Ask Captain Lim ~ All about Aviation - More information for those aspiring pilots with lazy eye problems.

Firstly, what a fantastic site. Congratulations on your achievement!

I wish to add some information to your previous FAQ.

It is NOT possible to get a JAR licence with a lazy eye for commercial operations and it is difficult to even get a NPPL without restrictions. However, the FAA are more lenient and I have a First Class Medical Certificate and Commercial Licence with MEL and IR.

Whether that will allow me to fly with an airline (who often set their own requirements) is more questionable. I have excellent peripheral vision in both eyes and more than 20/20 on my left eye and approximately 20/100 on my right with no other problems. I have had surgery to allow the lazy eye to track correctly.

There is now a non-surgical treatment available for about USD$3500 which can improve lazy eye operation for people with 20/100 to 20/30. Improvement is often 1-2 lines. It is licensed by the FDA and can be found via a search on the Internet.

I had to take a medical check ride with an FAA inspector to validate my medical.
I also fly tail wheel aircraft and have no problems judging distance and so far have had no accidents in 400+ hours of flying (300 power, 150 gliders).

Best regards,

Ms Kaz Rogers

Hi Kaz,

Thank you for the additional information about lazy eyes and how it could affect a pilot's medical certificate or license.

Yes, JAR is more stringent than the FAA in granting commercial flying licenses and as you have said, some airlines do set their own medical standards with regard to some medical problems.