# Optical Forums > Progressive Lens Discussion Forum >  Lenses For Professional Pilot

## dustman

Have a patient who purchased a pair of progressives from Lenscrafters at the local mall.
He is a pilot for a large local corporation.
Problem is that he has only distorted/blurry vision when glancing right or left to view an instrument especially in the intermediate to reading area of the lens.
The distance part of the lens is fine just the intermediate and reading part is the problem.

He asked me what lens would be the best to help out this situation?

I have heard that Shamir lenses give a wide field of view.

Any suggestions or recommendations?

Thanks in advance!!

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## jkk11011

Try the Shamir

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## rbaker

> Try the Shamir


And then put him in a FT-28 or 35.  I speak from personal experience.

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## dustman

Thanks Dick, you think it would be better for him to keep using his bifocals vs a progressive in his profession?
He has been using a bifocal for the last couple of years, his prescription is not strong to say the least. Thanks

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## Don Gilman

> Thanks Dick, you think it would be better for him to keep using his bifocals vs a progressive in his profession?
> He has been using a bifocal for the last couple of years, his prescription is not strong to say the least. Thanks


Going from a bifocal I don't think any PAL will work unless he learns to turn his head....point his nose at what he what he wants to see_. I think a  7X28 would be better than a ft 28 as he's going to need an intermediate and we haven't even covered the overhead panel which used to be a double D. He probably should talk to other pilots to see what works for them._

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## rbaker

> Going from a bifocal I don't think any PAL will work unless he learns to turn his head....point his nose at what he what he wants to see_. I think a  7X28 would be better than a ft 28 as he's going to need an intermediate and we haven't even covered the overhead panel which used to be a double D. He probably should talk to other pilots to see what works for them._


It all depends on the Rx.

My first Add was a +1.25 and my amplitude of accommodation was sufficient until I hit +2.00 some time later. When I first went into a multi-focal it was either a FT or an Executive as the progressive lenses had not as yet hit the market (back in the good old days). My "aviatin glasses" were CR-39's FT-28 with the segment at the top of the panel. I made up two pairs, one clear and a sun glass. I tinted the distance portion of the sun pair Grey 3. With the bifocal clear I was able to read charts and checklist without having to switch. Bear in mind that these were occupational glasses and stayed in my flight bag. I don't wear this stuff at home or out on the town. 

Later in life I did end up with a Double D and it worked slicker than snot for all that pesky stuff on an overhead panel. Ideally though you had a young pud knocker first officer in the right seat. "Just sit there and keep your mouth shut and don't touch anything unless I ask you to check a circuit breaker on the overhead panel.

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## Uncle Fester

Managing expectations is the first order of business if they insist on staying with a progressive (Ryser's Rule). LC will _always_ sell progressives. I recently had a bifocal wearing, 85 year old gentleman with fused neck vertebrae and no neck tilt (with a palsy!) be told his desktop monitor would be fine with a progressive. Yesh...  

Anyway I think we really need an rx.

Did you verify fit and corridor position on the LC pair?

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## CCGREEN

Fester hit the nail on the head in his first two words........."managing expectations". Spend a lot of time talking about that making sure both of you are on the same page with realistic expectations.
But no, I have never been successful fitting progressives on pilots. Occupational or 8x35 or single vision.

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## rbaker

> Managing expectations is the first order of business if they insist on staying with a progressive (Ryser's Rule). LC will _always_ sell progressives. I recently had a bifocal wearing, 85 year old gentleman with fused neck vertebrae and no neck tilt (with a palsy!) be told his desktop monitor would be fine with a progressive. Yesh...  
> 
> Anyway I think we really need an rx.
> 
> Did you verify fit and corridor position on the LC pair?


Ryser's Rule implies the answer to the question "whose expectations are to be managed?" 

That is to say, do we try to satisfy the customers expectation of good functional vision with a minimum of hassle or the pecuniary expectations of the "boss." I realize that bragging to your cohorts about the eighty year old geezer that you took out of his Ultex's and put in the latest progressive lenses manages your expectations but how about old Grandpa Pettibone's expectations?

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## dustman

Here is the pilot's eye prescription OD Sphere: +1.00  OS Sphere: +0.75  OD Cyl: N/A   OS Cyl: -0.25  OS Axis: 054   OD Add: +2.25   OS Add: +2.25
There is a Doc in Eagle Creek, CA named Dr Bruce Holden, that the patient spoke with and he does progressives for pilots using a Shamir lens.
Not sure of the details yet, but supposedly it gives you a much wider field of view in the intermediate and reading portion of the lens.

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## Lab Insight

> Later in life I did end up with a Double D and it worked slicker than snot for all that pesky stuff on an overhead panel. Ideally though you had a young pud knocker first officer in the right seat. "Just sit there and keep your mouth shut and don't touch anything unless I ask you to check a circuit breaker on the overhead panel.


Captains are just wiser older pud knockers that sit in the other seat available.  Funny how the Captain's seat isn't any larger?

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## Uncle Fester

Did he wear progressives previously or just OTC readers. No progressive will let him "glance" right or left especially with that add power. He'll have to turn his head to keep his gaze in the proper zone. 

I do not see him "happy" with any progressive if he's only worn readers.

Dick- I think of the rule strictly from a patients point of view.

fwiw- When the Definity came out I had an airline pilot come in telling me how they were all switching for the expanded fields of view they perceived. 

Dustman- Check out post #11 from one of our Guru's:


https://www.optiboard.com/forums/sho...o-complicated?

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## drk

Dustman is not an optician.

He's a professional pilot.

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## Robert_S

Drk is correct

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## Uncle Fester

> Fester hit the nail on the head in his first two words........."managing expectations". Spend a lot of time talking about that making sure both of you are on the same page with realistic expectations.
> But no, I have never been successful fitting progressives on pilots. Occupational or 8x35 or single vision.


Many years ago I made for an airline pilot a left lens executive bifocal upper portion panel focus, bottom near with a right lens 8x35 trifocal upper portion distance ribbon seg overhead panel (half add) bottom near focus. His rx was nothing unusual.
But he knew exactly what he wanted and made them work.

Unique in my experience.

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## Avi_H

> And then put him in a FT-28 or 35.  I speak from personal experience.


+1 to this. I've fit a few pilots and they never like a PAL, it's redo city. FT all the way.

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## Uilleann

I've never had any issues whatsoever with my PAL's when flying.  Nor any polar lens.  Ever.  (I'm strictly GA mind you.)  *shrug*

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## Don Gilman

> I've never had any issues whatsoever with my PAL's when flying.  Nor any polar lens.  Ever.  (I'm strictly GA mind you.)  *shrug*


I've never had a problem either but then i"m sitting in row 88C

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## ruudes

I agree with most. Even with a wider design like Shamir or Varilux, they likely would have to get used to turning their head. FT28 would probably be best. He can have them fitted with intermediate add if near reading is not needed on the job (I don't know, I'm not a pilot).

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## kdw613

Contact me. I have access to specialty lenses made specifically for Pilots. Intermediate TOP, Distance (W. Chemistre Clip), Intermediate Lower and a Near ADD.

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## kdw613

Contact me (kevinw@eyeVOC.com). I have Specialty Lenses for Pilots.

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## Kwill212

> Contact me (kevinw@eyeVOC.com). I have Specialty Lenses for Pilots.


OR contact Quest Vision Care where you pilfered that image from, and presumably where you get your specialty lenses from. Come on man. If you are going to shill, at least shill your own stuff.

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## kdw613

You are correct, I have used Quest for Pilot Lenses (and others). So many here are working for Chains and have nowhere to get them. So yes, call me a shill if you need too.




> OR contact Quest Vision Care where you pilfered that image from, and presumably where you get your specialty lenses from. Come on man. If you are going to shill, at least shill your own stuff.

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## Kwill212

> You are correct, I have used Quest for Pilot Lenses (and others). So many here are working for Chains and have nowhere to get them. So yes, call me a shill if you need too.


Optiboard is about sharing experiences, knowledge ,and resources with other like minded optical professionals. To dig up an old post for the sole purpose of telling us you have specialty lenses for pilots is pretty shilly. It would be bad enough if that's all it was, but to take someone else's work, Quest, and pass it off as your own, is downright unprofessional. Your original post could have said:

"I have used Quest Optical lab in FL for pilot lenses before. They are able to provide very complex lenses for unique situations. You should contact Michael Walach for more information, he does great work. Here is his website and contact info."

That would have been a much more professional post.

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## panos21r

With a patient that I have I even tried Varilux X series personalized with sapphire A/R.  And he is very very happy with them. The only problem is that they are very expensive.

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## Jason H

At the risk of Quill's wrath, and whoever wants to take credit for them - that looks like a mightily complicated solution. If it so pleases the Board - I'd like to know what this lens fixes and how? Nothing ad hominem. Pilots are difficult, those lenses seem difficult. Quest knows their stuff. Trying to wrap my head around the kitchen sink solution.

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## Kwill212

> At the risk of Quill's wrath


Spell my name again wrong and my wrath you shall have!! I kid. 




> and whoever wants to take credit for them - that looks like a mightily complicated solution. If it so pleases the Board - I'd like to know what this lens fixes and how? Nothing ad hominem. Pilots are difficult, those lenses seem difficult. Quest knows their stuff. Trying to wrap my head around the kitchen sink solution.


If you mean how does that previous picture posted fix the problem for the helicopter pilot, it doesn't. It was just a promotional photo of a pilot that poster took from someone else's website and slapped it up on optiboard. I'm sure Quest could come up with a lens for this helicopter pilot but it wouldn't look like that picture. That photo if for airline pilots. Top seg mid distance for overhead gauges, middle distance with a sun clip for out the window, middle trifocals seg for forward gauges and bottom near seg for reading navigation charts/iPad.

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## Kwill212

*delete

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