Visual Acuity

[jebthereb]

i am red green color blind/deficient.

stop signs are red, red lights are red, green lights are green, marijuana is green, but when i take an ishihara color acuity test i fail. my most common response to the color plates is....."um...i see dots"

i pass the first couple of plates that indicates color vision but fail the red green portion of the test. this is not uncommon to the human male. (woman pass on that recessive gene. my boys are ok but my girls childern if she has boys will be....well...red green color blind/deficient.

the question is

what limitations will i face in attempting a rotary/fixed wing private/commercial rating.

thanks
jeb

[JEFF TIPTON]

You will need to apply for a LODA. You will meet with the FAA and receive a light gun test. It will display, white green and red. If you tell them apart the LODA issuance should not be a problem. Probably no operating limitations.

[Texasautogyro]

It depends on if you are just sport pilot. If you can drive they will never ask the question. Your drivers licence is your medical. I know a pilot in Alaska who had the FSDO do the light gun test and they gave him exception as well. They did not call it a LODA in his case. They just attached it to his file in Oklahoma.

[JEFF TIPTON]

Additional information

D. Specialized Operational Medical Tests for Applicants Who Do Not Meet the Standard.
Applicants who fail the color vision screening test as listed, but desire an airman medical certificate without the color vision limitation, may be given, upon request, an opportunity to take and pass additional operational color perception tests. If the airman passes the operational color vision perception test(s), then he/she will be issued a Letter of Evidence (LOE).

The operational tests are determined by the class of medical certificate requested. The request should be in writing and directed to AMCD or RFS. See NOTE for description of the operational color perception tests.
Applicants for a third-class medical certificate need only take the Operational Color Vision Test (OCVT).
The applicant is permitted to take the OCVT only once during the day. If the applicant fails, he/she may request to take the OCVT at night. If the applicant elects to take the OCVT at night, he/she may take it only once.
For an upgrade to first- or second-class medical certificate, the applicant must first pass the OCVT during daylight and then pass the color vision Medical Flight Test (MFT). If the applicant fails the OCVT during the day, he/she will not be allowed to apply for an upgrade to First- or Second-Class certificate. If the applicant fails the color vision MFT, he/she is not permitted to upgrade to first- or second-class certificate.


E. An LOE may restrict an applicant to a third-class medical certificate. Airmen shall not be issued a medical certificate of higher class than indicated on the LOE. Exercise care in reviewing an LOE before issuing a medical certificate to an airman.

F. Color Vision Correcting Lens (e.g. X-Chrom)
Such lenses are unacceptable to the FAA as a means for correcting a pilot's color vision deficiencies.

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/ame/guide/app_process/exam_tech/item52/amd/

[All_In]

I know many pilots who are colorblind so go for it!

[jebthereb]

Hey thanks guys this is great information. I appreciate your help. Looks like I can get started with my student pilots license. There are no gyro CFI's in my area so I have contacted a helicopter cfi and plan to stay in the air that way!!!

Thanks jeb

[James]

Jeb, out of all the plates, I could see nothing but dots. I got a letter from the FAA about it and they told me to go to an eye doc. and for the doc. to send them the report. I took a copy of the FAR's to him and showed him where all that is required is that I can tell the difference between aviation red, white, and green. He projected on a screen hundreds of colored dots of all sizes and colors, and told me to to tell him how many of each of the three colors that were there. He gave me a lot of test and I failed every one of them, but I could pick out every red, green and white dot on that screen. The FAA told him what kind of test to give me and I remember in his report, he stated that I failed every test, but I had no problem distinguishing between the three colors. I got a waiver that I take with me every time I get a physical, and that is all it takes.

James Lee - TN