CLINICAL

  SPORTS VISION

PREPARE THEM FOR TAKEOFF

MEET THE VISUAL DEMANDS OF PILOTS

KEVIN GEE, O.D.

WHOSE SIGHT do you want at his or her best? Most would probably agree that the pilot who is flying your aircraft would rank fairly high on the list.

Commercial pilots may be the first population to come to mind when it comes to aviation. But there are many different types of aviation enthusiasts who may serve as sports vision patients. Some may participate in recreational piloting. Others may defend our country in the military. In any case, pilots are a unique population. Here I discuss how to serve them.

EXAMINE YOUR PILOTS

Most pilots will not make it into the cockpit without a full medical examination from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). And the FAA has its own eye doctors who perform annual “medicals” on pilots. However, sometimes pilots will seek the care of their family eye doctor. During this exam, we certainly need to check for eye alignment, stereopsis and color discrimination. I also ask pilots how close they are to their instrument panels and check to make sure they are comfortable at that distance in their prescriptions. The pilots usually come with forms to be filled out, but if needed these can be accessed on the FAA website (faa.gov).

CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENT

A commercial cockpit is quite impressive. Pilots have controls over their heads, gauges to the sides and some even have “heads-up” displays, which float in front of their lines of sight.

As a result, I have come to find when prescribing for a pilot, it is quite important to inquire about working distance. For example, if the pilot is presbyopic the gauges and controls above his or her head can be within arm’s length, and, as such, would require adjustments that a normal progressive lens design will not address.

There are other environmental factors to consider in vision correction for pilots. Because of the wide horizontal expanse across the cockpit, progressive lenses may not be optimal. Also, with the altitude and recirculated air, we must be mindful of the discomfort that may occur with contact lens wear. Finally, “heads up” displays may be altered or not visible with polarized sunglasses.

INQUIRE FOR SPECIFICS

Usually, listening to the pilot describe his/her needs and shortcomings will elicit an idea of where to start with single vision or multifocal eyewear. When this is not volunteered clearly, or to narrow down his or her concerns, ask specifically what he or she would like to improve about his or her vision.

PRESCRIBE SUNWEAR

Generally, when discussing spectacle wear with pilots they usually want to discuss sunglasses. Traditionally, from the recreational to the military pilot, the G-15 green tint has been a hallmark of sunglasses for pilots. It is one most pilots will have learned about during aviation school. This is available through optical labs and sunglass manufacturers.

READY FOR TAKEOFF

With a little help from you, every pilot who presents in your chair can be ready for wheels up. OM

DR. GEE practices in Houston and is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Houston College of Optometry. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, an ABO Diplomate and an OCRT member. Also, he’s on Allergan’s advisory board and is a consultant for Weave Communications. Email him at drgee@geeeyecare.com, or visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment to comment.