Perfect vision required for every branch of military?

RobertM · October 29th, 2003, 20:01

I've recently found out that I have 30/30 vision, and it's of course correctable to 20/20.

This is a simple question. Do you have to have perfect vision to fly in all branches of the military? It's my understanding that you do for at least the Air Force. Does this apply to all?

Thanks for the help.

-Robert

HerkEng · October 29th, 2003, 22:49

[ QUOTE ]
I've recently found out that I have 30/30 vision, and it's of course correctable to 20/20.

This is a simple question. Do you have to have perfect vision to fly in all branches of the military? It's my understanding that you do for at least the Air Force. Does this apply to all?

Thanks for the help.

-Robert

[/ QUOTE ]
You just have to have it corrected to 20/20. A lot of our pilots in the USAF have glasses and contacts..you'll be fine.

AirborneMedic_ANGa10 · October 30th, 2003, 11:19

Who tested your vision from 30 feet?? It should be tested from 20 ft or the 'simulated' equivalent. Possibly, you misunderstood, or were misinformed. Your vision should represented as 20/xxx, the first number representing the distance in feet from which the test was administered. That's the standard to which you'll be measured. IF your test was administered from 30 feet, and you couldn't read the 20/20 line, that doesn't mean that you couldn't read that line from 20 feet.

flyguy · November 1st, 2003, 17:45

According to my wife's best friend's brother who flies C5s in the Air Force, you have to have 20/70 uncorrected, 20/20 corrected. Your distant uncorrected should not be a problem, but I'm not sure about your near vision. Since its close, corrected, and your distant vision is considerably better than 70, you might be able to get some sort of wavier. I don't know how that all works as I'm not in the air force. I could be wrong about the 20/70 also, its just what I heard through a chain of people. Good luck!

BoeingDrew · November 18th, 2003, 19:28

To build upon Robert's question. Is it realistic, or even possible, to be able to fly in any branch of the military with colorblindness?

shooter13 · November 19th, 2003, 07:01

In the Navy, at least for active duty personnel applying to go to OCS, the requirement is uncorrected 20/40. Once you are designated in the aviation community, it can slip to 20/70. Lastly, if you have PRK and your vision is corrected to 20/20 you can still fly.Just remember if you have PRK that it isn't a good idea to go to "Crazy Eddie's Discount Laser Surgery" when you are going to have someone pretend to be a Jedi in your eyeball...

October 29th, 2003, 20:01	#1
RobertM Newbie Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Eugene, Oregon Posts: 6	Perfect vision required for every branch of military? I've recently found out that I have 30/30 vision, and it's of course correctable to 20/20. This is a simple question. Do you have to have perfect vision to fly in all branches of the military? It's my understanding that you do for at least the Air Force. Does this apply to all? Thanks for the help. -Robert

October 29th, 2003, 22:49	#2
HerkEng Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Abilene, TX Posts: 43	Re: Perfect vision required for every branch of military? [ QUOTE ] I've recently found out that I have 30/30 vision, and it's of course correctable to 20/20. This is a simple question. Do you have to have perfect vision to fly in all branches of the military? It's my understanding that you do for at least the Air Force. Does this apply to all? Thanks for the help. -Robert [/ QUOTE ] You just have to have it corrected to 20/20. A lot of our pilots in the USAF have glasses and contacts..you'll be fine.

October 30th, 2003, 11:19	#3
AirborneMedic_ANGa10 Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: DFW Posts: 213	Re: Perfect vision required for every branch of military? Who tested your vision from 30 feet?? It should be tested from 20 ft or the 'simulated' equivalent. Possibly, you misunderstood, or were misinformed. Your vision should represented as 20/xxx, the first number representing the distance in feet from which the test was administered. That's the standard to which you'll be measured. IF your test was administered from 30 feet, and you couldn't read the 20/20 line, that doesn't mean that you couldn't read that line from 20 feet.

November 1st, 2003, 17:45	#4
flyguy Old Skool Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 2,074	Re: Perfect vision required for every branch of military? According to my wife's best friend's brother who flies C5s in the Air Force, you have to have 20/70 uncorrected, 20/20 corrected. Your distant uncorrected should not be a problem, but I'm not sure about your near vision. Since its close, corrected, and your distant vision is considerably better than 70, you might be able to get some sort of wavier. I don't know how that all works as I'm not in the air force. I could be wrong about the 20/70 also, its just what I heard through a chain of people. Good luck!

November 18th, 2003, 19:28	#5
BoeingDrew Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: KSAN Posts: 146	Re: Perfect vision required for every branch of military? To build upon Robert's question. Is it realistic, or even possible, to be able to fly in any branch of the military with colorblindness?

November 19th, 2003, 07:01	#6
shooter13 Old Skool Join Date: May 2002 Location: South Carolina Posts: 1,952	Re: Perfect vision required for every branch of military? In the Navy, at least for active duty personnel applying to go to OCS, the requirement is uncorrected 20/40. Once you are designated in the aviation community, it can slip to 20/70. Lastly, if you have PRK and your vision is corrected to 20/20 you can still fly.Just remember if you have PRK that it isn't a good idea to go to "Crazy Eddie's Discount Laser Surgery" when you are going to have someone pretend to be a Jedi in your eyeball...

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