Microlighters

Its amazing how your eyesight deteriorates over a short period of time, more scary is the fact you are not really aware of the deterioration until the optomotrist gives you a new prescription. My optician mentioned the "halo effect" the laser surgery can create (I don't have the moola for the op)
I have been advised to use multifocal glasses, (as apposed to the bifocals).
Who out there flies trikes wears multifocals that darken in the light & what are the upsides/downsides?

O is that the problem i thaught it is my arms getting shorter cause i have to hold what ever i am reading some distance away

Louis Van Wyk flies with Glasses, drop him a email louisvw@iafrica.com

I have been wearing and flying with multi focals for many years and have excellent vision near and far,no draw backs whatsoever.Added bonus you never have to worry about sunglasses.Just be very carefull, they scratch very easily despite all the expensive coatings.

I have had the problem sorted out. I am far sighted and need specs to read with, this has necessitated having to use specs to read the instruments and especially the radio. I discussed this situation with my optician and she suggested that I fit one contact lens in the worst eye for reading and the brain will compensate between the focal positions.
I now use this on a permanent basis I read with my right eye(contact lens fitted) and see perfectly with the left. It takes some getting used to but I now am so at ease with my sight that I sometimes do not realise that one eye is not far sighted and the other near sighted. I now fly without the concern of not being able to read the instruments and the radio. I am totally spec free.Wonderfull!!

MICHIEL wrote:Just be very carefull, they scratch very easily despite all the expensive coatings.

I never use anything to clean lenses except water and dishwashing liquid. Put a drop or two on the lens, wet it well a use your fingers to clean the lenses. Then rinse them off under running water, using your fingers feel if all the soap is washed off, the lenses will feel dry as opposed to soapy. This is important otherwise a white residue is left behind.

Then use a hair dryer to blow dry the lenses.

If you are away, use the hand cleaner found in bathrooms, and use the air hand dryer to dry the lenses

Hi MILO

I am farsighted and wear multifocals. The upside/downside of it is that I would like it to be upside down. When I fly, the bottom part facilitates near vision and the earth and scenery is a blur, whilst the sky, clouds and wing are nicely focused. It also messes up depth perception and I have bounced my kite badly whilst landing with what my medical certificate states is compulsory. My solution was to get a pair of re-usable stick-on reading lenses from Volrath & Brandsh at the Pretoria Eye Institute (you can also order online, see http://www.stickonlenses.net/servlet/th ... cal/Detail ) and a pair of Harley Davidson bike goggles, stick the lenses to the top side of the goggles for instrument reading and leaving the bottom part unobstructed for far sight. I have tried to do the same on some Oakley goggles but the lenses are too far from the eye to do the trick. My rather serious problem has been solved.

Richard.

Thanks Richard,
I am seriously short sighted so have a mission seeing everything further than 2 beer bottles length from my face. What bothered me the most about the glasses I have at the moment is two close mid airs, one head on with a blik aerie (+- 20m), we were in formation & both pilots were calling. Both the other pilots were on the climb out so probably busy.
I use radio A LOT so anyone listening in will know I am around. Unfortunately with the close proximity of the two/3 landing strips here there is dead space +- 5mls where guys are between channels or changing over & flying on GPS.
I now shift out a mile or 2 onto the dead side (or downwind side) of my takeoff strip, and make sure I come in overhead my destination at >1000ft (1500ft preferably but then I battle to see what the sock is doing!)
Its is not easy to see any aircraft especially where they are on collision course, but 20/20 vision would help.
Minimising the risk I went for a checkup & it was quite shocking how reasonably well I thought i could see with the old glasses (2+ years old) vs. what I could see with the new prescription.
The optician warned me about the upside down thing, I guess I'll have to get used to that.
Contacts (Hard) out the question in a trike with the wind/cold, if I loose one I am probably deep in the crap.
Thanks for the feed back Gentlemen & Trikenut.

mcfly wrote:I have had the problem sorted out. I am far sighted and need specs to read with, this has necessitated having to use specs to read the instruments and especially the radio. I discussed this situation with my optician and she suggested that I fit one contact lens in the worst eye for reading and the brain will compensate between the focal positions.
I now use this on a permanent basis I read with my right eye(contact lens fitted) and see perfectly with the left. It takes some getting used to but I now am so at ease with my sight that I sometimes do not realise that one eye is not far sighted and the other near sighted. I now fly without the concern of not being able to read the instruments and the radio. I am totally spec free.Wonderfull!!

Did you do your flight medical like this? How does this affect your 3d vision? Technically it sounds like you have monocular long distance vision and the same short distance.

Morph wrote: Did you do your flight medical like this? How does this affect your 3d vision? Technically it sounds like you have monocular long distance vision and the same short distance.

I initially thought the same as you but it has made no difference to my 3d vision at all I can see perfectly. It is by far a safer and more comfortable option than multifocals. I do not have to move my head in a certain way to see or focus. I wear my lens all day and even drive at night. I am told that the brain compensates the adjustment of the vision and focus. Of course an eyetest will be affected as you only test one eye at a time so one will blur at near vision and the other at far vision. Whats important is that I do not need specs to read or see my instruments and I have perfect all round vision. Remember that it's not like an eye patch where the vision is totally blocked to one eye.
It also does not work for all. The best is to do a trial and then decide for yourself. I am also not affected by wind as I have a full face visor, in fact ,I cannot recall any time that the wind affected my lens at all. The lens is the gel type so one does not even know that it's in. I sometimes forget to remove it at night.

I fly with multifocals as well. I have no problems whatsoever. They take a bit getting used but I don't have this "clear far or blurry near" problem. You just shift your eyes where you want to look and if it's blurry where you looking, then move your head slightly in the same direction. I find it very simple, but like I said, it takes a while to get used to.
The only downside is that your peripheral vision goes for a ball of sh!t. You'll have to learn to turn your head much more than normal. No more checking out the Chicks out the corner of your eye!
Low hour pilots may find this a problem especially in the landing phase, when they still try to judge their height by looking for "markers" or "objects" out the corner of their eye. The trick is to look ahead, say 5- 10 metres or so, and judge it that way.

Bacardi wrote:Hi When I fly, the bottom part facilitates near vision and the earth and scenery is a blur, whilst the sky, clouds and wing are nicely focused. It also messes up depth perception and I have bounced my kite badly whilst landing with what my medical certificate states is compulsory.

Hi,

I also fly with multi-focals.

The "trick" is to specify a bigger portion of the lens for distance. Tiny lenses will not work.

I had a glasses upgrade a few years ago and my trike touched down when I perceived that I was still 3 feet high. Took them back and the optician agreed that she had made a mistake and gave me new lenses which were exactly as I had specified.

Frequent Flyer is your man with the correct lingo to explain the above. I am wearing a new set which he made for me - 100% "A" OK

Regards
John ZU-sEXY

Duckman, I've been wearing bifocals since they were invented and know how to "drive" them. Only problem is, in a trike you sit at a slightly backwards tilt and have to really crane your neck to get the upper part of the lens to point down, very strenuous, not nice. Naah, the Harley's and stickies do the job just right for me. Got an amber set for low-light and a dark shade for high-light, had to get two sets of stickies, though.

John, I have a longstanding date with Stephan to make me some upside-down specs when I get to Kuruman again. Fact is, if I could wear my multis upside-down, they would work perfectly for the kite.

Take care.