RE: Poor depth perception
 

According to an optometrist on a thread on another forum, "Green focuses further away and red closer (on the RED/GREEN test)". He has a lot of good explanations there if anyone wants to read that thread. I can't post a link to it due to the rules of this forum, but if anyone wants to know where to find it send me a PM or email and I will send it to you.

As many of us get older, this is going to be more common. Probably there are many of us that need correction now that haven't realized it yet as it has progressed slowly with age.

RE: Poor depth perception
 

I am having the same problems. Think I am over the runway just to find I'm several feet in the tall grass. I use to work in an optical lab and to the best of my knowledge color of lenses don't help depth, it will help seeing the plane in different light conditions. Most aviator type glasses try to block blue from the spectrum for the obvious reason. I haven't found a way to help this problem other than practice to find your spot and adjust to it even when it seems wrong.

RE: Poor depth perception
 

I realize that is of course a tongue in cheek statement but in fact there is a color darkness and tint codeing for lenses that can be ordered. I,ve no idea if there is a #4 or not but I have used green #1 and #2's in the past and settled on #3's.

Also I beleve the original so called government issue aviator glasses (going back some time) were green #3's.

I was only just reporting what has worked well for me both in my past full scale career and for model flight over the years.


John

RE: Poor depth perception
 

I am just going by what an Optometrist/Flyer is recommending. My doctor does not fly and has no experience with this particular problem but he is willing to work on it with me. I guess that is all I can ask. I am gathering all of the info I can get and will let him study it and see what he can do.

As for the green, I have used fishing glasses in a green tint in the past, but they were pretty dark. They did seem to be easier on the eyes than some other colors, but I never tried to fly with them and now they are gone and I can't find another pair.

RE: Poor depth perception
 

I think that anything that makes this sport safer and more enjoyable is worth discussing. I know there are lots more of us that are starting to have vision loss due to our age and anything that helps that can't be bad for the sport.

RE: Poor depth perception
 

I had a couple 'off-road' landings when I was sure, the plane was above the asphalt. Then I learned to ignore my vison and use the following technique on landing:

1. Like someone wrote here the last turn seems to be just on the flight line then I fly the plane that feels like straigt to my face. It seems like it is flying to me, but when it's close in fact it is 20-50 feet away from the flight line.

2. We have quite short runway so I choose the flying station closest to the touch-down line. When I land I never aim at touch-down line, but I rather continue to fly until I have the plane almost in front of me. This gives me cnfidence, that the landing is not short. I would rather roll out onto the grass at the end of the runway when the speed is slow instead touching down short on the grass when speed is just below the stall speed.

RysiuM

RE: Poor depth perception
 

Very true, in fact after a few feet away from you, having vision in only one eye really doesn't affect depth "perception". Both eyes come into play doing close-up work. FWIW, aren't there full scale pilots that are blind in one eye?

RE: Poor depth perception
 

One Eyed Pilots? Like Willey Post?

RE: Poor depth perception
 

Doesn’t everyone have an occasional depth perception problem that is attributed to radio interference?

I have flown in the same location for so long that there has been a close encounter with every bush, rock, and tree anywhere near. The close encounters leave engraved impressions on the mind until the entire flying site is permanently mapped. After the mapping is complete flying is easy.

Bill

RE: Poor depth perception
 

Yep Bills,

I think there is definately something in what you say. After flying in one spot for a couple of years we lost our field :( and I now fly at a couple of different places. It took me a while to get adjusted to the new sites. Both of the new sites have fences around the strip to keep stock out. Most of the club memebers have managed to hit a wire or two whilst getting used to the new fields.

Nick

RE: Poor depth perception
 

"Very true, in fact after a few feet away from you, having vision in only one eye really doesn't affect depth "perception". "

this is very bad mis-information.... the brain can, after some time of learning or re-learning, accomidate and compensate by using other visual cues, but it will NEVER be as "accurate" as binocular vision.... don't underestimate the power of that "computer" between the ears, its sensory evaluation capabilities are enormous.... that is NOT to say that it can compensate for the ignorance displayed by the typical American teenager :D

[:-]

RE: Poor depth perception
 

Then, of course, as mentioned up in #21, Wiley Post flew around the world TWICE with only one eye. I once read somewhere that our binocular vision and deapth perception are only effective out to 10 feet or so. After that it's just experiance and common sence telling you how far away you are.

RE: Poor depth perception
 

G'day all, I have lost the sight in 1 eye and have alot of trouble with depth perception. For those that can't grasp what it's like, try closing one eye and have a friend throw a ball at you to catch or try parking your car in a garage and see how far short you are to the wall. The strange thing is that it does'nt affect my flying or landings. I think the size of the plane in relation to how far away it is probably helps with depth perception for me as it gives a point of reference. Perhaps that could help those who have the same prob, focus on the size of your plane in any given distance and adjust accordingly. Regards, John.