Hey Old Guys! How do you manage glasses in the cockpit

They are your only pair of eyes. Before playing with walmart type glasses, do yourself and your eyes a favor and have them properly tested. If he suggests OTC glasses would work, then get yourself a pair as he describes. But if you're going to be using them all day, aren't your eyes worth the extra cost of a prescription pair.
Think self medicating.
My eyes changed a lot between 43 and 48. I've been using progressive bifocals for 10 years. They took time to get used to and have been the only bifocals I've used.
 
As an older pilot, I have been using progressives for quite some time. Did try the line bifocals but it got to be too much of refocusing. I have two sets in the flight bag along with some various density shaded clip ons that I get at the local drug store for 3 to 5 dollars. Never had a problem with chart reading and or small print.

John J
 
I have a pair of ultralight (no frame) prescription bifocal sunglasses that are fantastic -- They are light, provide UV protection, and don't interfere with the DC ear seals.

The only time I don't wear them is at night (then I pull out the glasses, which are similar design).
 
silver-eagle said:
They are your only pair of eyes. Before playing with walmart type glasses, do yourself and your eyes a favor and have them properly tested. If he suggests OTC glasses would work, then get yourself a pair as he describes. But if you're going to be using them all day, aren't your eyes worth the extra cost of a prescription pair.
Think self medicating.
My eyes changed a lot between 43 and 48. I've been using progressive bifocals for 10 years. They took time to get used to and have been the only bifocals I've used.
Click to expand...

What harm could there possibly be from wearing inexpensive readers for age induced presbyopia?
 
I have astigmatism. I can't see much beyond 5 feet, but I have to take my glasses off to read. Weird. My glasses are narrow, like Anthony's, so I just peek under them if I need to see something up close. Glasses never used to bother me, but now it's getting annoying. I'm seriously considering Lasik, if it can correct the astigmatism.
 
flyersfan31 said:
I have astigmatism. I can't see much beyond 5 feet, but I have to take my glasses off to read. Weird. My glasses are narrow, like Anthony's, so I just peek under them if I need to see something up close. Glasses never used to bother me, but now it's getting annoying. I'm seriously considering Lasik, if it can correct the astigmatism.
Click to expand...
Years ago I did RK. Lasik was the new kid on the block and had only been FDA approved. RK had over 20 years of clinical hisotry on it. I went that way and had my vision improved form 20/350 in each eye to 20/20 and 20/25. Although I have a very slight astigmatism now in my right eye, hardly noticable at all. I would do it again.
 
lancefisher said:
What harm could there possibly be from wearing inexpensive readers for age induced presbyopia?
Click to expand...
Since I'm not an ophthalmologist, I wouldn't hazard a guess. My point is, they are your only pair. If you think you need glasses, go see him first. If he says "save your money and buy a pair of glasses at walmart", have at it. If he says "the reason you're not seeing well is...." then you know and you can maybe prevent a larger problem later.
When WAS the last time you saw your ophthalmologist? More than two years? Maybe now is a good time before you fail your next medical.
 
lancefisher said:
What harm could there possibly be from wearing inexpensive readers for age induced presbyopia?
Click to expand...

The only harm would be like with cheap sunglasses, if the lens is optically distorted you could get eyestrain and not see so well. I've never run into that with readers - with sunglasses, yeah.

I bought some 2 for $19 China-made sunglasses with bifocal reading lens from a vendor at Oshkosh and they were great.
 
I had special glasses made for my airplane. They are split lenses, the upper part is for distance vision, the lower part is for the panel and charts. I had them made so that the point where they split falls right at the top of my panel. These are not bifocals, the entire lens is used, unlike bifocals that have a smal portion ground for reading.

This way I can glance at any section of my panel without having to move my head.
I had two pairs made, one is gray tinted at the top for daytime use, the other pair is clear, for night

The cost was around seven hundred dollars for the two pairs, that included the doctors prescription. I am mono vision, but I had both sides ground properly in order to enhance what remains of my good looks.

To answer your question, I just wear them all the time when I am flying. Oh, and by the way, I am almost 66, it seems like just a month or so ago I was 40. Once you turn 40, it starts going by real fast, like a Moony on steroids. Have a fun ride.

John
 
Last edited:
John Baker said:
Oh, and by the way, I am almost 66, it seems like just a month or so ago I was 40. Once you turn 40, it starts going by real fast, like a Moony on steroids. Have a fun ride.

John
Click to expand...


As the bumper sticker says, "When you're over the hill, you pick up speed!" :D
 
Ghery said:
Oh, and who are you calling "old"??? :fingerwag:
Click to expand...

I had that same thought this morning. "Old guys" ??? Yeah? Well, I oughta ..... hey! you darn kids get the heck off my lawn!!!! ... now where was I? Oh yeah, old guys ... hey, where's my coffee? If I could find my glasses, maybe I could find my coffee?

:incazzato:
icon_cowboy.gif
moon2.gif
 
My old man uses them to read approach plates, but he can see the panel just fine without them. Since he uses an EFB, half the time he doesn't even need glasses to see it since he can zoom in on the chart.

...and me, well I'm not old. But I do where contacts. :D
 
My father in law had a magnifying glass that he kept on a string attached to the panel in his plane. That worked well for him. Having said that... one beautiful blue sky day, we were cruising along and began to smell faint smoke in the cockpit. We killed the avionics master but the smoke got worse... then we realized the magnifying glass was burning a hole in a WAC chart.
 
But to answer your question, I wear my glasses at all times. I have to wear them for near vision while flying. They do not present a problem when I am flying. They are those varible bifocals, and are photo gray so I don't need sunglasses. They are plastic and not glass. Picture.
 

Attachments

  • pilot Bob and 9054N in the back country (3).jpg
    pilot Bob and 9054N in the back country (3).jpg
    65.7 KB · Views: 8
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top