Togapowerr

Hello again! I’ve made it through OTS and I am finally sitting as a casual at my UPT base. I’m scheduled to start pilot training in a few months. I had a brief optometry check today and it was very straightforward - a distance and near eye test with my glasses, an eye pressure test, and then getting a new prescription for my contact lenses. That said, the optometrist told me there will be one more vision check a couple of weeks prior to my UPT class start. It was described as another flight physical where they’ll check both corrected and uncorrected vision (along with lots of other health checks like BP, etc) The optometrist said I shouldn’t be worried and that barring a sharp and sudden drop in visual acuity, I should be okay for the uncorrected test before UPT. That said, are you aware of the specifics on this? It seems like it won’t be nearly as in depth as what I had at Wright Patt, but I’m still curious as to how they’ll “measure” my uncorrected visual acuity and what constitutes a pass/fail. They did confirm that I’ll still need to meet FC1 standards until I’m winged, after which I’ll just need to meet FC2 standards. Either way, they said my vision has been stable and I shouldn’t be concerned for the last flight physical, but of course I want to be prepared for the worst. For reference, my glasses prescription reads as follows: Right eye: Spherical: -2.50. Cylindrical: -1.00 Left eye: Spherical: -1.75. Cylindrical: -1.00

Thank you once again! I have one last question - is it true that once you are complete with UPT (and considered a "trained airmen") that your next comprehensive IFC-type of exam will only grade you to FC2 standards?

Are the annual eye exams also required for glasses wearers, or literally just those that elect to use contact lenses? For context, I wear glasses which correct my vision to 20/20. I sometimes wear contacts for cosmetic reasons, but wasn’t planning on using them during OTS or anything after that as I know they make you more prone to eye infections. And can you elaborate on the vision screening process at the flight office, and what there is to “fail” (specifically anything regarding uncorrected distant vision)? In short, with my IFC now done and good for another 4 years, when/how will my uncorrected vision be checked again and what would result in a fail? Apologies for all the questions - this is such a niche field so it’s really nice to talk to someone knowledgeable on the topic!

That's great news, thanks so much for the reply! Adding onto that, what exactly are they "looking for" on these briefer eye exams? If they aren't looking at the refractive error, are they just checking that your vision is still correctable to 20/20, or is there anything with regards to your uncorrected vision that they are checking out?

Hi all, I’m in a similar situation and wanted some input. So, I’m headed to OTS next week on a pilot slot for AD. If all goes well, I’ll be headed to UPT sometime after that (I heard that wait times can be around 6+ months). I already got my IFC done at Wright Patt last June. Here’s the thing - I barely squeaked by on the vision portion as I had a refractive error of -3.00. Anything worse and I would’ve been DQ’d. However, I was lucky and get approved. Now, I’ve learned from these forums that trained aircrew/pilots only need to meet FC2 criteria. However, I’ll still be considered “initial” aircrew before UPT. What happens if my refractive error gets worse than -3.00? Will I just lose my pilot slot? Can I get a waiver? Is refractive error even measured again after your IFC? In short, I’m FC1 qualified but I’m worried that if my refractive error gets measured again right before UPT, I’ll be just outside the limits if my vision got any worse