Color Blind Concern

C

CanIflyyet

Guest
I am red-green color blind deficiency. Am I able to obtain medical clearance to earn my class three private pilot? I have good distant vision 20/20 and nearsighted vision of 20/30. I am just a bit worried if I am not able to get my medical clearance because of my color blind deficiency. I was told by my optometrist about 8 months ago that I have a mild case of red-green deficiency. Although, I tried trying those online color blind test, I had a hard time getting them right. I fear I might fail this part of the exam.
 
I am in same boat, I have a medical with no night flight and no color gun control restrictions. You learning to fly from a controlled airport or uncontrolled?
 
Criitter7 said:
I am in same boat, I have a medical with no night flight and no color gun control restrictions. You learning to fly from a controlled airport or uncontrolled?
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I haven't started my training yet. I was told to go get my AME done first before moving on. So I am just afraid of being rejected. I don't mind having a night restriction. I have no desire to fly out at night.
 
Was it the ishara test, with the dots?

Plenty of people who see colors just fine fail that one.

Try this one first

http://www.color-blindness.com/color-arrangement-test/

If you do well I'd look into a FAA alternate test like the lantern test, I would NOT do the demonstration test with the Feds though.
 
I am also slightly color deficient (failed the Ishara plates at my eye doctor and with the AME).

He had me look at a sectional and identify a number of colors; which I did without any problem and he did not restrict my 3rd class medical.
 
CanIflyyet said:
I am red-green color blind deficiency. Am I able to obtain medical clearance to earn my class three private pilot? I have good distant vision 20/20 and nearsighted vision of 20/30. I am just a bit worried if I am not able to get my medical clearance because of my color blind deficiency. I was told by my optometrist about 8 months ago that I have a mild case of red-green deficiency. Although, I tried trying those online color blind test, I had a hard time getting them right. I fear I might fail this part of the exam.
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A SEARCH of this forum found this from Dr. Bruce Chien, our über-AME.

http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showpost.php?p=938285&postcount=14

Quote:
Originally Posted by cocolos
I believe I am partially red-green colorblind. I've done a couple of online test that have more or less confirmed it. I was curious, should I schedule my 3rd class medical exam or try and see an optometrist and see if I can do one of the alternative color vision exams?
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Dr. Bruce's response:
Cocolos, first pay an AME and don't expect to touch paper during a consultation. Make sure he has a couple of different color dot tests and see how badly or how well you do. Insist on DAYLIGHT, it matters. If he's really an airman advocate, see about him getting you in front of the tower light guns, which is half of the third class waiver exam.

There are all different levels of red-green deuteranopia, from moderatley easy to certify to "OMG I'm not sure you can pass the operational waiver ride".

In fact, I have gotten one guy who is CLEARLY quite colorbind (red gree, severe) but he was able to memorize all the colors of the sectional, the legend, the MALSR (Instrument lighting array), and passed his FIRST CLASS color vision ride. He has, "color perception adequate for the performance of airman duties". He may not see magenta as magenta, or green as green, but he knows enough to be able to identify whatever it is he does see as "green" or "purple".


But the waiver ride is only TWICE in your whole life, so think about that LAST.
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Doing the color dot plates in direct sunlight makes a huge difference as that's the lighting environment they were designed for, not tubular fluorescent lights many offices have. The color temp of the tubes is way off from sunlight and will tilt the results.

Notice Dr. Bruce mentions doing a consult with the AME. Again important since a consult is just that, you working with the doc to find out if certification is possible at all and if not, what is needed to make it so. If you go "actual" first and fail the color test, then you're stuck with restrictions you might have had the chance to test out of.

Only once you know you will pass the exam and achieve no restrictions, should you go "live" with the exam and get your certificate.

If the AME refuses to do a consult, find a different AME.

If you really want this to be done right, reach out directly to Dr. Bruce Chien via his website, http://www.aeromedicaldoc.com/how-to-start.html. Dr. Bruce will do all that is possible to help you achieve your goal of gaining the medical certificate.
 
I *think* the worst case, you are colorblind and can't get a waiver, means you can't fly at night. I don't know how FAA handles light gun restrictions. (A light gun is basically a flashlight with a red, green, and clear lens that the tower will aim at you and give you color coded signals if radios fail.)
 
I've got the same color deficiency. Mine is mild enough my first medical had no restrictions (never even knew I had any color blindness until that first medical), but my second (different AME) they put on the night and color control signal restrictions. Honestly, it affects me zilch. I didn't like night flying during primary training. That makes short winter days tougher for trips, but it's cold anyway.
 
Unregistered said:
I haven't started my training yet. I was told to go get my AME done first before moving on. So I am just afraid of being rejected. I don't mind having a night restriction. I have no desire to fly out at night.
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You won't be rejected for being color-blind. The worst that will happen is your certificate will be invalid for flight at night (ok, kind of sucks, but not the end of the world) and for flight by color signal control (completely a non-issue).

If your plan was to be a commercial pilot or a military pilot you need to consider alternative tests and the best way to pass. But, if you're just looking to fly for lunch as a private pilot with a third-class medical, it's totally a non-issue.

I'm color-blind, with my IFR, and a third-class medical. I don't fly at night. I haven't bothered to seriously look into alternative tests and waivers because it's just not a big deal to me and I've always known I'm legitimately red-green color-blind.
 
I am also color blind and have no desire to fly at night (No problem with exemption). So how do you proceed from the get go? Go get 3rd class medical and let them know of my deficiency?
 
vtflyer said:
I am also color blind and have no desire to fly at night (No problem with exemption). So how do you proceed from the get go? Go get 3rd class medical and let them know of my deficiency?
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You've got two choices -- live with a "no night flying" limitation on your medical (see below) and get the Private Pilot ticket, or go for Sport Pilot using your driver's license in lieu of a medical certificate. But if you go Private, you cannot avoid doing the 3 hours of night training with an instructor no matter what it says on your medical.

B. Certificate Limitation
If an applicant fails to meet the color vision standard as interpreted above but is otherwise qualified, the Examiner must issue a medical certificate bearing the limitation:

NOT VALID FOR NIGHT FLYING OR BY COLOR SIGNAL CONTROL
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thanks for the reply. I don't have an issue with dual night instruction.
 
I got the waiver. Couldn't pass the daylight signal from the tower. Requested night exam.
 
You should probably talk to Dr. Bruce (especially if you're anywhere near him).

What he does is have a whole slew of acceptable office tests for colorblindness in GOOD CONDITION plus he has a room (really a vestibule of his office) that has strong natural daylight which helps that can get many people who have only minor deficiencies through the test with nothing special.

If not, then he can recommend a strategy for one of the other demonstrated ability tests.
 
Lots of people who can't pass a 'dots' test can tell green / red / white apart in a real-world light-gun test (I am one of them). If you can do that and pick out some colors on a sectional, no more "NO NIGHT".

James331 - why do you recommend against getting a test from the FSDO?

It was totally painless when I did it, and a nice opportunity to meet a few of the FSDO folks too. They all held at least Private certs, and all seemed happy to be issuing a 'pass'.

I might have been a bit more circumspect if I had any desire to fly professionally, but I don't.
 
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