Diplopia / 3rd Class Medical

[jesse]

A coworker is interested in learning to fly. He said that he has diplopia but has a drivers license and has no issue with it. Also was told he has high blood pressure on his last doctor visit.

I really don't know much of anything about this. Is a third class medical possible? What steps would you take?

 

[Cap'n Jack]

Would s/he consider sport pilot (assuming there is sport pilot available in the Lincoln area)?

I hear that Performance Flight at KLNK is getting C-162 when available (next year?)- they are early in line.

 

[poadeleted20]

I can't see anyone with "one of the most troublesome visual disorders a patient can experience [in which] the ability to read, walk and perform common activities is suddenly disrupted" (that's what diplopia is) being able to honestly say s/he is safe to fly anything, including a Light Sport aircraft. But Dr. Bruce may know something about that which says otherwise.

Quote from http://www.lowvision.org/new_page_1diplopia.htm.

 

[jesse]

I can't see anyone with "one of the most troublesome visual disorders a patient can experience [in which] the ability to read, walk and perform common activities is suddenly disrupted" (that's what diplopia is) being able to honestly say s/he is safe to fly anything, including a Light Sport aircraft. But Dr. Bruce may know something about that which says otherwise.

Quote from http://www.lowvision.org/new_page_1diplopia.htm.

I really don't know much about it. I got the term 'diplopia' by looking up double vision which is what he said he has. One eye not aligned with the other--or something like that.

 

[Tristar]

I"ve never heard of Diplopia. I have astigmatism which is also double vision. If its just that and stress causing high blood pressure then its possible he could be fine.

Hopefully someone from the medical field answers this.

 

[bbchien]

Not enoguh information. If there was congenital strabismus which was not corrected early, the brain will consistently suppress the second image. The image will be there and we will test for it (acuity). However, in the real world the person doesn't have stereopsis.

For third class there is no steropsis requirement.

However, the troublesome issue is nonconvergence acquired in adulthood. This is relaly, really troublesome during the initial years. Ron is right about that situation.

The answer is, it all depends. When I was 18 and had a bit too much to drink after cleaning out the 19th floor ot h prudential tower (work-study), I asked my partner in the Econoline van, "which double yellow is it?". He promptly reached over and covered my right eye. "OH". I said. When your roomate is from South Boston, they know how to deal with this from childhood.

 

[astanley]

The answer is, it all depends. When I was 18 and had a bit too much to drink after cleaning out the 19th floor ot h prudential tower (work-study), I asked my partner in the Econoline van, "which double yellow is it?". He promptly reached over and covered my right eye. "OH". I said. When your roomate is from South Boston, they know how to deal with this from childhood.

Waaay off topic: I had an office on that very floor in the late 1990s. Small world and all...

Cheers,

-Andrew

 

[jesse]

Not enoguh information. If there was congenital strabismus which was not corrected early, the brain will consistently suppress the second image. The image will be there and we will test for it (acuity). However, in the real world the person doesn't have stereopsis.

For third class there is no steropsis requirement.

However, the troublesome issue is nonconvergence acquired in adulthood. This is relaly, really troublesome during the initial years. Ron is right about that situation.

The answer is, it all depends. When I was 18 and had a bit too much to drink after cleaning out the 19th floor ot h prudential tower (work-study), I asked my partner in the Econoline van, "which double yellow is it?". He promptly reached over and covered my right eye. "OH". I said. When your roomate is from South Boston, they know how to deal with this from childhood.

So is it just a matter of passing the vision test during the medical? Do you report the condition and will reporting it raise a flag as long as you can pass the vision test?

 

[poadeleted20]

I"ve never heard of Diplopia. I have astigmatism which is also double vision.

Astigmatism is not double vision. It is distortion of the image due to lack of radial symmetry of the eye structures (usually the lens, possibly the cornea) -- e.g., circles look oval, not circular. This can be corrected by lenses (eyeglasses or contacts) which are distorted the other way to counteract the distortion by the eye. I've been using lenses like that for a very long time to counter that problem. Diplopia or any other "double vision" issue results in two separate images (two distinct noncongruent circles, like the MasterCard logo), and I understand that's a harder problem to solve.

PS: Not in the medical field, didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night (Hampton Inn, actually) just 47 years of dealing with optometrists and ophthalmologists for myopia (poor distant vision) complicated by astigmatism -- but no diplopia.