Various comments here and elsewhere have referred to pilots observing objects with the 'naked eye', or the 'Mark 1 eyeball'. But this is never strictly true. They will always be observing through the cockpit windscreen, and usually through a curved visor. They may also be wearing corrective lenses. One might naively expect that all military flyers would need outstanding uncorrected eyesight, but apparently this is not the case. According to one source:
(Source here:
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/vision-requirements-to-become-a-military-pilot-navigator-3332649 )
20/40 is about half as good as 'normal', whatever that means, so 20/200 must be pretty bad. 'Correctable' presumably means with glasses. Apparently contact lenses are not allowed for military pilots, though since 2007 laser eye surgery may be allowed. Non-pilot aircrew are subject to less stringent requirements. I note that in recent photos David Fravor is usually wearing glasses, but I don't know if this applied when he was in active service.
This is not to suggest that pilots with 'corrected' vision are unsafe or in any way unqualified for the job, just that wearing glasses (as I often do myself) introduces yet another layer of glass or plastic between the eyeball and the object, which means yet another opportunity for reflection or refraction. Some of the alleged behavior of UAPs, such as incredibly rapid or jerky movement, or simply vanishing from sight in an instant, sound much more like the behavior of reflected light than of physical objects. There are some examples in this amusing video by Thunderfoot, especially from around 10: 20 to 11:00.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th4VlqQyVr4&t=597s
I don't agree with everything Thunderfoot says (like the 'flapping wings' of the Gofast object) but his irreverent approach is a corrective to some of the 'Top Gun' hero-worship we see.
