BECOMING A PILOT · Last reviewed 27 October 2026
Can You Wear Glasses and Be an Airline Pilot?
Yes. You can wear glasses and become an airline pilot. You do not need perfect eyesight without glasses, but your corrected vision and eye health must meet the medical standards for your licence. This guide sets out the UK CAA requirements and explains what they mean for someone considering flight training.
What eyesight does the UK CAA require?
UK CAA Class 1 distance-vision standards. Glasses or suitable contact lenses may be used to meet them.
| What is tested? | Class 1: professional pilots | Class 2: private pilots |
|---|---|---|
| Distance vision in each eye | 6/9 or better | 6/12 or better |
| Distance vision with both eyes | 6/6 or better | 6/9 or better |
| Near vision | N5 at 30–50 cm | |
| Intermediate vision | N14 at 100 cm | |
These standards can be met with glasses or suitable contact lenses. For Class 1, the CAA’s acceptable means of compliance do not set a limit for unaided visual acuity. See MED.B.070 and its supporting guidance.
Visual acuity measures how much detail you can see. “6/6” means you can see at six metres what the reference standard can see at six metres. “6/9” means you need to be at six metres to see detail that the reference standard can see at nine metres. Your prescription, measured in dioptres, is a different measurement.
Is there a maximum glasses prescription?
For Class 1, the CAA requires referral when myopia exceeds −6.0 dioptres, hypermetropia exceeds +5.0 dioptres, astigmatism exceeds 2.0 dioptres, or anisometropia exceeds 2.0 dioptres. These are referral thresholds, not automatic rejection limits. Certification may be possible following a satisfactory specialist assessment, with additional conditions; specified referral cases require 6/6 in each eye. The full CAA criteria explain the exceptions and further assessments.
Myopia means short-sightedness, while hypermetropia means long-sightedness. Astigmatism affects how the eye focuses light, and anisometropia means the prescriptions differ between the eyes. If your prescription is outside one of these thresholds, the practical next step is to ask an Aeromedical Centre which reports it needs. Do not assume that a high prescription rules out an airline career.
What happens at the eye examination?
Initial Class 1 applicants undergo a comprehensive eye examination. Routine eye checks form part of subsequent revalidation and renewal medicals, with specialist review when required. It is not simply a question of reading a chart successfully: eye health and visual function matter as well.
Take your current prescription and any existing optician or ophthalmology reports to the appointment. Tell the centre about previous surgery, eye conditions or changes in vision when you book. That gives it a chance to arrange the appropriate assessment and avoids treating an ordinary high-street sight test as a substitute for the aviation medical.
What must a pilot who wears glasses carry?
The CAA requires spectacle wearers to have an untinted prescription pair and at least one backup pair suitable for the light conditions throughout the flight. Frames should fit comfortably and minimise obstruction of peripheral vision. Airline pilots also need frames that work with an emergency oxygen mask. Read the CAA guidance on spectacle frames and lenses.
In practice, think about the whole working environment when choosing glasses. You need to read instruments and checklists, look outside, and wear your headset and other equipment comfortably. A frame that looks good in an optician’s shop may be less practical during a long duty.
Can airline pilots wear contact lenses?
Yes. The UK rules permit suitable distance contact lenses that are monofocal, non-tinted and well tolerated. Backup spectacles are still required. The CAA does not accept multifocal contact lenses, monovision correction, cosmetic coloured lenses or orthokeratology lenses for aviation use. Check the full contact-lens guidance.
This distinction matters if you already wear contacts for everyday life. A lens that is suitable for normal daily activities may not be accepted for flying. Discuss your exact lens type with your examiner and contact-lens practitioner rather than relying on the general statement that “pilots can wear contacts”.
What about sunglasses?
The CAA discourages polarised sunglasses because they can affect the visibility of some displays and produce distortion through certain cockpit windscreens. It also discourages photochromic sunglasses because their response may be unsuitable for rapidly changing light conditions. That is more precise than saying every polarised lens is universally prohibited. Read the CAA sunglasses guidance.
Choose sunglasses for the cockpit you will use and follow any additional operator requirements. Keep the required clear prescription pair available even if your spare pair consists of prescription sunglasses.
Can you become a pilot after laser eye surgery?
Laser treatment is not a way to guarantee a medical pass. The CAA assesses recovery and the outcome of the surgery, including the required stability and visual performance. Its guidance sets out the reports and assessments for different procedures. Check the CAA guidance following eye surgery.
If you are considering surgery primarily because you want to fly, discuss it with an aviation medical specialist before making the decision. You may already meet the standards with glasses, and surgery introduces a separate assessment that glasses alone would not require.
Do the same standards apply everywhere?
This page quotes the UK CAA standards. An EASA medical is issued under the applicable European rules through the responsible national authority. Military aviation has its own selection standards. Use the rules for the licence and role you actually intend to pursue, and do not treat an airline medical result as proof of military eligibility.
For an EASA licence, start with EASA’s aircrew and Part-MED rules and confirm your position with the relevant authority or Aeromedical Centre. Colour perception is a separate assessment, explained in our pilot colour-vision guide.
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