Noe wrote:
If I do wear glasses (minimal correction for astigmatism and short sightness), will I automatically have a “glasses” requirement on my licence, or does the requirement only depend on a “functional” test (e.g. if I’m able to reading some chart with letters successfully without glasses, I don’t get the requirement on my medical)
Yes. Basically, if you don’t want the glasses requirement then you should show up at the AME without glasses. Assuming, of course, that your uncorrected eyesight really is good enough.
When does one require a 2nd pair of glasses on board? (I only own one, I can live very well without my glasses)
If the medical requires correction, then you have to have a second pair on board.
Noe wrote:
If I do wear glasses (minimal correction for astigmatism and short sightness), will I automatically have a “glasses” requirement on my licence
You can turn up with, try that “ABCD test” without, if success then you don’t have that limitation
On my third C2 medical it was “nice to try, but now you need a 2nd pair”
Same feedback from me. I started wearing glasses mainly for computer work. I was open about it with my AME. At the moment I can do the ABCD chart without so no restriction on my medical.
Thanks!
My UK-issued EASA class 2 has Limitations: “VDL 2 shall wear corrective lenses and carry a spare set of spectacles.” Interestingly, my FAA class 3 says “must wear corrective lenses” with no mention of a second set. I took my glasses to the medical and had to read the gradually shrinking letters on the wall with and without them. There’s also book extracts to be read very close up (maybe 6”)… I desperately wanted to know where it’s from because one of the stories was quite interesting 
I was worried on my first medical, but the doctor said you’re ok as long as your eyesight is properly corrected. I’d try without glasses (but keep them hidden just in case) and see if it’s ok.
with advancing age, it wasn’t the eye chart that got me, it was the fine text that i had to read at the end of my nose distance. my medical now says glasses and a 2nd pair. buying glasses isnt a problem anymore – i got two pairs for 20GBP online – just enter the prescription on the website along with a easily findable offer code and you will have 2 pairs in a week or so.
Most people over 50 with good eyesight will be shocked at how much they are missing out from perfect eyesight due ti the gradual change that has occurred.
Even reading a car number plate easily at a distance would reveal a fairly large margin for improvement if tested by trying a correctly matched correction.
I’m just going through all this now.
As usual for most people, my reading ability is going first. On my last medical I did struggle with the close up test and despite effectively passing the AME quite rightly said this’ll the last time we sign you off without glasses.
I have a pair for £1 from poundland and they are great. (Dispite my reluctance to admit I’m at that point in my life now).
Even reading stuff on my phone, that I can read without glasses, is enhanced like going from a poor 1990’s VHS Tape to full HD on your tele.
The stated requirement to carry a spare pair is not IME universal if you need glasses to pass the medical. Some get it, some don’t. Also I have not come across a requirement to read very close text; the standard is about 30-40cm for close-up.
If you need to do fine work e.g. tiny electronic components that’s a different thing and with different solutions, starting with really powerful reading glasses (e.g. +4) or, much better still, buy surgeon’s loupes.
Yes, glasses really improve one’s life massively. And you end up spending significant money on them. They do stuff which no eye surgery would do: improve both ends dramatically, with none of the tradeoffs or risks.
You can use off the shelf reading glasses for quick jobs but most people who need them also have astigmatism (which is not a disease BTW; it is just an assymetry in the correction required, versus the axis) and properly made ones made a big difference for stuff like book reading.
The other threads are worth a read. There are a load of dodgy practices in the optical business, designed to flog you stuff which is over the top, and costs hundreds. The latest con is to withdraw bifocal lenses and do varifocal only, which are always expensive, the cheap ones are crap to use, and are hard to get right by mail order. Another current con is to not do bifocals with less than +0.75 which again feeds the lucrative varifocal business; I buy +0.50 ones from specialists in the US.
Dispite my reluctance to admit I’m at that point in my life now
You get more intelligent women this way 
My GF has a PhD so that proves it.
Capitaine wrote:
Interestingly, my FAA class 3 says “must wear corrective lenses” with no mention of a second set.
That is the only notation you’ll see on an FAA medical, based on pass/fail of the wall chart test. The specifics beyond that are up to you and your eye doctor, not the AME. The best solution for me is one contact lens and rimless ‘executive’ reading glasses. I can fly the plane adequately with no correction (I have natural mono vision) and that is my backup.
I take the wall chart etc test with a set of bifocal glasses which are very good for passing the test but not good for flying my plane.
I’ve told I recently used glasses, but we did all the tests without, which I’ve passed, no no requirement for me this time.
