Lenses For Professional Pilot

[dustman]

Have a patient who purchased a pair of progressives from Lenscrafters at the local mall.
He is a pilot for a large local corporation.
Problem is that he has only distorted/blurry vision when glancing right or left to view an instrument especially in the intermediate to reading area of the lens.
The distance part of the lens is fine just the intermediate and reading part is the problem.

He asked me what lens would be the best to help out this situation?

I have heard that Shamir lenses give a wide field of view.

Any suggestions or recommendations?

Thanks in advance!!

[jkk11011]

Try the Shamir

[rbaker]

Try the Shamir

And then put him in a FT-28 or 35. I speak from personal experience.

[dustman]

Thanks Dick, you think it would be better for him to keep using his bifocals vs a progressive in his profession?
He has been using a bifocal for the last couple of years, his prescription is not strong to say the least. Thanks

[Don Gilman]

Thanks Dick, you think it would be better for him to keep using his bifocals vs a progressive in his profession?
He has been using a bifocal for the last couple of years, his prescription is not strong to say the least. Thanks

Going from a bifocal I don't think any PAL will work unless he learns to turn his head....point his nose at what he what he wants to see. I think a 7X28 would be better than a ft 28 as he's going to need an intermediate and we haven't even covered the overhead panel which used to be a double D. He probably should talk to other pilots to see what works for them.

[rbaker]

Going from a bifocal I don't think any PAL will work unless he learns to turn his head....point his nose at what he what he wants to see. I think a 7X28 would be better than a ft 28 as he's going to need an intermediate and we haven't even covered the overhead panel which used to be a double D. He probably should talk to other pilots to see what works for them.

It all depends on the Rx.

My first Add was a +1.25 and my amplitude of accommodation was sufficient until I hit +2.00 some time later. When I first went into a multi-focal it was either a FT or an Executive as the progressive lenses had not as yet hit the market (back in the good old days). My "aviatin glasses" were CR-39's FT-28 with the segment at the top of the panel. I made up two pairs, one clear and a sun glass. I tinted the distance portion of the sun pair Grey 3. With the bifocal clear I was able to read charts and checklist without having to switch. Bear in mind that these were occupational glasses and stayed in my flight bag. I don't wear this stuff at home or out on the town.

Later in life I did end up with a Double D and it worked slicker than snot for all that pesky stuff on an overhead panel. Ideally though you had a young pud knocker first officer in the right seat. "Just sit there and keep your mouth shut and don't touch anything unless I ask you to check a circuit breaker on the overhead panel.

[Uncle Fester]

Managing expectations is the first order of business if they insist on staying with a progressive (Ryser's Rule). LC will always sell progressives. I recently had a bifocal wearing, 85 year old gentleman with fused neck vertebrae and no neck tilt (with a palsy!) be told his desktop monitor would be fine with a progressive. Yesh...

Anyway I think we really need an rx.

Did you verify fit and corridor position on the LC pair?

[CCGREEN]

Fester hit the nail on the head in his first two words........."managing expectations". Spend a lot of time talking about that making sure both of you are on the same page with realistic expectations.
But no, I have never been successful fitting progressives on pilots. Occupational or 8x35 or single vision.

[rbaker]

Managing expectations is the first order of business if they insist on staying with a progressive (Ryser's Rule). LC will always sell progressives. I recently had a bifocal wearing, 85 year old gentleman with fused neck vertebrae and no neck tilt (with a palsy!) be told his desktop monitor would be fine with a progressive. Yesh...

Anyway I think we really need an rx.

Did you verify fit and corridor position on the LC pair?

Ryser's Rule implies the answer to the question "whose expectations are to be managed?"

That is to say, do we try to satisfy the customers expectation of good functional vision with a minimum of hassle or the pecuniary expectations of the "boss." I realize that bragging to your cohorts about the eighty year old geezer that you took out of his Ultex's and put in the latest progressive lenses manages your expectations but how about old Grandpa Pettibone's expectations?

[dustman]

Here is the pilot's eye prescription OD Sphere: +1.00 OS Sphere: +0.75 OD Cyl: N/A OS Cyl: -0.25 OS Axis: 054 OD Add: +2.25 OS Add: +2.25
There is a Doc in Eagle Creek, CA named Dr Bruce Holden, that the patient spoke with and he does progressives for pilots using a Shamir lens.
Not sure of the details yet, but supposedly it gives you a much wider field of view in the intermediate and reading portion of the lens.

[Lab Insight]

Later in life I did end up with a Double D and it worked slicker than snot for all that pesky stuff on an overhead panel. Ideally though you had a young pud knocker first officer in the right seat. "Just sit there and keep your mouth shut and don't touch anything unless I ask you to check a circuit breaker on the overhead panel.

Captains are just wiser older pud knockers that sit in the other seat available. Funny how the Captain's seat isn't any larger?

[Uncle Fester]

Did he wear progressives previously or just OTC readers. No progressive will let him "glance" right or left especially with that add power. He'll have to turn his head to keep his gaze in the proper zone.

I do not see him "happy" with any progressive if he's only worn readers.

Dick- I think of the rule strictly from a patients point of view.

fwiw- When the Definity came out I had an airline pilot come in telling me how they were all switching for the expanded fields of view they perceived.

Dustman- Check out post #11 from one of our Guru's:

https://www.optiboard.com/forums/showthread.php/53365-Progressive-Design-Classification-Has-it-gone-too-complicated?

[drk]

Dustman is not an optician.

He's a professional pilot.

[Robert_S]

Drk is correct

[Uncle Fester]

Fester hit the nail on the head in his first two words........."managing expectations". Spend a lot of time talking about that making sure both of you are on the same page with realistic expectations.
But no, I have never been successful fitting progressives on pilots. Occupational or 8x35 or single vision.

Many years ago I made for an airline pilot a left lens executive bifocal upper portion panel focus, bottom near with a right lens 8x35 trifocal upper portion distance ribbon seg overhead panel (half add) bottom near focus. His rx was nothing unusual.
But he knew exactly what he wanted and made them work.

Unique in my experience.