Prevalence of corrective lens wear in Royal Australian Air Force flight crews

This study was undertaken to determine what effect the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) restrictive entry visual standards have on the prevalence of corrective lens wear in its aircrew. A 100% review of RAAF aircrew medical documents was conducted to determine the prevalence of corrective lens wear (spectacles and contact lenses) among pilots, navigators, flight engineers, loadmasters, and airborne electronics analysts. The prevalence of corrective lens wear by aircrew in the RAAF was then compared to that published for their counterparts in the USAF. Entry visual refraction standards for the RAAF and USAF were compared and related to the prevalence of corrective lens wear in each Service. Age data for RAAF aircrew were also compared to the requirement to wear corrective lenses. The study's findings indicate that the RAAF's restrictive visual refraction standards for entry into aircrew training programs significantly reduced the prevalence of corrective lens wear among all crew positions when compared to the USAF. A discussion is presented which relates the medical wastage associated with a restrictive visual standards policy and the operational implications of such a policy.