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Can you fly jets if you have astigmatism?

?| Yes, it is possible for people with astigmatism to become fighter jet pilots, although it may depend on the severity of their astigmatism and other factors related to their vision.



Yes, you can fly jets—both as a commercial pilot and even in many military roles—if you have astigmatism, provided it is correctable to 20/20 vision. In 2026, the FAA and other global aviation authorities allow pilots to fly with glasses or contact lenses, as long as they carry a spare pair of corrective lenses on them at all times. For commercial pilots, the requirement is generally that your vision must be correctable to 20/20 in each eye for distance, and 20/40 for near vision. Even in the military, the "perfect uncorrected vision" rule has been significantly relaxed; many fighter pilots in 2026 have undergone approved laser eye surgeries like PRK or LASIK to correct their astigmatism before or during their service. The primary concern for aviation examiners is not the presence of a refractive error like astigmatism, but rather the health of the eye and the stability of the correction. As long as your vision is stable and your "Class 1 Medical Certificate" is maintained, astigmatism is not a barrier to the cockpit.

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That being said, every pilot must have at least 20/20 vision in each eye with or without corrective lenses in place. If your vision is so poor that glasses are unable to correct your vision to that level, then most agencies will not allow you to proceed with training.

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As of Sep 22, 2023, the average annual pay for the Boeing 747 Pilot jobs category in Staten Island is $100,515 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $48.32 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,932/week or $8,376/month.

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Top companies for Pilots in United Kingdom
  • Jet2.com and Jet2holidays. 3.4 £76,051per year. 553 reviews8 salaries reported.
  • Virgin Atlantic. 3.9 £73,725per year. 446 reviews8 salaries reported.
  • British Airways. 3.6 £71,775per year. ...
  • easyJet. 3.9 £56,456per year. ...
  • Royal Air Force. 4.2 £53,624per year. ...
  • Show more companies.


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Due to the risks to flight safety posed by ADHD, regulatory authorities worldwide consider ADHD a disqualifying condition for pilots. Unfortunately, pilots sometimes fail to disclose ADHD to their Aviation Medical Examiner (AME).

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Both airline pilot vision requirements and commercial pilot eyesight requirements are the same: Distance visual acuity of 20/20 or better in each eye, with or without correction. Intermediate visual acuity of 20/40 or better in each eye, with or without correction.

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