color deficiency

F

Fitz

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Looking for some guidance from a mild red-green color deficient pilot. My fifteen year old son completed his first medical, and received a restriction due to not being able to read the Ishihara Plates. After doing some research, and speaking with both the FAA and CAMI, they have suggested that he complete the alternate color screenings before requesting the Specialized Operational Medical Test. I'm confident he wouldn't have an issue passing the SOMA (based on performance in flight school ie. light signal test, discriminating colors on an aeronautical map) my concern is he is still young, and it is final.

What is the best test to take for a mild green-red deficiency? He took the Farnsworth D-15, and out of the four sets of colored bars, he only flipped two (very closely related colors). While this test is not acceptable, it was a starting point. It is my understanding that many pilots have issues with the Ishihara, but have been successful on others.
 
The Ishihara test is designed to be accurate in bright sunlight, or light at the equivalent color temperature. If your son took the test in the typically lighted MD office (I.e. fluorescent lights), he may well have a false positive result for color blind vision. First before you go with alternative tests, get a set of newish Ishihara plates (colors tend to fade over time) and take the tests on a sunny mid-day.

Good luck to your son!
 
You are absolutely correct. It was an interior room, with typical lighting. I have scheduled him an appointment with a College of Optometry who provide many forms of testing. However, we tinkered a bit with the online Ishihara tests--and he was successful. I assumed it was because it was a computer screen, and most likely not accurate. Thanks for the recommendation.
 
Fitz said:
This is great information! Thank you!
Click to expand...

Yes! The poster is username bbchien, Dr. Bruce Chien, MD and Senior AME, known in these parts as He-who-should-be-listened-to-VERY-carefully.

He has helped many pilots get and keep their medicals.

-Skip
 
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