Steve Glenn and the StearmanMy name is Steve Glenn, and I am a professional pilot. I am a Boeing 777 captain for an international cargo company. I’m also a volunteer pilot with the Commemorative Air Force, a 65-year-old organization that flies World War II aircraft for the education and enjoyment of people all over the world.

I fly the Stearman for the CAF, a WWII trainer that was used to train the Tuskegee Airmen as well as pilots in various training fields in Alabama. The Stearman is a beautiful biplane with one serious challenge to its pilots – it is a “taildragger,” meaning it has a wheel under the tail instead of the nose.

Pilots have to fly the Stearman from the back seat. On the ground, I cannot see directly in front of me. This presents challenges when taxiing. I must do “S-turns” in order to assess my surroundings before turning. But the real challenge is landing – I cannot see the runway in front of me, and I must use my peripheral vision to “build” the centerline of the runway in my mind using the triangles of pavement I can see to each side – we call those the “pie slices.”

When I first started training in the Stearman I wore my glasses, and it was tough… I made it safe, but it was hard to do. Then I went to see Dr. Carol Rosensteil and was fitted for scleral contacts to accommodate some surgery scars that don’t allow me to wear regular contacts. Immediately, I had the best vision I’ve had in 20 years. On top of that, my Stearman landings became much easier. Without glasses I have unobstructed peripheral vision.

I thank Dr. Rosensteil, Darius, and all the staff at UAB Callahan Eye for making me a better pilot. I highly recommend them to anyone – especially anyone contemplating scleral contacts.