Aeromedical Forum: October 2015

“If you want keep her on the runway it helps to see the centerline.”

Supporting this truism, the FAA has a maze of regulations to make sure that the intrepid pilot can locate the runway environment. So let’s look at a few common questions airmen ask about their eyeballs.

“First of all, just how good does my eyesight have to be?”

It depends. For a Third Class Medical Certificate which is all you need unless you’re flying for compensation, you have to see at least 20/40 in both eyes for both distant vision and near vision. If you need glasses to pass either requirement, your Certificate will hav...