Does anyone know what the restrictions are about flying and bad eyesight.
And if lasik is a problem at all?
thanks

How bad is your eyesight? If it is correctable(wearing glasses or contacts) to 20/20 you can fly.

Lasik is not a problem, your flight surgeon will have to submit a waiver to NAMI along with your flight physical. This happens every year you get your flight physical done.

I think your big problem is being accepted for flight training.
You got 20 slots and 50 applicants 3 of which have less than 20/20.
why would you pick any of the 3
IMO
Shockey

I don't know the whole process for selection for flight training, but as long as you wear glasses and are 20/20 I don't see how that would be a problem.

Then again, stranger things have happened. I say go for it. What is the worst that can happen?

I just got out of my SNFO physical about a year ago, and I can tell you that based on the instruction (I read it over and over because I had an eye problem that was very rare) the standard for Naval Aviator (Class I) is 20/400 uncorrected, however, for Student Naval Aviator, which is where you would start, the standards are much more stringent (20/40 uncorrected is the worst you can have). NFO is a completely different story, and a possiblity worth exploring if you are worried about your vision.

As for LASIK, that is a DQ condition. As of right now the only approved eye surgery is PRK, and it is only allowed in very specific circumstances. Your best bet there if you are considering vision correction is to get an appointment with a flight surgeon before you do anything to correct your vision. There are some very specific things that have to happen, and things have to be meticulously documented both before and after your surgery.

Here's the link if you want to look it over, there are some grey areas in the instruction, so again, if it isn't specifically covered here, ask the one's who will be making the decisions.

http://navmedmpte.med.navy.mil/nomi/nami/WaiverGuideTop...ical%20Standards.pdf

You can be uncorrected to 20/40. However you MUST be correctable to 20/20. That is why there are two slots on DVA and NVA stating uncorrected and corrected.

I apologize for the bad gouge on Lasik and PRK. The above poster is correct. If you do get PRK, there is an extra eye exam you must get with every annual flight physical. That is along with your NAMI waiver submission.

I may not be the one who "will be making the decisions" but I am pretty well versed in this stuff.

I don't know what he current rules are but I do know that when the Navy was just starting to LASIK up in Bethesda I went throught the screening to get that done. Being stationed in Pascagoula I went to Pensacola.

When we first got there in the morning we had a briefing from the head of the eye clinc, some Navy Capt. eye doctor. How it came up I don't remember but I remember him saying that "they" had am eye doctor who had the full time job of screening incoming wannabe pilots looking for any traces that they had ever had any kind of eye surgery.

At that time I believe wannabe front seaters still needed to have uncorrected 20/20 vision and having LASIk or whatever DQ'd you from any flying program even any NFO or NAC program.

I guess the worry was that they just didn't know how cut on eyes would reeact to potentially a lot of high altitude unpressurized, low oxygen (at least as far as the eyes are concerned) flight.

In case anyone was trying to find info on the pilot requirements for the Navy, here is a link to NAMI page with a whole bunch of PDF guides.

NAMI Aeromedical Reference and Waiver Guide

I wear glasses and am researching whether or not I could ever fly a fighter jet. Any information or leads on the selection process and requirements would be appreciated. Thanks!

GB87,

The rules and regulations concerning surgery are changing and have changed within the past year. If you are in a position to consult a NAvy Flight Surgeon for guidance before contemplating surgery, I strongly suggest you do so. If not, airwarriors.com has a thread devoted exsclusively to eyesight surgery. There may be some good advice there. Ask.