Sorry to hear of your eye problems Ian.  But danny is right, you will be able to fly in 2 seaters with another pilot. You sure are welcome to fly like this in my Jabiru if you ever make it to Gawler or Edenhope.

Yes, very sorry to hear your condition's deteriorated that much, Ian. 

Reminds us all of the tenuous hold we have on our various faculties ... and to answer your classic  "Doesn't anyone fly anymore?" in the affirmative, while we still can.

All the best in adjusting to your new limitations.

And thanks for all your on-going efforts to keep the site up and running despite it all.  

Ian 

so sorry to read of your deteriorated eyesight and it’s impact  on your ability to fly. I recently read that in the coming decade advances in non surgical opthomology will render all corrective lenses a thing of the past. Perhaps your day will come again? 

At any rate,  we value your extraordinary contribution to the aviation community through your  running of this website and I’m sure there will always be a right seat  for your to scratch the flying itch. 

Best wishes 

Alan

So sorry to hear that Ian. My eyesight is such that I cannot read the 2cm high digits on my alarm clock without glasses. Sometimes, even with them, text on the screen is blurry. It has to be at just the right distance. I practice doing some things in total darkness so that if it got to that stage I could manage. I have to take two tablets early in the morning, at least an hour before breakfast I have things set up so the tablets are in an old tablet bottle, some water is in an old lemonade bottle beside the bed, so if I wake at, say 4.30, I can take the cap off the water bottle, wash down the tablets and put the cap back all in total darkness. Attaching and removing the night bag from my urostomy pouch in the dark is something else I have prcaticed. Fortunately the bits are designed so a blind person can do them. Kinda like braille. It is a scary prospect, I know how you feel. I hope I'm not making things difficult for you.

The biggest problem is I get the Aurora Australis lights every time I close my eyes...this is what I see all night long with my eyes closed, and even a lot during the day with my eyes open:

Corrine went and purchased a bed side clock with huge 2" numbers so i could see them:

Hi Ian,

Very sorry to hear about the deterioration to your eyes.. I can only echo what has already been sent...

Thanks for maintaining the site despite various challenges - this one the most important..

All the very best wishes,

Lance

Bugger. I saw this posted above. A peculiarly Australian response perhaps. It was my first response as well... I was bloody annoyed about my knees deteriorating, my shoulder in constant pain, feeling tired all the time and I see this. I have bugger all to feel bad about. So sorry you have this. I have tinnitus. Constant ringing that can drive people mad. I ignore it. Harder to ignore lights with closed eyes. Hard to deal with not being able to fly and do other things you have a passion for.

Bugger! You look just have to replace the bits missing with other things you’ll be passionate about!

Chin up Ian.

All the sympathy in the world does little to ease that hand you've been dealt.

Rest assured that you have many friends (especially through your great forum). Take strength from knowing that.

Have faith in the best advice that your opthalmologist gives you.

And keep looking for those little gems of joy that do come your way, from whatever direction they come.

And whenever a empty right hand seat is offered, take it. Even with limited sight, nothing can steal the feeling a steady climb out.

All the best to you.

Heartily agree with getting a lift in that right seat !.

spacesailor

Mike, I agree with you about tinnitus. I have a constant sound like an electrical transformer, plus whooshing like two tornadoes, one in each ear, and they are different and not synchronised. Similar to driving on the freeway with a window open just a tad. It is as persistant and annoying as cicadas in summer. I have the radio or TV on, not to listen to, but to distract and try to blanket out the sound.

I've had tinnitus for a couple of years now & have learned to ignore it. I only notice it when someone mentions it. Mine is just a constant high pitched ringing.

Hi Ian,

I am very sorry to hear about your eye issues.

I hope that you'll get opportunities to fly with an instructor from time to time to continue to experience the joys of flight. 

Greetings to Corinne too.

Thread drift I know, but we have spoken above about tinnitus. I have just been watching a video on Youtube and the sound I have constantly at the back of my head, in addition the the whooshing of two tornadoes, is the whistle of a taxying Vickers Viscount.

As those who have been in front of A Viscount with 4 engines howling will know is bloody intolerable.  It's not the props. It's the compressor intakes. Nev

I’d not swap the tinnitus for lights. Bugger! Sorry to hear this. I was just thinking about the sounds of tinnitus. Whooshing etc. When it’s really quiet I have mosquitoes. No idea if they are real or not. Used a lot of bug spray and now I just go “have at it”. 
 

It's most like the sound of the steam generators on top of the boiler on steam Loco's. Hiss and wining sound.. Can be most disconcerting when all is absolutely quiet. Nev

Best wishes Ian. The medical profession, despite my criticizing them, is real good these days. Apart from that endorsement, I agree that you will always be welcome to the right hand seat of the many  planes owned by us forumites, certainly my Jabiru for one. We are very grateful for all you have done with this site.