Monocolar vision

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wanttoflysoon

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wanttoflysoon
I have essentially monocular vision due to a childhood eye injury.

Corrected vision in left eye is 20/200. Corrected vision in right eye is 20/20. Need 4 strength glasses to correct.

Will this be a problem for class iii medical? I believe that it will be.
 
wanttoflysoon said:
I have essentially monocular vision due to a childhood eye injury.

Corrected vision in left eye is 20/200. Corrected vision in right eye is 20/20. Need 4 strength glasses to correct.

Will this be a problem for class iii medical? I believe that it will be.
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One-eyed pilots are allowed. You'll need a waiver based on a separate flight test (Statement of Demonstrated Ability, or SODA). ~43 years ago, when I got mine, it wasn't a big deal. Not sure about today. Suspect it won't be that difficult, for a Class III.

I'd talk to an Aviation Medical Examiner, he or she should be able to tell you the details of the process. Good luck, and tell them Wiley Post sent you... or Mick Mannock, or Saburo Sakai, or....

Ron Wanttaja
 
I had a motorcycle accident with a traumatic brain injury that also left me blind in one eye.
I took a demonstrated ability medical check ride in 2008 and now fly with a statement of demonstrated ability.
I am about to take another one because mine is for a class III and I want to get a SODA for a class two because I recently earned my commercial certificate and I need a class II medical to exercise the privileges of a commercial certificate.
I was told that a long time monocular person is less of a concern that someone more recently blinded.
My TBI was a greater concern to the FAA than my monocular vision.
 
We have a guy that checks in once in awhile, John who's a monocular pilot. He sold his plane and doesn't wish to renew his medical IIRC.
 
I might be wasting words here, as both of my eyes work, and I haven't got a medical, but I do have 48 years experience with monovision.

I have a neurological defect wherein my brain never learned to use my eyes together to achieve normal stereo-vision.

I find that the defecit is an issue for fractions on an inch up close, matters of a foot or two out to about 20 feet and matters of a few yards out to who knows how far. That means that threading needles is difficult, I'm not the neatest welder, catching or hitting a baseball is harder for me, and I have to leave extra room in front of my truck when parking.

In flying, the things that are distant are not critical to a matter of yards, and the only place where the depth-perception problems are a challenge is landing. Even there, there are enough other depth-perception clues that it isn't much tougher for me than it is for anyone else.

I do have the advantage that whichever eye my brain has not selected to use as primary will still serve as periphial vision, which isn't happening for you, but you can overcome that disadvantage by turning your head a bit more, so still no biggie.

Go for it. You will not have to work much harder than everybody else.
 
I believe WaltM also has the monocular waiver.
 
There is a process outlined in FAA Order 8900.1. Essentially, you apply for the medical, and get deferred to Oklahoma City. They issue a Third Class medical "valid for Student Pilot purposes only" -- effectively, this means "no passengers when you are PIC". You do your training (including solos) for that certificate. Once your instructor feels you're ready for the PP Practical Test, you have two choices:


  • Take the practical test with a DPE, then take a Special Medical Flight Test with an FAA Inspector.
  • Take a combined practical test and Special Medical Flight Test with an FAA Inspector.
The SMFT for one eye inoperative is as follows:
Observe an applicant with a visual defect (one eye missing or one eye blind) demonstrate the following in an aircraft:
· The ability to select emergency landing fields at a distance, from high altitude, and preferably over unfamiliar terrain.
· The ability to simulate forced landings in difficult fields; note the manner of approach, rate of descent, and comparative distance at which obstructions (stumps, boulders, ditches, etc.) are recognized.
· The ability to recognize other aircraft (which may be present by prearrangement) approaching at a collision course (particularly aircraft approaching from the far right or far left).
· The ability to judge distances and to recognize landmarks (compared with the ASI's estimate).
· The ability to land the aircraft.
· The ability to read aeronautical charts in flight and tune the radio to a predetermined station accurately and rapidly.
· The ability to read instrument panels (including an overhead panel, if any) quickly and correctly.
Click to expand...
At the successful conclusion of that process, you get a new Special Issuance Medical Certificate without that limitation, and you are free to do anything any other Private Pilot can do.
 
Wiley Post was a famous aviator who had one eye.

The legalities were covered in the post above.

Practically speaking, one can be a great pilot with one eye.

And remember you can forgo the medical if you go the Sport Pilot route, if that would suit your needs.

Good luck!
 
BTW, the FAA no longer has any requirements regarding uncorrected vision. As long as you can meet the vision requirements with corrective lenses, they're happy, which is a good thing since I'm about 20/1000 in my right eye and need about 10 diopters of correction to get to 20/20. The corrected visual acuity requirement is 20/40 for a Third Class medical and 20/20 for Second and First. Based on your post, you're correctable to 20/20 with 4 diopters in your good eye, so as long as you can do the things in the SMFT the way you are, you should be good to go.
 
I had to take a SODA flight for the exact same thing. NO big deal. In fact, I took my SODA and my checkride (private) at the same time - so free.

Contact your local FSDO and they will set it up.
PM me if you want more info.
 
Did my SODA ride along with my checkride. The FAA person just sat in back and watched me do my checkride. I have been blind in my right eye since the early 80's. It's a nonevent for the FAA once the SODA is done.
 
waltm said:
Did my SODA ride along with my checkride. The FAA person just sat in back and watched me do my checkride. I have been blind in my right eye since the early 80's. It's a nonevent for the FAA once the SODA is done.
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:rofl: Two birds with one FSDO stone -- you get your SODA ride and the DPE gets one of his/her annual observed checkrides.
 
Been flying for more than 20 years with SODAs for monocular vision and color blindness, both birth defects. My first CFI was very green and freaked when I told him ("maybe you better not invest too much in lessons..."). My first salty AME eliminated all confusion and told me to have fun learning to fly.

I took the combined medical/PPL checkride with an absolutely SUPER examiner from the Seattle FSDO after she first coached me about getting "training" on the light gun signals from a nearby towered airport ("just use my name and tell them you need a practice light gun test").

After tying down the 172 I walked into the FBO as she was telling the crew that I was the best prepared PPL candidate she had ever flown with. I was nearly in tears of joy after the negativity I experienced from some of the CFIs.
 
dell30rb said:
How did you take these combined when you need a medical to solo?
Click to expand...
Assuming the vision in your good eye meets FAA standards and you have no other medical issues, when you show up for your initial medical, the FAA issues a combined Student Pilot/Medical certificate with the limitation "Valid for Student Pilot privileges only". It's good for solo during your primary training, but not for carrying passengers until you pass both the PP practical test and the Special Medical Flight Test. You can do the PP test with a DPE then do the SMFT with the FAA, or do a combined test with the FAA. After you pass all that, you get a new Special Issuance medical with that limitation removed.
 
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