Nope.  Part 135 commercial carrier ticket holders CAN get their medical with
20/20 corrected vision.  Oddly enough, the more complex the aircraft ("glass
cockpit"), the fewer the physical demands on the pilot.  The FAA medical
community is actually pretty good with common sense regs, except for the
fact that you cannot fly left-seat (captain) after age 60.  Silly, silly law
that is taking great pilots out of service.  The airlines love it because it
helps them move out the high-priced tin pushers.

Today's airliners are becoming increasingly less "stick and rudder"
reliant...unless, of course, there's an in-flight emergency where the pilots
actually have to "fly the plane".  IMHO, that's when experience counts.

Commercial carriers used to get the bulk of their pilots through military
retirement.  That's not the case now.  Most folks are coming up through the
ranks at aeronautical colleges like Embry-Riddle University, or
trade-schools like Flight Safety International.  Most of these poor folks,
after spending thousands and thousands of dollars on education, get their
foot in the door by taking flying jobs not much above minimum wage---just to
build hours.  Most airlines are furloughing a good many of their best
pilots.  To get a good perspective on ADA and other issues from a pilot's
perspective, go to www.alpa.org.  This is the website of the Air Line Pilots
Association, the major pilot union in the U.S.

There was a fellow on the list, Brent Edwards, who also has his private
pilot ticket (still here Brent?).  He spoke of how difficult it was to pass
the medical (as was my experience), so it's pretty much proof-in-the-pudding
that the FAA is doing its job of screening erstwhile pilots for medical
problems, ADA notwithstanding.  Most of the gu'ment aviation authorities
have a rectal/cranial inversion, but I've got nothing but respect for the
Oklahoma City medical boys.

My tuppence,

Kyle


-----Original Message-----
From: K. Salkin [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, June 10, 2002 9:08 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Supreme Court Decision Affecting ADA Rights

<snip>
 However, I believe the FAA does not allow commercial air pilots who
need vision correction to fly commercial jets.  Someone please correct
me if I'm wrong.

Kat

"Magenta Raine" wrote in message news:
<[log in to unmask]>... What about the sighted airline pilots
whose vision was corrected with glasses?
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