Military aircrew eyewear survey: Operational issues

Abstract

Background: Army aircrew are required to operate under stressful conditions within a degraded visual environment. To gain an understanding of current eyewear mission needs, we surveyed aircrew regarding operational issues associated with the current U.S. Army-issue aircrew eyewear. Methods: An anonymous online survey was completed by 976 U.S. Army aircrew personnel recruited through an invitational e-mail. Results: Of the respondents, 34% reported wearing corrective lenses. Nearly 50% of them reported dissatisfaction with the HGU-4/P Aviator spectacles. The leading problems reported were discomfort (15%), " hot spots " around the ears (13%), and break of the earcup seal (11%). Nearly 41% of the respondents wore multifocal lenses and, of those, 16% reported that the HGU-4/P ' s restricted fi eld of view (FOV) adversely affected duty performance. Of those who wore Modifi ed HGU-4/P Apache spectacles, 79% had an unacceptable FOV with the helmet display unit. A similar number of aircrew modifi ed the Apache eyewear to increase the FOV. In addition, wind and dust created eye discomfort or affected the vision of 46% of all respondents when performing fl ight duties. Over 82% expressed the need for an improved aircrew spectacles and 73% desired aviation-compatible protective eyewear. Discussion: The current Army HGU-4/P Aviator and the Modifi ed HGU-4/P Apache spectacles have signifi cant operational deficiencies and compatibility issues. Such defi ciencies have led to poor wear compliance and unauthorized modification of the Army-issue Aviator eyewear, posing readiness and safety issues. The results of this survey formally identify the need for military combat eye protection that is compatible with flight systems. © Aerospace Medical Association,Alexandria, VA.