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One-Eyed Pilot

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guido411

ShesGoneFromSucktoBLOW!!
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Posts
399
A friend approached me about this a couple days ago and I don't have all the current info (haven't been a CFI for a while). Please educate me.

Guy was born blind in one eye, wrote off flying as something he could never do. I told him that I THINK since no depth of field test was required for 3rd class and he sees better than 20/20 with both eyes together (and the good eye alone) that he might be able to get an unrestricted third class but not sure what that would entail. Also told him I THINK he could get a special issuance with the FSDO without much trouble.

Can this guy get a 3rd class from an AME without involving FSDO? What would it take to get a 2nd or 3rd class special issuance?
 
Its not the FSDO that has control over medical issuance, its the Regional Flight Surgeon that directs the AME.

"67.303 (d) No acute or chronic pathological condition of either eye or adnexa that interferes with the proper function of an eye, that may reasonably be expected to progress to that degree, or that may reasonably be expected to be aggravated by flying." alludes to that more than one eye is required to pass this paragraph.
 
A friend approached me about this a couple days ago and I don't have all the current info (haven't been a CFI for a while). Please educate me.

Guy was born blind in one eye, wrote off flying as something he could never do. I told him that I THINK since no depth of field test was required for 3rd class and he sees better than 20/20 with both eyes together (and the good eye alone) that he might be able to get an unrestricted third class but not sure what that would entail. Also told him I THINK he could get a special issuance with the FSDO without much trouble.

Can this guy get a 3rd class from an AME without involving FSDO? What would it take to get a 2nd or 3rd class special issuance?

This guy is a one-eyed pilot.

check this link out
 
Its not the FSDO that has control over medical issuance, its the Regional Flight Surgeon that directs the AME.

"67.303 (d) No acute or chronic pathological condition of either eye or adnexa that interferes with the proper function of an eye, that may reasonably be expected to progress to that degree, or that may reasonably be expected to be aggravated by flying." alludes to that more than one eye is required to pass this paragraph.

So if he goes to an AME to get a 3rd class medical he will be denied? How does he go about proving to his AME he is fit to fly like any other of the 2,500 one-eyed pilots out there?
 
Have him contact CAMI in OKC before he goes any further to see if they will issue a waiver, and what hoops have to be jumped to qualify for a possible waiver.
 
If Connie Kalitta can do it, your friend can do it.

Though I'm not sure Connie ever cared whether he actually held any sort of license at all. He flew anyway.

:D
 
You can get a demonstrated competency from the faa and get as high as a 2nd class medical. My former boss in Alaska was blind in one eye and flew commercially. You might have to do it with a fed on board. (similar to the color blindness waiver)
 
I flew with a guy who was legally blind in one eye, no lense. Still got a second class and cropdusted. He did tend to hit a lot of trees and wires.
 
There was an article many years ago (maybe in Air Inc's Airline Pilot Careers) about an AAL 727 FE whose car was hit by a drunk driver and he lost the use of one eye. He got his medical and job back...IIRC he was flying as FO when the story was written.

From the FAA themselves....

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...cess/exam_tech/et/31-34/mv/index.cfm?print=go
Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners
Application Process for Medical Certification


Exam Techniques and Criteria for Qualification
Items 31-34. Eye - Monocular Vision


An applicant will be considered monocular when there is only one eye or when the best corrected distant visual acuity in the poorer eye is no better than 20/200. An individual with one eye, or effective visual acuity equivalent to monocular, may be considered for medical certification, any class, through the special issuance section of part 67 (14 CFR 67.401).

In amblyopia ex anopsia, the visual acuity loss is simply recorded in
Item 50 of FAA Form 8500-8, and visual standards are applied as usual. If the standards are not met, a Report of Eye Evaluation, FAA Form 8500-7, should be submitted for consideration.

Although it has been repeatedly demonstrated that binocular vision is not a prerequisite for flying, some aspects of depth perception, either by stereopsis or by monocular cues, are necessary. It takes time for the monocular airman to develop the techniques to interpret the monocular cues that substitute for stereopsis; such as, the interposition of objects, convergence, geometrical perspective, distribution of light and shade, size of known objects, aerial perspective, and motion parallax.

In addition, it takes time for the monocular airman to compensate for his or her decrease in effective visual field. A monocular airman’s effective visual field is reduced by as much as 30% by monocularity. This is especially important because of speed smear; i.e., the effect of speed diminishes the effective visual field such that normal visual field is decreased from 180 degrees to as narrow as 42 degrees or less as speed increases. A monocular airman’s reduced effective visual field would be reduced even further than 42 degrees by speed smear.

For the above reasons, a waiting period of 6 months is recommended to permit an adequate adjustment period for learning techniques to interpret monocular cues and accommodation to the reduction in the effective visual field.

Applicants who have had monovision secondary to refractive surgery may be certificated, providing they have corrective vision available that would provide binocular vision in accordance with the vision standards, while exercising the privileges of the certificate. The certificate issued must have the appropriate vision limitations statement.
 

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