Building a plane with aging eyes

[captain_john]

Is anyone else noticing a deterioration in their near vision when dealing with small parts?

I am 43 years old now and, although I wear glasses I have always had EXCELLENT near vision. I can still see small, delicate objects but not at all distances like I used to. I need to move the part back and forth to get the focus I need. This is fine when the part is in my hand but if I am laying down in the fuse or if the part is very large... this can be difficult. It really compromises progress and quality!

I am looking onto RK or Lasik for next summer.

Has anyone else had this surgery performed? What were your results like?

It is frustrating to say the least!

CJ

[RV9inIowa]

Hi CJ - happened to me this year (42). I've always had 20/10 far vision and just great near vision. But in a period of only 6 months my near vision has gotten to the point that I have to hold newspaper back a distance to read it.

I went to the eye doctor and he laughed - said it is due to old muscles losing their ability to hold the eye in focus... something about having a "short eye" that was really good at close focus before making it worse. He recommend that I use the drug store glasses and come back when "my arms got too short"

Frustrating, a lot

Good luck

[RVNewsletter]

My vision has been going for several years (age 55)but THIS year has been the time when it's really gotten to be a pain in the neck. This has been especially true when I'm trying to get, say, a small screw or bolt into a hole to hold an Adel clamp or something.

[TomC]

CJ, You really know you're aging when you are trying to read something and look for your reading glasses and it takes you several minutes to realize that you already have them on.

I looked into lasix a few years ago. At that time, they said that they could either correct long or short range vision, not both. I would still need reading glasses. I don't know if that has changed. I'm still interested as I have worn glasses/contacts since I was 5 years old.

[Park]

I build model planes (really small parts) I'm 48. Go get some "readers" from your local drug store to use for your close-in work.

[TomNativeNewYorker]

I used to be able to see 1/64" on my scales no problem, but when it got difficult to see 1/16" I knew I had a problem. Dial calipers are fine, but using hole ball gages, micrometers and need to get measurements like 0.003" and 0.0005"(one half-ten thousandths of an inch); it was time for glasses.

About 2 years ago I asked my eye doctor about lasix but he told me it doesnt fix what reading glasses will fix.

[Thermos]

Doctors shooting lasers into my eyes...just never could get used to the thought.

I sprang for progressive bifocals, they're cheaper than surgery.

Welcome to middle age!

Dave

[dons]

I used to wear my glasses (for distance) all the time, just too lazy to take them off I guess, but I now remove my glasses as I enter the shop and only use safety glasses. I just can't focus up close with my glasses on anymore. I also have to use old glasses (less correction) to sit in front of the computer monitor these days. Just something else that doesn't meet factory specs anymore, but I'm running them 'on condition' as long as I can.

[flytoboat]

Ditto what everone else said. I have to carry 2 pair of readers now - one (1.5) for reading the computer and dashboard, and another (2.0) for reading paper and working in the shop. I also have bifocal contacts, but I only use them if I'm not going to drive and I still have to use the readers for really up-close work. I have great distant vision, but the contacts make distance blurry (more than about 15 feet). I bought bifocal sunglasses from Hazebusters at Oshkosh and really like them for driving and flying. I bought some stick on bifocals from Walgreens to put on my shop safety glasses and SCUBA mask. I wish there was a surgery for presbyopia that wouldn't mess with my distance vision, but for now I guess I'll use my cheaters.

[Wicked Stick]

For those with glasses... what impact does this have in getting a medical renewed ? Is there any restrictions or denials of the medical if you end up having to swap glasses while doing the eye portion of the test ?

Thankfully, I've never needed glasses to pass the eye test portion, but my near vision is not what it used to be (just turned 48 this past Sept.), and I most like will need something for near vision in the "near future".

[captain_john]

Sounds like (as much as I too don't like the sounds of someone shooting lasers into my eyes either, Thermos) I may undergo the treatment this coming summer.

I really would like to have decent vision from my fingertips out.

If I only need minor magnification for looking at small parts, that wouldn't be so bad... I suppose.

Wicked Stick, Swapping spectacles would be bifocals and that is what I am trying to avoid.

I do know that they (the feds) don't like contacts for near vision. This is because it you were to lose a contact in the cockpit, you would be porked. They don't really mind them for distant vision, though. I don't wear them because I shudder at the thought of inserting contacts into my eyes (more so than lasers, I guess)!

I picked up a pair of safety glasses tonight that have 2X magnification on the bottom. It was very effective from 12" or so and closer.

Hmmmm, aging SUCKS!!!

CJ

[flytoboat]

CJ,
I haven't checked with an AME, but I think the reason they don't like contacts for close up vision is that it makes distance vision blurry. I know it does for me. I won't drive with my contacts in because distance is too blurry and depth perception suffers.

[RVNewsletter]

For those with glasses... what impact does this have in getting a medical renewed ? Is there any restrictions or denials of the medical if you end up having to swap glasses while doing the eye portion of the test ?

I can't imagine spending the money for two pair of glasses to swap out when a pair of bifocals does that trick.

However, the FAA requirement is vision corrected to 20/40 in each eye, I believe. It doesn't say how that is accomplished. It would be unlikely any doctor would give you two sets of glasses, one for each eye.

[Thermos]

For those with glasses... what impact does this have in getting a medical renewed ? Is there any restrictions or denials of the medical if you end up having to swap glasses while doing the eye portion of the test ?

WS,

The only impact of having glasses is that if you can't pass the flight physical without them, you'll have a "holder shall wear corrective lenses" limitation on your medical certificate. In the past, my AME let me try the eye test without glasses but my distance vision just wasn't good enough.

I avoided bifocals too, mostly because it was an admission of getting old - so I spent the extra $ (more like $$$$) on progressive lenses so at least I can fool others. It took me a little while to get used to them, but my eyes are accomodated to them now.

Thermos

[svanarts]

For what it's worth I second going with the progressive lenses. They are spendy and they do take some getting used to (gave me headaches for a week) but they allow for a smooth focus transition between near, mid-, and far range viewing. I can see my panel AND halfway down the runway. No swapping.

[lancef53]

I did the Lasik about 7 or 8 years ago to correct near-sitedness. I love it!!! It worked great, but the doctor said I will still have the bifocals to look forward to in my 40's. He said it is possible to have it corrected, but it has mixed results. They make one eye good for up close, and the other for distance. That sounds like a headache!!!

[captain_john]

Don, I am just going on what MY AME told me. He is a senior AME and I really trust the guy. He is really savvy.

I just got back from CVS and tried on all those reading glasses. None of them really were effective. It blurred everything from 12" and farther!

Combine that with naturally not being able to see clearly past my fingertips and it spells out L-A-S-E-R!

Hmmmm, gonna hafta try it next year methinks!

CJ

[Wicked Stick]

CJ,

According to Albert at Aircraft Repairs Unlimited, he said there's a guy with a Cherokee Six inside one of the blue T hangars that got laser surgery done to his eyes. He spent a pretty penny for them, but supposedly this doctor was able to correct both far and near site for him in both eyes. (the guy did one eye at a time just to be sure)

If you want I'll try to find out which laser surgery practice he went to and the exact cost he paid for it. The guy is like 70 years old and has perfect vision according to Albert.

[painless]

I have always wanted to show up for my flight physical wearing my magnification glasses I wear at work just to see what the nurse would say:

http://www.designsforvision.com/DentHtml/DentLite.htm

I'm too chicken to do it for fear it would backfire on me! I have worn glasses since the first grade and now wear progressive bifocals. Didn't have any trouble at all getting used to them. Actually there was no "getting used to them". This was after I got done with the RV. I have heard that if you are trying to work upside down under your panel, for example, you end up looking through the top of your lens instead of the bottom where your near correction is. I had a friend who used to put his glasses on upside down for such instances. When wearing bifocals, you learn just how limber your neck is!

I have considered laser surgery, but with my bad eyes, chances are they would end up burning a hole clear through my head!

[captain_john]

WS, I know that guy with the Six. I will talk to him next time I see him.

Jeff, those are some DIESEL glasses!

Cool!

CJ