement I understand the necessity for a certain uncorrected vision requirement (glasses get knocked off in a struggle)... but really... for an ATC? I dunno... I don't get it.

You can also consider getting LASIK if you are a candidate to improve your uncorrected vision. I've had lasik and have 20/20 uncorrected vision, and had no problem getting a medical. You have to get a form filled out by the surgeon but it's not a big deal at all... A relatively cheap fix if you really want the job and you are a candidate...
 
hudson26 said:
You know for law enforcement I understand the necessity for a certain uncorrected vision requirement (glasses get knocked off in a struggle)... but really... for an ATC? I dunno... I don't get it.

You can also consider getting LASIK if you are a candidate to improve your uncorrected vision. I've had lasik and have 20/20 uncorrected vision, and had no problem getting a medical. You have to get a form filled out by the surgeon but it's not a big deal at all... A relatively cheap fix if you really want the job and you are a candidate...
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is lasik covered by insurance? if not, what am i looking at price wise? i've considered it for personal reasons and if it helps with the phisical, why the heck not.
 
titansox said:
I talked to my dad about this and it went really really well. He took it real well and was very intrigued by the idea. His one concern was the whole "what if you don't make it" thought, and rightfully so. But all in all he was very reasonable about the situation. I haven't talked to my mom and I expect she'll give me more opposition. However she doesn't have much say in this sorta thing, especially since she her self didn't go to college. So I'm feeling pretty good about this situation.
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Congrats! Go for it, and let us know how it went. :)
 
hship said:
is lasik covered by insurance? if not, what am i looking at price wise? i've considered it for personal reasons and if it helps with the phisical, why the heck not.
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I believe most insurance doesn't cover LASIK. I know mine doesn't. It will cost thousands of dollars.
 
I'm also looking into attending CTI school. I already have my Bachelor's degree (in aviation) so I would only need to take the core classes. CTI gives you the best chance at getting selected. I wish there were more schools in the Midwest.
 
jeffm1999 said:
Sorry for hijacking your thread Titan, but maybe others will find this information useful also. Here are the vision standards for initial employment:

ATCS MEDICAL QUALIFICATION STANDARDS
Air Traffic Control Personnel - Series GS2152

INITIAL EMPLOYMENT
Applicants for initial appointment to air traffic control specialist positions must comply with the following requirements:
Eye
(1) The applicant must demonstrate: Distant visual acuity of 20/20 in each eye separately, without correction, or distant visual acuity of 20/200 or better in each eye separately, with correction to 20/20 in each eye. Glasses or contact lenses are permitted.
(2) The applicant must demonstrate: Near visual acuity of v=.50 (or equivalent according to table of equivalent scale) or better in each eye separately without correction or near visual acuity of v1.25 or better in each eye separately, with correction to v=.50 in each eye. Glasses or contact lenses are permitted.
(3) An applicant who must utilize both glasses and contact lenses to demonstrate acceptable near and distant vision is disqualified.
(4) The applicant must demonstrate normal color vision.
(5) The applicant must demonstrate normal central and peripheral fields of vision.
(6) If any medication is routinely required for control of intraocular tension, the applicant is disqualified.
(7) The applicant must demonstrate no hyperhoria or hypophia greater than one prism diopter.
(8) The applicant must demonstrate no esophoria greater than six prism diopters.
(9) The applicant must demonstrate no exophoria greater than six prism diopters.
(10) If examination, including tonometry, of either eye or adnexa reveals any form of glaucoma or cataract formation, uveitis, or any other acute or chronic pathological condition that would be likely to interfere with proper function or likely to progress to that degree, the applicant is disqualified.
(11) An applicant under any form of treatment for any chronic disease of either eye is disqualified.
(12) The applicant must demonstrate full range of motion of external ocular muscles.


If I am reading (1) correctly, it looks like uncorrected has to be better than 20/200. I'm obviously not an optometrist, so some of the stuff looks pretty foreign to me.

Here's the link to where I got the info:
http://www.leftseat.com/atc/standard2.htm
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I believe those are military standards. It says on the same site (leftseat.com) that 20/20 CORRECTED vision (with glasses OR contacts) is all that is required for an ATC medical. It says nothing about uncorrected vision. Why would uncorrected vision even matter? It doesn't for pilots.
 
Also, here's this post from 2008 where the FAA states that the uncorrected vision requirements HAVE BEEN DONE AWAY WITH. The "detailed info" on left seat.com is no longer valid. All you need is 20/20 corrected.
 
flyingwriter said:
Also, here's this post from 2008 where the FAA states that the uncorrected vision requirements HAVE BEEN DONE AWAY WITH. The "detailed info" on left seat.com is no longer valid. All you need is 20/20 corrected.
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So as long as I get glasses/contacts I'll be in good shape.:rawk:
 
About the vision thing.....

I don't remember having my uncorrected vision tested at the PEPC. My vision is also horrible without glasses or contacts. Definitely worse than 20/200. Just make sure that you get a new prescription before you go, and that you can definitely see 20/20 with it.

I wasn't able to get my new lenses before I went to my PEPC, so I had my ophthalmologist fill out FAA Form 8500-7, just in case my old prescription had problems. I did end up failing the near vision portion of the test, but since I already had my 8500-7 filled out, it wasn't an issue.
 
It just occurred to me that its very possible that in 9 months, I will be living on my own in a city I've never been to and a good 4 hours from my friends and family. This is a very intimidating thought.
 
titansox said:
It just occurred to me that its very possible that in 9 months, I will be living on my own in a city I've never been to and a good 4 hours from my friends and family. This is a very intimidating thought.
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It's fun. It will make you a stronger person.
 
flyingwriter said:
I believe most insurance doesn't cover LASIK. I know mine doesn't. It will cost thousands of dollars.
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Thousands of dollars?? Only if you like throwing your money away. You can have it done, by an experienced surgeon for under $2000. (If you are going to be in the NYC area I can recommend an incredibly experienced surgeon) For me it was a small price to pay to wake up in the middle of the night and be able to see the alarm clock. Simple things like that, were well WELL worth the $1800 I paid. And having 20/20 vision without wearing any type of correction is a nice perk too.

The way these places charge $5000 is they try to convince you that you need the "new and advanced" blade-less procedure. I didn't want anything new and advanced, I wanted the surgery they have been doing for over 10 years...

I still cannot say for sure whether or not there is an uncorrected vision requirement for the ATC medical. But if I were you, I'd find out. If there is... a couple thousand dollars now would be a small price to pay for a lucrative career if it turns out you make it to a PEPC. Most of those places have interest free payment plans too...

Just letting you know you have options, if it turns out there is a requirement for uncorrected vision.
 
hship said:
good to know. i'll keep it in mind. i'll have to do a little field research in my area.
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Definitely. I took about 4-5 months doing research and going into offices and just asking to talk to the surgeon. The places that referred me to a sales person I didn't consider... the ones where the surgeon actually came out and talked to me (Or gave me a time I could come back to talk to him) were the ones I researched further.

It's an important decision and takes lots of research. I see people walking into LASIK places in the strip malls next to stop and shop and I just cringe....
 
flyingwriter said:
Also, here's this post from 2008 where the FAA states that the uncorrected vision requirements HAVE BEEN DONE AWAY WITH. The "detailed info" on left seat.com is no longer valid. All you need is 20/20 corrected.
Click to expand...

I apologize for giving out incorrect information...

Glad to hear that you are still eligible. :)
 
Holy Crap titansox!
You write, you think and you seem to worry too much!
A level 5 has your name written all over it.

If you want to control traffic- Apply in any fashion you deem appropriate. Take whatever test you have too, but take them like you've already past.
Shoot for a big facility and go from there.

We need all of you... to make it.
 
Beehive said:
Holy Crap titansox!
You write, you think and you seem to worry too much!
A level 5 has your name written all over it.

If you want to control traffic- Apply in any fashion you deem appropriate. Take whatever test you have too, but take them like you've already past.
Shoot for a big facility and go from there.

We need all of you... to make it.
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Haha.
I don't worry that much. I just want to get the facts strait because if I'm going to do something this life changing, I want to know what I'm getting into and how to do it right.

That being said, I can't thank you guys enough for all your help and information. This doesn't happen with your guys help. You say "We need all of you... to make it", you guys need to keep dishing out the tips and pointers like you did for me. In the hours of research I spent focuing in on ACT, this was the number one source of info. You guys made this happen for me and for that I thank you a million times over.

Now, its my turn to make it happen. Some time over the break I'll start the transfer process. Then I'll go from there. I hope to be talking for you guys for a long long time.

:rawk::rawk::rawk::rawk::rawk::rawk::rawk::rawk:
 
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