Eyesight

[CT]

Just wondering if others out there have a problem with depth perception with flying in constricted areas with trees ect.. I have had 2 incidents the past month where depth perception was cause ( flying on final towards me with trees below glidepath and landing short. Im 54ish and have read that this is very common and is an age related factor. I need glasses only when flying and thinking about either contact lenses or surgery, does anyone have experience on this?
CT

[Lon]

Re: Eyesight

I've only had a depth issue in low light. Last week, the sun had just dropped over the horizon. I had completed two great flights. Thought, go for it, the nav lights and landing lights will make it no problem....wrong, depth perception wrong on approach with a tree...sigh. And there has been a few other times, but always during low light situations. I'm 60.

[I74]

Re: Eyesight

I'am not shure if this is the right area to post this thread with some, but I will put my 2 cents on this subject anyway.. I'am in my early 50s,''and wear glasses'',, and have been flying 4+channel off and on for over 20 years, with the last 4+ years being the most active.. I found that overcast and dusk to be my worst times to see and judge distance with my planes.. I do add orange - and/or red stripes to the bottom of my planes a lot, ''and lights'',, especially with jets and gliders.. My favorite time to fly is early to mid mornings, ''I think the air is more clear then to help see''... Ian

[RonF]

Re: Eyesight

I have given this a lot of thought over the last 15 years or so. When out field had to move to a new location, we went from no tree problems to having trees over half of the flying area. When you actually measure the distance from the runway to the tree line, it is between 60 feet to over 200 feet. The distance along the flight line for landing varies from 150-200 feet. I say all of this as the runway is on a plateau with a steep drop to the tree line so you have to rely on your eyes for distance and not any landmarks. The human eye was not designed to have good distance vision beyond 100-200 feet so judging a landing at our field is a challenge for new members and guest that have never flown there. The best way we've come up with to deal with the depth perception is to stand near the end on which you will be landing. Trying to hit a runway that is 300 feet from you with a plane coming in from beyond that point is extremely difficult.

Why this long dialog you ask? I had lens replacements done in 2009 and have lost a good portion of my night vision. I can see very clearly but in low light, forget it. I even had to give up my telescope as all I was able to see were star bursts when looking at bright stars. There are no good answers but age is part of the equation as are the specific conditions of your flying site and how you fly your planes. Our club has found that practice and picking out tops of trees as landmarks help with landings. Being closer to the plane on approach has also been a great benefit. Don't know if this helps but it is my experience and it does help our club members.

[StarHopper]

Re: Eyesight

I wish you young'ns would quit whining about your eyes -- I turned 70 Sunday and my eyes are just fine, thank you!
Thing is, up 'til a couple of years ago, they were great!! *LOL* And, j/k j/k j/k about the whining.

Yeah....I got a new opthamologist thru the VA (handles my eyecare), & I told him up front I'd always had the 'eyes of an eagle' but things weren't as clear thru the eyepiece (telescope) as they once were. He scoped me out, & said "Well, that eagle has landed."

They do go south with age, guys - an inescapable fact. I recently had a bad experience, yes about dusk, where I was just before turning onto base & as I started the turn I had no idea where the plane was pointed - turning towards or away type. I immediately called out "Landing" (2 others were flying) and just followed with my eyes where I thought the plane <i>should</i> be, & picked it up again, & brought 'er on down. First time anything like that had ever happened to me. It was one scary feeling, let me tell ya!

There was plenty of light when I & the others took off, but the sun was right at setting & it do get dark fast this time of year! But lesson learned -- <i>this</i> ol' boy ain't flying too close to dusk no mo'!
Bad Juju.

[Loneflier]

Re: Eyesight

Yep, I am also 54 and have found low light situations to be an issue, especially with biplanes for some reason. Everything will be fine, and suddenly on a turn, I will loose orientation and it looks like the plane will be turning opposite of what it should be doing. As Starhopper noted, I just continue with the turn and the plane will continue in the direction I expected, but it is very disconcerting when it happens. I figure that is a sure sign it is time to pack up and head home once I get it back on the ground!