posted 04-17-2007 12:51 PM               

Last night we attended a local high school softball game, the Humboldt Lady Cubs are 10 and 0. There was a U.S. Army recruiter at the game. As I walked past him he asked me about a camera lens I had on my camera, I had taken a 400mm F5 lens to the game to shoot some photos. We talked about the lens then the game. I asked if he had kids playing and he said no, he was just there looking for recruits. He asked if I had kids playing and I told him my kids did not play. Then he asked me about Miranda and her goals. I told him that she wanted to attend the Air Force Academy and to learn to fly jets. He asked if she wore glasses or contacts. I said she did. Then he looked at her and told her to forget it that she would never make it in the Air Force. Needless to say she was upset. By upset I don't mean she was crying, I mean she was mad!

After the game she wrote this to a friend:

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I went to the ball game in Yates Center. There was a army recruitment officer there. I told him I was Air Force all the way and he said that I couldn't do it just because of me wearing contacts. I knew someone somewhere was going to tell me I can't do it, but I was not expecting if from a recruitment officer.

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posted 04-17-2007 02:37 PM               

That shouldn't be an issue these days. I don't know about the Air Force policy, but the FAA policy is:

"According to the Federal Air Surgeon's Medical Bulletin, Fall 1998, the FAA accepts LASIK for its pilots, as long as the FAA examining doctor finds "the post-operative condition has stabilized," pilots have "no significant adverse effects or complications" and their eyes meet "the appropriate vision standards" one to six months post-operatively."

My doc advised me a couple of years ago to wait for another couple of years when the technology improves even further and he can even fix my eyes, which were excellent until around 38 or 40.

My wife had terrible eyesight and the surgery brought her to 20/20... no more glasses... no more contacts. We'll certainly have my oldest daughter's eyes done as soon as she's old enough (she's the only one of our children with poor eyesight).

posted 04-17-2007 02:51 PM               

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Originally posted by spacecraft films:
If this is a concern, see an opthamologist about lasik surgery. When her eyes have stopped growing they should be able to correct the vision, usually to 20/20 or better.

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Is surgery to improve visual acuity allowed?

No, any type of surgery to improve visual acuity, e.g. radial keratotomy, photorefractive keratectomy, LASIK, etc., will disqualify you for the Astronaut Candidate Program.

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posted 04-17-2007 02:57 PM               

I'm really surprised at that, given that the FAA was accepting it almost 10 years ago. I wonder that this might change at some point.

Thanks for posting that... you learn something new every day.

posted 04-17-2007 03:04 PM               

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Currently, there is not enough research to fully understand how the flap created in surgery will behave in microgravity or during physically demanding astronaut training. Other reasons for turning away candidates include: long term results are not well understood; correction is often not permanent; problems with glare, especially at night, have been reported; and a chance of scarring or swelling of the cornea. At this time it is uncertain whether this procedure will be accepted in astronaut candidates in the future.

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posted 04-17-2007 03:07 PM               

You said it was an Army recruiter. I'll bet if Miranda said she wanted to be a helicopter pilot, he would have been more supportive.

posted 04-17-2007 05:23 PM               

I don't think I will let her read this thread. I thought she might be able to get in the Air Force with the surgery but it looks like her hopes would be dashed by NASA. Maybe in time they would change their policy.

posted 04-17-2007 05:39 PM               

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Originally posted by mdmyer:
I thought she might be able to get in the Air Force with the surgery but it looks like her hopes would be dashed by NASA. Maybe in time they would change their policy.

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Procedures to change refraction disqualify you for all military programs. This includes radial keratotomy (RK); photorefractive keratectomy (PRK); laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK); similar surgical/nonsurgical alteration to the cornea (e.g. orthokeratology); and any other experimental operations. Waivers may be considered for both PRK and LASIK, however, the waiver applicant must meet very strict preoperative and postoperative criteria. A waiver will not be considered until 12 months following the procedure to ensure full healing. LASIK is permanently disqualifying for any flying or special duty career field. Refractive errors in spherical equivalent of greater than +/-8.00 diopters are disqualifying and greater than +/-10 are not waiverable.

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Qualification for potential flying duties requires uncorrected distant visual acuity of no worse than 20/50 (pilot) and 20/200 (navigator), correctable to 20/20 in each eye. Uncorrected near visual acuity of no worse than 20/20 (pilot) and 20/40 (navigator) must be correctable to 20/20 in each eye.

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posted 04-17-2007 06:36 PM               

Don't let her give up. Who knows what medical advances will take place to allow her eyesite to be improved. She should stay on track with her education and keep trying.

(Maybe I should ask for her autograph now?)

I wish her the best.

posted 04-17-2007 06:53 PM               

Please tell her not to give up -- there's an awful lot of us who wanna see her fly in space, and we can say 'we knew her when!'

posted 05-02-2007 01:17 PM            

As gently as I could I told John that although he was a really great guy he might not be what the Air Force was looking for. John explained that he had a plan. His dad, who was footing the bill for his flying, told John that he didn't care what it cost or how long it took form him to get his private pilot's licence. If it took 300 hours that was just fine with dad. John would then enter Air Force flight training but he wouldn't tell them that he was already a pilot and boy would he ever impress them with his ability to learn. Or so John thought.

I'm dyslexic and so you can bet I was sympathetic but even given 300 hours I didn't think I could make John a pilot. He just didn't have it. And there was something else he didn't have. He didn't have a back up plan. John couldn't see himself as anything other than an Air Force fighter pilot. Nothing else interested him.

posted 05-03-2007 07:40 AM               

I agree with the statement that what is needed is people contributing. Everyone can play a part in space exploration. The only thing that matters is to find a part you enjoy.

posted 01-22-2008 08:14 AM               

Anyone seeking admission to any of the service academies should find out all the requirements before setting that as a goal. In 1965 I was trying for the US Air Force Academy. I knew I needed very good grades, lots of extra curricular activities (in school and the community), and participation on an athletic team. I sailed through the first round of interviews and was told to report for my physical at Homestead AFB. Shortly afterwards, I received my rejection letter. My sitting height was to tall!! Back then the main purpose of the USAFA was to crank out fighter pilots and I couldn't fit in the cockpit.

Mike, let Miranda read this thread. Sometimes a persons heart and desire are not enough to overcome certain obstacles. There are times when the bodies we were born with just don't fit the needs of specific jobs. To be in one of the military Honor Guards, you have to be tall. To be a Mercury astronaut, you had to be short. Once Miranda has all the requirements for a position that she wants to fill, then she can go about accomplishing the tasks to achieve that goal.

Bill

posted 01-22-2008 10:24 AM               

From the NASA site:

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Is surgery to improve visual acuity allowed?

As of September 2007, the refractive surgical procedures of the eye, PRK and LASIK, are now allowed, providing at least 1 year has passed since the date of the procedure with no permanent adverse after effects. For those applicants under final consideration, an operative report on the surgical procedure will be requested.

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posted 01-24-2008 01:00 AM               

First of all, there are flight officer positions in the Air Force that don't require perfect vision, just vision that is correctable to 20/20 with glasses or contacts. Mike Mullane was a prime example as he was a flight test engineer when he got selected as a Mission Specialist. Plenty of the members in the current astronaut corps (military and civilian) also wear contacts in orbit.

It used to be in the Navy that if one joined that service to become a pilot with 20/20 vision and it decreased during training, they would let them remain a fighter pilot as by that time, the Navy had already invested millions of Uncle Sam's tax dollars in the candidate and they didn't want it to go to waste. I believe it is the same in the Air Force now as well.

In John Young's case, he was Navy and needed vision correction for far sighted vision problems due to age. His experience made him invaluable in the cockpit, but his vision was sure as heck close to perfect when he joined up in class 2 about 20 years before STS-1. Some SR-71 pilots in that program wore glasses in their pressure suits from way back in the early days of the program, so the early shuttle suits (which were slightly modified, off the shelf SR-71 suits) were capable of handling the use of glasses without any problems.

Mike, I think in your daughter's case she might want to evaluate her options fully if being an astronaut is really her ultimate career goal. It worked for many other women before her in the civilian and military ranks anyway. Okay, so maybe she can't become a fighter pilot, but she can still pick a path that ultimately ends up as astronaut candidate material. I would also look at the Navy as a possible option as well since it seems like a lot more individuals from that branch of service tend to get selected who aren't pilots.

The biggest step will be having good fundimentals in math and science classes, as these will provide the basis for whatever career she chooses. Engineering and Medical backgrounds will potentially give her and edge (how about going to medical school and joining the Air Force as a Flight Surgeon?). One doesn't need to be a pilot either to get into flight testing and even some helicopter pilots have become astronauts (possibly a skill to consider if we go back to the Moon or on to Mars).

The biggest thing about the current crop of Astronaut candidates these days is that they aren't narrow focused in their talents. Those with a rather wide talent base tend to be the best candidates as NASA really wants to get a great return on their investment. Plus, these days the Mission Specialists tend to get the really cool assignments from performing EVAs to science missions in orbit. Yes it is fun to pilot and potentially command a spacecraft from the front, but that isn't the only job to do in space when somebody gets there. Why spend the time driving the ship when one can sit in back and let somebody else do the driving?

posted 01-25-2008 12:06 PM               

So if being a pilot is what your daughter always wanted to do and she'd be happy flying heavies for the Air Force (lesser vision req's than fighter pilots) and then maybe for an airline, then great, go for it. I (with my terrible eyes) would be envious! If the Academy is only a means to that particular end, then it may not be the way to go for her. There are lots of other career options that can make her eligible for the astronaut program, just make sure she loves whatever she picks! Good advice to us all...

Cheers,

posted 01-29-2008 08:29 AM               

As I mentioned earlier we met that Army recruiter at a soft ball game. Just yesterday we were watching a high light slide show of that season and when the photos taken that night came up Miranda remember the game as the one the mean recruiter was at.

I think I will let her read this thread afterall.

posted 01-29-2008 12:30 PM               

I used to have about 20/400 vision without correction and glasses that made my eyes look tiny.

Although not 100% perfect (my left eye seems slightly weaker than my right) I'm doing just fine without glasses or contact lenses. The hardest part about doing it is trying to quit grabbing for your face to remove your glasses before getting in the shower in the morning. Took me a while to get over that.

I did fly and instruct before Lasik, but had "Must wear corrective lenses" on my flight medical. That isn't there anymore either.