# lazer correction for pilots??



## DeadBolt (8 Aug 2004)

Hello all, I am 15 years old and I think that it might be a little too early for me to be posting this but I am really interested in an air force carrer. Canadian or American, I don't know...Well my dream in life is to become a fighter pilot and have a successful career. I am currently in the Air Cadet program and this summer i went for a 2 week survival camp to CFB Cold Lake. Before i went to the camp i always like military things and loved flying. Once i came back from my camp, I was really inspired to become a fighter pilot seeing cf-18's flying over head ever 5 minutes in formation, doing rolls and such. Apart from all that, there is a small problem from letting me to live up my dream. I don't have 20/20 vision. I read some forum posts and i know the medical standards to become a pilot and it says you can't wear glasses nor have lazer vision correction. Well it  has also come to my attention that more and more people are starting to wear glasses and I read up that Canada is in need of some pilots. Does anyone know if lazer vision correction will be accepted in the near future? Again, I am just speaking out of interest because this is my ultimate dream. So if anyone has any information whether lazer correction will be accepted in the future, please post it here, thanks.


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## Inch (8 Aug 2004)

I have serious doubts that laser corrected vision will be permitted in the forseeable future. The effects of G and altitude are untested, and short of ruining someone's corrected vision, I can't see any means avail to test the effects.  Now, corrective lenses are a different story, corrective lenses are permitted once you get your pilot wings but not before, they may extend that to applicants, but again I haven't heard any move towards doing that so don't hold your breath.

I just went for an eye exam and found out I have a very minor astigmatism that if it gets worse I won't be able to fly fast air.  This would lead me to believe that the requirements for fast air are going to remain the same for a while.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Cheers


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## Michael OLeary (8 Aug 2004)

http://army.ca/forums/threads/17651/post-83632.html#msg83632


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## Excolis (9 Aug 2004)

i heard that you have to wait two years befopre flying


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## DeadBolt (9 Aug 2004)

Ok thanks for all the feedback. Now may I ask where you guys get all this information


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## Inch (9 Aug 2004)

I just got my wings and in my 2 years training I didn't see a single guy with glasses. Plus that's what they tell you at DCIEM where you do your aircrew medical. It's also on the recruiting website, 20/20 uncorrected, including laser surgery.

2 years? That's probably for flying as a passenger, you cannot get laser surgery and be a CF pilot.

Cheers


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## saintjoseph (8 Sep 2004)

There is currently research being done to assess whether laser surgery is acceptable in the cdn forces at DRDC (DCIEM) in TO. I hear its near the end of the project and last I heard the outlook wasn't good for those who have laser eye surgery. 

Apparently Canada and Australia are one of the few countries who don't allow it. The opthamologist here in Calgary (used to do eyecare for the base here before it closed) said that the US will even send guys who have 20/20 vision to have laser eye surgery. They did a study in the states that found that whats really important when it comes to eyesight for a pilot is his/her ability to detect contrast differences...and not perfect 20/20 or 20/15 vision. They had pilots who were 20/30 outperform those who had 20/20 when it came to seeing a jet flying way off. I guess certain kinds of laser eye surgery can vastly increase this contrast detection capability of they eye. 

At least this is what this opthamologist was saying. Canada is way to conservative when it comes to these types of things.


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