FAA Eye Standards

Airmen or individuals applying for aeromedical certification with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must meet certain eye standards set forth under 14 C.F.R §§ 67.103, 67.203, and 67.303 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. If you are applying for medical certification with the FAA and do not meet the standards set forth under these regulations, the FAA will deny your application.

The eye standards, regardless of whether the applicant is applying for first (1st), second (2nd), or third (3rd) class medical certification, require, in part, distant visual acuity of 20/20 or better in each eye separately (with or without corrective lenses), near vision of 20/40 or better, Snellen equivalent, at 16 inches in each eye separately (with or without corrective lenses), an ability to perceive those colors necessary for the safe performance of airman duties, and no acute or chronic pathological condition of either eye or adnexa that interferes with the proper function of an eye, that may reasonably be expected to progress to that degree, or that may reasonably be expected to be aggravated by flying.

Unlike the standards for a third (3rd) class medical certificate, first (1st) and second (2nd) class medical certificates require the applicant to have near vision of 20/40 or better, Snellen equivalent, at both 16 inches and 32 inches in each eye separately if age 50 or older (with or without corrective lenses) and a bifoveal fixation and vergence-phoria relationship sufficient to prevent a break in fusion under conditions that may reasonably be expected to occur in performing airman duties.

If your application for airman medical certification with the FAA has been deferred by your Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) or denied by the FAA due to cataracts, glaucoma, history of LASIK, myopia, presbyopia, concerns for color vision or depth perception deficiencies, or any other vision-related matter, The Ison Law Firm is standing by to advocate for your eligibility to hold a medical certificate.

You need both a pilot and a lawyer on your side for your aviation law needs. Don’t hesitate to contact our team from The Ison Law Firm Aviation Lawyers today at 855-322-1215 and schedule a confidential consultation with an experienced aviation lawyer today.