Vision

The military, and for a time the airlines, used to require nearly perfect vision in a pilot. Those standards have relaxed somewhat, but clear vision (corrected or otherwise) is still essential for pilots whether they be military, professional or private/recreational.

Our minds drift to the obvious; eye exams, glasses and corrective surgeries such as Lasik, but clear vision for a pilot encompasses much more. A clear windscreen, free of dirt, dust, bugs, and streaks goes a long way toward good vision, or visibility if you wish.

A few minutes spent with plexiglas cleaner and a clean microfiber towel can eliminate what will seem like hours of regret when you taxi into the sun or, worse yet, when you make that first crosswind turn only to discover the streaks on your windscreen make clear vision difficult to impossible. The same is true, although to a much lesser extent, of the side windows. If you have a passenger, a clean window for them to look out of can make a world of difference in their enjoyment of the flight.

We think of vision as what we see, but we can expand on that to include how we see as well. When we look out the windscreen, do we see what is there, or what we expect to see? The difference between the two may be the difference between a near miss, or worse, and an easy avoidance maneuver. Looking for the unexpected is a good collision avoidance technique and a mindset that takes practice and a conscious effort.

Vision also includes how we see the flight, in its parts and in its totality. Here, we are talking about the thought process of being a pilot. Do you get a good look at 'all available information concerning that flight'? (Sound familiar?) Do you look around at the airport and in-flight to make sure the weather briefing you received is holding up accurately? Do you regularly look for alternatives to your plan? Have you visualized what you have to do to ensure a successful outcome to the flight, before you need to do it? By the way, that tactic also works for each maneuver along the way.

I can see the end of the year approaching. The Leadville Fly-out Luncheon is December 31st, weather permitting. Hope my vision holds up and I see you there.