FAR 67.203 — Second-Class Medical Eye Standards
FAR 67.203 sets the eye standards for a second-class airman medical: 20/20 distant, 20/40 near, color vision, fields of vision, and more.
FAR 67.203 establishes the eye standards an applicant must meet to hold a second-class airman medical certificate — the class required for commercial pilot privileges. If you fly commercially, these are the visual requirements you'll be tested against at every medical exam.
The rule requires:
- Distant visual acuity of 20/20 or better in each eye, with or without corrective lenses. If glasses or contacts are needed to reach 20/20, you must wear them while flying.
- Near vision of 20/40 or better at 16 inches in each eye. If you're age 50 or older, you must also meet 20/40 at 32 inches (intermediate distance) in each eye.
- Color vision sufficient to perform airman duties safely (think light gun signals, sectional charts, panel indicators).
- Normal fields of vision.
- No acute or chronic eye disease that impairs function, is expected to progress, or could be worsened by flying.
- Bifoveal fixation and an adequate vergence-phoria relationship. Specialized testing is only required if you exceed 1 prism diopter of hyperphoria, or 6 prism diopters of eso- or exophoria.
Operationally, this matters because commercial duties demand sharper visual performance than private flying — and any limitation (like corrective lenses) becomes a binding restriction on your certificate.
Five FAA-written-style questions. Instant explanations, every answer cites its source — no account needed.
You are flying VFR in Class E airspace at 8,500 feet MSL during the day. What are your minimum visibility and cloud clearance requirements?