Definition
A refractive condition of the eye, commonly called farsightedness, in which light entering the eye focuses behind the retina rather than directly on it. This causes near objects to appear blurry while distant objects are seen more clearly. It results from an eyeball that is too short or a cornea with insufficient curvature, and is corrected with convex (plus-power) lenses.
Plain English
Farsightedness. The eye has trouble focusing on things up close, so nearby objects look blurry while far-away objects look sharper.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA night vision and medical discussions about factors that can affect a pilot’s ability to see clearly, especially when reading close items in the cockpit.
Derivation
From the Greek hyper- meaning 'over' or 'beyond,' and ops meaning 'eye' or 'sight.' Literally 'sight beyond' -- the eye sees better at a distance than up close, which matches the practical meaning.
Why Pilots Care
Uncorrected hyperopia can make reading approach plates, checklists, and instruments difficult during night operations when cockpit lighting is dim.
Intuition Check
Hyperopia does not mean “better than normal vision.” It means the eye has difficulty focusing on close objects without extra effort.
Example Sentence 1
The pilot's hyperopia made reading the approach plate difficult, so he wore reading glasses in the cockpit.
Example Sentence 2
During the night flight review the examiner confirmed the student had no uncorrected hyperopia that would interfere with scanning the panel.