Multifocal Lenses

[Sue Bon]

At my last medical, my doctor said I had to have multifocal lens glasses before the next appointment (Feb, 2023). My distance vision needs a -1 correction and now I need a slight reading distance correction. I've been reading this website https://progressive-glasses.com/progressive-glasses-for-pilots/

Do any of you have these kind of glasses? What is it like to fly with them?

Edited June 18, 2022 by Sue Bon

[Fly Boomer]

10 minutes ago, Sue Bon said:

I've been reading this website

Regarding these particular lenses, at the top of the first page it says "Obviously, you only need these progressive lenses for pilots if you are operating in a cockpit that forces you to look up into the near distance."  Unless you have a need to read things above your eye level, I'm not sure why you would want these.

Regarding progressive lenses in general.  My first pair were a disaster (I fell a couple of times).  Then I ran into a guy who knew lenses, and got some quality glass (high refractive index plastic actually),  When I walked out with my new glasses, it felt no different than when I was 20 -- near distance, mid distance, and far were all perfect and seamless moving from one to another.  The difference was the right prescription and the right glass (top of the line Zeiss in my case).

[EricJ]

I have progressives and love them.   They don't have the special upper section like shown in the link, and I haven't felt like I needed it.

It'll be different for everybody depending on their own prescription.   My hangar neighbor has trifocals and has been lamenting the difficulty of working under his panel, but that's a different problem.   He's leaning toward getting progressive lenses since he's due for a new prescription.

 

[Danb]

I used METHOD SEVEN eyewear for a few years now, three different corrections maybe 8 years. I’m very happy with them. I originally measured the distance to see the panel ,distance to my lap and outside, top of panel.

Customer service was easy to work with. Highly recommended 

[David Lloyd]

I've used progressive lenses for about 20 years. Nearsighted in one eye, farsighted in the other, a little astigmatism.  At the time, the doc told me it would take a few weeks for my eyes to learn to use the lenses.  Must have dumb eyes, it was more like 6 months.  Never have to think about it now, unless working close up.  Sometimes have to move my head slightly to get something in focus.  

[GeeBee]

I use progressives. Sit in the cockpit with your regular glasses, a tape measure and a marker pen. Sit with your regular posture, measure the distance  from the eye to your panel. Measure the distance from your eye to your charts. Take the marker pen and mark the top of your panel and top of the charts in your field of view on your glasses. Take them in to your optometrist. In general you will find your stronger near vision corrections are a little lower on the lens than most regular progressives. Don't be afraid to have a "do-over" if they are not right the first time. Once you get the ranges and height correct, keep seeing the same optometrist as they will know what you need in the future.

 

[midlifeflyer]

5 hours ago, David Lloyd said:

I've used progressive lenses for about 20 years. Nearsighted in one eye, farsighted in the other, a little astigmatism.  At the time, the doc told me it would take a few weeks for my eyes to learn to use the lenses.  Must have dumb eyes, it was more like 6 months.  Never have to think about it now, unless working close up.  Sometimes have to move my head slightly to get something in focus.  

I could have said the same thing word for word except I adjusted to progressives in about a half hour. These days I mostly wear them to give my eyes a break from multifical contact lenses.

[1964-M20E]

>I have progressive lenses and no issues.

[Hank]

Probably not an issue with glasses.

But I spent nine years making lens implants (as for cataract surgery). Multifocal implants are not recommended for two groups of people:  pilots and engineers, because they have high expectations and are often perfectionists, and single-focus lenses give noticeably crisper images. YMMV, not an MD, etc. Just a nearsighted engineer who is also a pilot . . . .

[BDPetersen]

Properly configured progressive lenses are no brainers. Might take a tweak to get the panel in the sweet spot, but worth it. Years ago I tried some bifocal type lenses with an overhead segment to accommodate the overhead panel of whatever big iron I was flying at the time. Unfortunately at the time they could only be made in glass. Too heavy. I probably should dig them out for maintenance tasks over my head when my neck won’t bend far enough.

[spistora]

I started wearing progressive lenses about 10 years ago and have found getting the right lens manufacturer is a big part of having them work well. My wife works for some optometrists and has been working with lens maker for quite a while.  Getting the right progressive profile for what you are using them for is important. She will agree with Hank, pilots and engineers are pretty hard to please when correcting vision (I'm both). Ask lots of questions about the difference in lens options, and take them back if you don't adjust to them in a few days. They don't always get the measurements correct, as mentioned earlier.

[Pinecone]

I have had progressive's for many years and love them.

My eye guy suggested getting thee as soon as I could use them, it seems to make the learning go easier, versus waiting and having some big corrections. 

Unless you fly bi iron with overhead panels, normal progressives work fine.

[Sue Bon]

Thanks for all the input! This is the first time I've heard the term "progressive" so now I know that. I've heard stories about them making you dizzy or nauseous or even causing falls like Fly Boomer said. I will be much more prepared when I go in for my appointment. I appreciate all the feedback

Edit: I know the link says progressive lenses. I thought it was something proprietary for that guy and his product....

Edited June 19, 2022 by Sue Bon

[midlifeflyer]

2 hours ago, Sue Bon said:

Thanks for all the input! This is the first time I've heard the term "progressive" so now I know that. I've heard stories about them making you dizzy or nauseous or even causing falls like Fly Boomer said. I will be much more prepared when I go in for my appointment. I appreciate all the feedback

Edit: I know the link says progressive lenses. I thought it was something proprietary for that guy and his product....

"Progressive" is descriptive. If refers to being on a continuous flow (they progress) from near to mid to far as opposed to bifocals or trifocals which have a hard line between them. 

some people have more difficulty than others adjusting. Some never get used to them and can't even understand why anyone likes them.

Edited June 19, 2022 by midlifeflyer

[carusoam]

+1 for progressive…

I find driving and flying have similar instrument panel and map reading requirements…

Running on rough surfaces… is best to go without the progressive part…

falling at 8mph isn’t any fun… or tripping or kicking things…

 

you know your glasses are working because you can read your watch, phone, iPad and see way down the road while you are driving…

Then apply that experience to flying…

 

Having lines in the lenses makes it easier to find what you want to look through…

 

whatever makes you comfortable…

After a while you forget you even have them…

until jogging….

or trying to read with your jogging glasses on…

PP thoughts only…

-a-

[Pinecone]

You do have to get used to progressives.

That is why the advice to get them early one, when the difference between near and far is less.

The only major issue I ran into, was at the book store, with progressives, you have to turn your head to scan the shelves, not just swing your eyes.

[flyboy0681]

Count me in as one who loves progressives. The only issue that I have with them is the reading portion, which is so narrow that I find myself constantly moving my head around to keep the section that I am reading in focus. For those times when I'm doing extensive reading, I have to use my prescription readers.

[A64Pilot]

I never had bi-focals, have always had progressive, and there is a period of time to get used to them, I felt queasy for a little while with my first pair.

‘But if you ever wear a mask, they may not work for you, a mask as they sit on the mask pushes the glasses up so your looking through the bottom of the glasses, which is of course the near vision.

I had to wear a mask for some high altitude tests and as you can see the glasses didn’t work well with the mask

 

[Andy95W]

9 hours ago, flyboy0681 said:

Count me in as one who loves progressives. The only issue that I have with them is the reading portion, which is so narrow that I find myself constantly moving my head around to keep the section that I am reading in focus. For those times when I'm doing extensive reading, I have to use my prescription readers.

@flyboy0681- That’s actually adjustable.  My first set were like yours, for my second set I asked them to make the reading portion as wide as possible. Problem solved, I love my progressives now.

[flyboy0681]

45 minutes ago, Andy95W said:

@flyboy0681- That’s actually adjustable.  My first set were like yours, for my second set I asked them to make the reading portion as wide as possible. Problem solved, I love my progressives now.

Now all I have to do is spend another $400 to get it widened 

[Pinecone]

On 6/20/2022 at 9:46 AM, flyboy0681 said:

Count me in as one who loves progressives. The only issue that I have with them is the reading portion, which is so narrow that I find myself constantly moving my head around to keep the section that I am reading in focus. For those times when I'm doing extensive reading, I have to use my prescription readers.

Some of the more modern lenses have a much wider reading section.  But I still have to move my head some.

[M20F]

I just adapted my panel for Braille usage and only fly IMC now.  

[Hank]

15 hours ago, flyboy0681 said:

Now all I have to do is spend another $400 to get it widened 

Try Zenni!

www.zennioptical.com

Just got my latest (single vision) glasses in over the weekend. Titanium frames, transition lenses for shading outdoors, $97 delivered. No idea about bifocal or progressive lens pricing, other than "more."

[M20F]

1 minute ago, Hank said:

Try Zenni!

www.zennioptical.com

Just got my latest (single vision) glasses in over the weekend. Titanium frames, transition lenses for shading outdoors, $97 delivered. No idea about bifocal or progressive lens pricing, other than "more."

As others have mentioned and I share the experience as well, progressives need somebody who knows what they are doing.  

My first pair I got from LensCrafters and hated.  When it came to get a new pair I went to a local long time in service optometrist and paid a little more.  Made a world of difference.  They still annoy me at times but they work.  

[Fly Boomer]

17 hours ago, flyboy0681 said:

Now all I have to do is spend another $400 to get it widened

My last set of lenses were just north of $500 (used old frames).  I'd like to boycott, but some of my activities require glasses.