Can You Be a Pilot with Glasses or Contact Lenses?

At the time when one thinks of becoming a pilot or decides firmly regarding the same, various questions often spring up in the mind. One of the most common questions of all is whether I can become a pilot with glasses or not. We will give a detailed answer to this question, going forward, in this blog.

Many of the aspiring commercial pilots are always confused about whether it is possible to fly if I wear glasses. What are the dangers and alternatives to becoming a Commercial Pilot? Over 60% of people in this world are visually impaired and require the use of glasses or contact lenses. This means all these people require glasses to perfect their vision. How can this affect your probabilities of becoming a capable pilot?

One aspires to become a pilot for various reasons. The first and foremost is the passion for flying and the excitement and thrill one feels while piloting an aircraft. The second factor is the reputation associated with the job. People look up to you, and you are more often than not the centre of attraction. The third and perhaps the most important one is the remuneration you get as a pilot. Ultimately, one chooses a career to earn a good living and lead a comfortable life. This is exactly what you get from a job as a commercial pilot.

It is not just about a person's vision of becoming a pilot, but their overall well-being holds utmost significance for them to become a commercial pilot. A pilot has to be both physically and mentally fit, so that he/ she can tackle all the strenuous situations that are bound to arrive as a part of their job description. Physical and mental fitness ensure that a pilot can deal with all the stress and fatigue that may creep in, especially on long flights.

It is for this reason that a medical examination from a registered doctor is necessary for a pilot to get a CPL There is a list provided on the website of the DGCA of all the doctors who are on the panel of the DGCA for carrying out the medical examination.  This medical examination checks whether a person is fit, both physically and mentally, in keeping with the guidelines laid down by the DGCA to be considered for attaining a CPL or a commercial pilot license. Checking the vision is also a part of the medical examination. The vision of the eye is generally checked with the help of the Snellen Chart. Apart from the accuracy of the vision, other visual ailments such as colour blindness are also checked.

When people are young, the average visual acuity of a healthy eye is approximately 6/5 to 6/4, so it is imprecise to refer to 6/6 visual acuity as "perfect" vision. 6/6 is the visual acuity required to discriminate two contours separated by one arc minute- 1.75 mm at 6 meters.

Now, if you are wearing glasses due to hypermetropia, meaning you have good far-sightedness, then the improvement should not exceed +4.5 dioptre. If you have myopia, which means you have good short-sightedness, then the limits are not to exceed -5.5 dioptre. Astigmatism not to surpass +2 dioptre and anisometropia, meaning both eyes need separate correction, shall not exceed +/- 2 dioptre. 

 For correcting vision, wearing glasses or lenses is not the only option; a person can also consider LASIK eye surgery. To clear up any confusion, it is essential to note that there is no issue with becoming a commercial pilot after undergoing LASIK. So, if you are not comfortable with wearing glasses or lenses while flying an aircraft, you can also go for LASIK.

A commercial pilot license lets a person work as a pilot, for example, becoming a mainline pilot or a cargo pilot. Without a CPL, you will not be permitted to work in an airline. Still, without a PPL, you will not be permitted to experience the flight training essential for you to get your Commercial Pilot License.

Upon completion of the course, you will be entitled to fly an aircraft under the laws laid down by the DGCA. This allows you to start a career in a Commercial Airline company, either domestic or international, charter companies or corporates.

Yes, you can become a commercial pilot with glasses, but there are specific regulations that must be followed. The requirements vary from country to country and you should contact an authorized Medical Examiner in case you need to get more info on the requirements of the country in which you are undergoing your accelerated flight training.

There are some general rules that all pilots should follow, no matter what country they are in. These comprise the rule that all visually impaired pilots must have a spare pair of glasses in case the current pair breaks.

Pilots can also wear polarised glasses or sunglasses, but Bifocal contact lenses cannot be used throughout flight training or throughout any situations in which you are flying an aircraft.  The only thing to keep in mind is that the corrected vision with glasses or contact lenses must be 6/6 to become a pilot under the DGCA's rules. Therefore, it becomes clear that if one has a corrective vision of 6/6, then they can become a pilot with glasses.

Now that it is clear that there is no reason why people with spectacles cannot become pilots, if you wear specs, then you can train to become a commercial pilot. You can enroll with us at Flapone Aviation to train to live your dream of becoming a pilot. We are one of the top pilot training institutes in India, thanks to the expertise of our trainers and the state-of-the-art technology we utilize.