Q&A

This month’s “O.D. Scene” is the first in a series on the hobbies pursued by our colleagues. Some of you reading this may say to yourself, or even out loud, “Ha! Must be nice! I barely have time to breathe, yet alone pursue a hobby!” If this is you, maybe it’s time you think of budgeting your time the same way you budget your money, says the article, “Here’s the Secret to Finding ‘Hidden’ Time for Your Hobbies” at http://bit.ly/2iWT3Dn . Specifically, ask yourself: “What do I want to learn?” “What’s a realistic endeavor?” “Where is there even a smidge of extra time in my schedule?” (Everyone has some, I swear!) and “How can I adjust my schedule to pursue the desired hobby?” For myself, I enjoy cycling, skiing, traveling, wine, fishing, boating and just hanging out on the beach in Charleston, S.C.

Your next thought may be, “Why are hobbies important?” The answer: Research reveals that those who have hobbies are generally healthier, and have a decreased risk of depression and dementia, according to a 2013 article in The Washington Post.

Further, a 2015 article in Psychology Today provides six reasons hobbies are beneficial:

1. They help you structure your time.
2. They promote active leisure, which prompts a state of “flow.”
3. They can create social connections, which is a key component of happiness.
4. They add a richness to your self-concept, inspiring you and others.
5. They help you cope with stress.
6. The zest hobbies can create can carry over into other aspects of your life.

(See http://bit.ly/2Atkn2D .)

This month, I speak with optometrists John Ackerson, Doug Devries and Tom Kislan about their piloting hobby. Enjoy!

Jack Schaeffer, O.D., F.A.A.O.,
Editor-in-Chief
O.D. Scene

JOHN ACKERSON, O.D., DOUG DEVRIES, O.D., & TOM KISLAN, O.D..

Q: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR OPTOMETRY PRACTICE?

JA: I’m a solo doctor in private practice. I started cold 17 years ago.

DD: Eye Care Associates of Nevada is a 26-year-old referral practice that I co-founded. It focuses on cataract and refractive surgery and has served optometrists throughout Nevada, including in rural areas. (I actually use my aircraft to fly to these rural areas.)

TK: I started my six-O.D., three-M.D., two-office practice from buying out one O.D.’s office. I’m very proud to have grown to a large medically-based primary care practice, which has just added vision therapy, brain injury rehabilitation and ortho-k. I specialize in ocular surface disease and enjoy lecturing and doing research in this area.

Q: HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN FLYING?

JA: I became interested as a very small boy just watching airplanes in the sky. My father is also a big fan.

DD: My father took me to the Reno Championship Air Races at age 10, and then he took me for a ride in a Cessna, and I was hooked.

TK: My dad was a pilot in the Navy and owned a single-engine Cessna when I was a small child. He took me flying as young as I can remember, and had to have me sit on a phone book to see out the cockpit. I just loved those memories, and that is when I got the flying “bug.” The day I got my license, my dad gave me his flying wings from the Navy. He was so proud to have another aviator in the family.

Q: WHAT KIND OF PLANE DO YOU HAVE?

JA: I own a 15m DG-303 sailplane that has a 40 to 1 glide ratio.

DD: I have a Cirrus SR22 4 place piston airplane and an Eclipse 500ES 6 place twin engine jet.

TK: I own and fly a Mitsubishi MU-2 twin engine turboprop, and I am also a partner in a club that owns a Cessna 182.

Q: WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO FLY AND WHY?

JA: I love mountain and ridge flying. The scenery is absolutely amazing, and flying against a mountain is a super rush!

DD: Anywhere in the mountains and landing at small, remote airports.

TK: My favorite place to fly is Florida. We live in Pennsylvania and have a winter home in Kissimmee, and my son loves Disney World.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE STORY ABOUT FLYING?

JA: My longest flight was at over 500 miles in seven hours. I was really sore getting out of the airplane.

DD: Training and receiving my seaplane rating in Alaska rates as one of the more memorable experiences in my aviation career. Landing at lakes only accessible by float planes and touching down on glass-like water is also a thrill.

TK: My most memorable story about flying is really why I started flying. When my son was very young, we found out he had cerebral palsy, so I knew he would never play soccer or baseball or anything “typical” kids do. Flying was something we could do together. His first flight with me reminded me of my first flight with my dad. It was really special. He loves flying, especially when we fly over our house or his school.

Q: HOW DO YOU THINK PILOTING IS LIKE OPTOMETRY?

JA: You really have to take charge and responsibility for the situation. The responsibility rests on my shoulders to make the best decisions possible.

DD: When you fly instrument conditions and instrument approaches to landings, it’s like doing a refraction, in terms of wanting to be precise and doing the best job possible.

TK: Piloting is very similar to optometry in that every flight needs to be precise for a good, safe landing. Every patient encounter needs to be precise to allow for exceptional patient care.

Q: HOW DO YOU THINK FLYING HAS MADE YOU A BETTER OPTOMETRIST?

JA: Flying has allowed me to specialize in aviation optometry, so I get quite a few pilots for eye exams. It helps to speak the same language and understand the relative challenges.

DD: Precision is what you are always striving for and, as a result, I think being an optometrist actually made me a better instrument pilot, and I think that by always seeking precision, that made me a better optometrist.

TK: Flying has made me a better O.D. because it has opened doors that I may not have been exposed to. It’s allowed me to do more speaking, teaching, research and lecturing. Every time I can participate in something out of the office, I learn so much. We have great colleagues, and I love learning from each other.

Q: WHAT KIND OF SIGHT DOES A PILOT NEED AND WHY?

JA: Pilots need the best vision possible because the primary method for avoiding mid-air collisions is to see and avoid. I also manage specific focal lengths for different instrument panels for the best possible cockpit vision.

DD: A pilot needs to be corrected to 20/20 OU, and that’s kind of a throwback when everything, including spotting other aircraft, was visual. Today’s avionics really don’t require that type of vision, but the regulations persist.

TK: It depends on the class of medical certificate, but, in general, pilots need great vision. Color blindness prohibits flying for the airlines, but a special exemption can be gotten for something called the sport pilot license. OM