Do I need two pairs of glasses with this medical?

[Pugh]

I'm confused. This is exactly what it says on my 2nd class medical:

"Holder shall wear lenses that correct for distant vision and possess glasses that correct for near vision"

Does this mean that I in fact need two pairs of glasses, wearing one and keeping the other on my person?

 

[Airpiraterob]

i'd say that a good pair of bi-focals will dot he trick cause they do both and therefore covers the disclaimer, where youre not only wearing glasses that "correct for distand vision" but those same glasses being bi-focals also "correct for near vision" and being the ones youre presently wearing, then you do posess them in all contexts as well as wear them. therefore covering all the bases.
....however.....
if someone else were to pony up the money for them then would they be a "posession" of yours or a posession of the purchaser, say...your wife bought them for you. then htey woudl be glasses of her posession. but does that disclaimer mean a posession of youre specifically or just IN your posession? and what about re-posessed spectacles? say if someone forgot a payment and then you came around and hotwired their glasses and took off with them and then flew a trip with them....would that count cause they're not exactly just posessed but re-posessed. wich brings up another thought. What if they really were posessed? with demons and all that? but since you must "posess" them then you would have to posess a pair of glasses, that only correct for near vision mind you, with your soul.

However difficult I think this disclaimer on your medical means that you have to wear a pair of glasses to see far and then posess with your soul some glasses somewhere....dosent matter where....that correct for near vision only. so therefore only one pair of glasses is required on your person while in the cockpit.

I hope this clears things up.
This reply sponsored by numerous recently empty bottles of Samuel Adams Summer Ale

 

[Dan CFI/CFII]

I've got the same limitation...

Basically,the FAA doesn't allow for contact lenses that correct for near vision. However, some of us have very, very poor distant vision. In fact, our lack of distant vision is so bad that it affects our vision in the two foot range. And that affects our "near vision."

So really, when I have my contacts in, I can test at 20/15 anywhere, anytime. Without them, I can test at like 20/a million distant, 20/30 or so near vision. But they realize that most of us wear those contacts all the time--and thus have no practical need for near vision help.

But, the rules say we "need" it. So, they say that we must possess GLASSES that correct for near vision. Nowhere does it require me to actually use them. In fact, I carry a kneeboard because it contains two things: a pack of gum, and my glasses. The gum I use, the glasses I have NEVER used. I actually took the price tag off of them when I took my CFI checkride a few years ago--just in case.

I'm guessing that is why you have the limitation as well. Me, I wear my contacts full time, and carry a pair of reading glasses everywhere I fly--even if I have no need for them. Of course, if I were to wear a normal pair of glasses, I wouldn't need to carry the reading glasses around. I've never seen an FAA document classifying certain pairs of glasses as near or distant vision--if you can pass the near and far vision tests with one pair of glasses, then wair that one pair. But if you use contacts, carry a pair of reading glasses.

There's how I see it, based on my questions to a few AME's about that restriction. Hope that helps.

Dan