I already scheduled an appointment for HD Lasik surgery and I'm going to return to training for my private pilot's license soon and want to get my instrumental rating as well because I want to fly at night as well. Now the thing that concerns me is my night vision after the HD Lasik and how the flap will affect my vision and lifestyle. Any pilots here that had Lasik or HD Lasik?

Can't comment on the Lasik, but you do not need an instrument rating to fly at night...

It is helpful though. :-hah----------------------------------------------------------------John MorganReal World: KGEG, UND Aerospace Spokane Satillite, Private ASEL 141.2 hrs, 314 landings, 46 inst. apprs.Virtual: MSFS 2004"There is a feeling about an airport that no other piece of ground can have. No matter what the name of the country on whose land it lies, an airport is a place you can see and touch that leads to a reality that can only be thought and felt." - The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story by Richard Bach

I am a pilot who had Lasik, don't know what "HD" Lasik even is. Great results, great night vision although had this halo effect at night around streent lamps but this only was caused by sudden transition from light to darkness.Michael J.WinXP-Home SP2,AMD64 3500+,Abit AV8,Radeon X800Pro,36GB Raptor,1GB PC3200,Audigy 2http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/747400.jpghttp://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_beta_member.jpg

Make sure it's allowed where you are. Here where I live LASIK will automatically get your medical cancelled (or denied). There may be a way to fight that after a period, but you're effectively grounded for at least a year (and as your license needs to be kept current every year that means you loose it).

There were concerns about pilots who experience high G-loadings. The flap could become detached under high loadings ...

There was a lawsuit in Arizona where an America West pilot was suing the doctor who did the Lasik procedure. The pilot lost his medical and his ATP rating.Military pilots - last time I heard - about January - cannot have Lasik at all.Hopefully the FAA and medical community have gotten over that concerns.I would recommend that before you have anything done to your eyes, you get your flight surgeon to review and approve the procedure in writing. Yes it will cost some extra money - but not doing so could cost you the skies.And I'm not talking about the extremely slim possibility the procedure could not be successful.

I cancelled my appointment. Is there a place that I can call or a website I can go to to see a surgeon has done any malpractice in his history or gives an evaluation of lasik eye surgeons. I just wasn't sure if I wanted to go with this surgeon and still had some questions in my mind about the procedure that I wasn't sure of. More questions have cropped up since the last time I saw him.

I believe there is an eye hospital in the UK which has a very advanced and new system based on something like inertial navigation where the eye ball is recreated graphically to perfection, adjusted to perfection and is giving 20+ vision. It was touted as giving fighter pilots super human vision although very expensive.The hospital was the leading eye hospital in London but will have to find out the name.Peter

Moorfields?Matt

http://www.moorfields.org.uk/PrivatePatientsMatt Yes found the link :-) I believe they are the world leaders in this sort of surgery.Act in haste repent in leisure. If it was my eyes I would go to the best whatever the cost and regardless of making a trip to Europe.Peter

I'd not have anyone cut into my eyes with either a scalpel or a laser unless the alternative were certain blindness.The risks are too great.

Yes military pilots and those personel with jobs that require good vision without glasses are allowed to have lasik. It was only just a few years ago when they were not even allowing contact lenses for flyers.Terry

>There was a lawsuit in Arizona where an America West pilot>was suing the doctor who did the Lasik procedure. The pilot>lost his medical and his ATP rating.Most likely he lost it temporarily.Before the lasik surgery I sent the question to Flying Magazine surgeon (they have an FAA medical doctor) and he replied that I will be not allowed to fly after the surgery for some period (I think it was 6 months). Since at the time I was not flying anyway it was not an issue for me.Michael J.WinXP-Home SP2,AMD64 3500+,Abit AV8,Radeon X800Pro,36GB Raptor,1GB PC3200,Audigy 2http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/747400.jpghttp://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_beta_member.jpg

I have not had Lasik and think it's a bit risky for a pilot. A good friend, who is both a pilot and an opthomologist, recommended against Lasik as long as I was getting good vision from contacts and/or glasses.