Color blindness and being a pilot question.?

Question

ok so i have i think a red-green color blindness...i think i read that it is the most common type of color blindness in men. I am 14 and i have a dream to be a pilot for a commercial airline company. My parents said i wouldnt be able to though because i have this slight color blindness. Is this true and if it is, what can i do about it?
Note: I can see and identify colors just fine, but its just in those pictures where they have a number or something in the mosiac color dots where i have problems. Also i dont see how having a slight color blindess could prevent me from being a pilot, because i dont think the flight instruments are made out of big color dots.
Thank you

Answer 1

actually your color blindness is in about 50% of men, i have that to, you see all colors but you just see some colors in a different shade, thats ho i found out to when i went in for a physical and had a book of dots with numbers and on some of them i couldn't see the number but on some i could, its not a big deal its in some family genes or something, i don't see a problem with it being a pilot though, also the eye doctor said that its 2 types of this color blindness, the type we have thats just in the genes and then its another type that happens from a head ingury, but anyways good luck



to those of you talking about the colors, you can still still see and recognize all colors, just some colors you might see in a little bit different shade, like you might see some colors a little bit darker or lighter than it really is but you still see all colors, what he has and i have is in 50% of men, its not the type of color blindness where you only see black and white, its the type where you still see all colors just see some colors in a different tint as in a little darker or ligher than it really is



if anybody wants to tell me wrong i was told all that by an eye doctor about 1-2 years ago so i guess the eye doctor was wrong to huh

Answer 2

You can still become a pilot (including an airline pilot) if your color blindness is not too severe. You can take special tests for the FAA that can demonstrate that you can see colors well enough to fly. These tests are easier than the ones that doctors use. Doctors use tests that are designed to detect ANY color blindness, whereas the FAA uses tests that simply check whether or not you can see colors well enough to fly.



There isn't a lot of color in flying, but the few cases where color distinctions are important can be pretty critical. In some cases, accidents have occurred when licensed pilots with some degree of color blindness have confused colors in very specific situations. Fortunately, these situations are rare. Even a few military pilots have had mild degrees of color blindness, although the military is very strict these days.



You're correct that seeing colors perfectly is not necessary in the vast majority of flying situations—which is why you can still get a license if your color blindness is mild enough.



And color blindness does not afflict 50% of the male population. Only about 1 in 20 men has any degree of color blindness, and it's usually just a color deficiency (seeing certain color combinations as if they were the same color), not a total inability to see color. These types of deficiencies are more common in men than women (in women the incidence is about 1 in 400), but there are some very rare types of color blindness (including the total inability to see color) that afflict both sexes equally.

Answer 3

Don't listen to the naysayers.



You should talk to an Aviation Medical Examiner. Lots of pilots have a hard time with those pictures with the colored dots. There are alternate color blindness tests you can take that you might be able to pass. If you can tell the difference between a green light and a red light being shined at you, you're probably okay.



In my time, I have seen one legged pilots, one eyed pilots (blind in one eye), and pilots with all other sorts of handicaps. I, myself, have a mild case of lazy eye and used to be an airline pilot.



Don't give up.

Answer 4

Don't give up





Monochromatic vision which means ( totally color blind ) and you only see black, and shades of Grey, will disqualify you.





The catch phrase is" Safely Operate An Aircraft".



If all else fails take the Farnsworth Lantern Test this is a more accurate color vision test, So long as you pass and can see the color needed to operate an aircraft you can be a an airline pilot . Believe me the FAA wouldn't certify you to fly airliners if it would be unsafe for you to do so.



The only true statement I have seen regarding Color Blindness, is flying a part 103 aircraft, but then you don't need a pilots license to fly one either

Answer 5

You are probably not color blind, but color deficient. You just don't see colors as distinctly as a person with normal color vision up close and may lose color vision completely at a distance. Making an analogy to an eye chart you may not be able to read the 20/20 line from 20 feet but can read it from 15. You may not be able to tell a red light from white at 20 feet but you might be able to at 15 feet.



It may not prevent you from a flying career. There are many different color tests and you can choose which one you want to use. You may not be able to pass a color chart test but could pass a lantern test. I couldn't and did. I have a commercial license with about a 25% red green deficiency.

Answer 6

I am a recently qualified PPL and also suffer from Colour blindness to the benchmark of CP4 (Colour Perception 4) My main problem is telling the difference between Brown/Green also reds. Although I have a Pilots licence it is limited to Day licence only, I can never go instrument rated and fly at night. Hope this helps John

Answer 7

Sorry, but I would pick a different career.



Color vision is essential for recognizing aircraft position lights, light-gun signals, airport beacons, approach-slope indicators, and chart symbols, especially at night. The 14 CFR Part 67 regulations, revised on September 16, 1996, state that a pilot must have "the ability to perceive those colors necessary for the safe performance of airman duties" for all medical certification classes.

Answer 8

if you are color blind you could POSSIBLY receive a medical certificate that said your limited to fly only during the day light only.



this would mean that most likely a airline wouldn't want to hire



But you still may fly for fun

Answer 9

I think you might not be able to...I'm sorry..there might be some cases that you have to differientiate the colours..but anyways, wish you all the best!

Answer 10

The new procedures vary depending upon the class of medical applied for or held.

If you fail the pseudoisochromatic color plate test at the time of your FAA physical exam, the aviation medical examiner (AME) may issue your medical certificate with the limitation “Not valid for night flying or color signal control.” To have the restriction removed, you may choose to take one of the FAA-approved alternative pseudoisochromatic color platetests. http://www.aopa.org/members/pic/medical/certification/vision/tests.html

These tests take into account the degree of color vision defect and are less sensitive to mild color vision deficiency. The Dvorine 2nd edition 15-plate test is one that you might consider taking. Your local eye care specialist, either an optometrist or ophthalmologist, may have available one or more of the allowed tests.If you successfully complete the alternate test, you will be considered as having acceptable color vision for the FAA. You will need to take a color vision test each time you reapply for a medical certificate. Try to take the same test that you previously passed each time you reapply. If you need to seek an outside specialist to take such a test, make sure you obtain a letter from that individual that mentions the type of color vision test and the passing results. Take this to your AME at the time of your FAA exam. The AME may then issue the new certificate without the color vision restriction.If you cannot pass one of the alternate tests, you have another option that requires taking an operational color vision test with an FAA aviation safety inspector through the local flight standards district office (FSDO). The information describing the tests is found in FAA Order 8900.1, FSIMS, Volume 5, Chapter 8, Sections 5-1523.F, 5-1526.E.6, and 5-1527 F. http://fsims.faa.gov/PICResults.aspx?mode=EBookContents

For third class medicals: If you cannot successfully complete an alternative color plate test, you will be required to pass an operational color vision test (OCVT). This test has two components

(a) A signal light test administered at an airport air traffic control tower; and

(b) A practical test in which you must read and correctly identify colors on aeronautical charts.

Upon successful completion of both elements of the OCVT, the aviation safety inspector will issue a letter of evidence and a medical certificate with the limitation “3rd Class Letter of Evidence.”

If you fail the signal light test portion of the OCVT during daylight hours, you will be able to retake the test at night. If you pass the nighttime test, your medical restriction will read, “Not valid for flights requiring color signal control during daylight hours.” If you cannot pass the OCVT during day or night hours, the restriction will read, “Not valid for night flying or by color signal control.”

Important note: If you fail the daytime signal light test, you will not be eligible for either first or second class medical certification, may not be issued a letter of evidence, and may not have the limitation modified or removed.

For first or second class medicals:

(a) Successful completion of an operational color vision test (OCVT) described above; and

(b) A color vision medical flight test (MFT). This is an actual flight test and requires the following:

(1) You must read and correctly interpret in a timely manner aviation instruments or displays, particularly those with colored limitation marks, and colored instrument panel lights, especially marker beacon lights, warning or caution lights, weather displays, etc.

(2) You must recognize terrain and obstructions in a timely manner; select several emergency landing fields, preferably under marginal conditions, and describe the surface (for example, sod, stubble, plowed field, presence of terrain roll or pitch, if any), and also describe how the conclusions were determined, and identify obstructions such as ditches, fences, terraces, low spots, rocks, stumps, and, in particular, any gray, tan, or brown objects in green fields.

(3) You must visually identify in a timely manner the location, color, and significance of aeronautical lights. To minimize the effect of memorizing the color of a light associated with a particular light system, the aviation safety inspector should make every effort to not use the light system name during the flight, but rather to ask you to identify a light color and the significance of as many of the following lights as possible:

(a) Colored lights of other aircraft in the vicinity;

(b). Runway approach lights, including both the approach light system (ALS) and visual glideslope indicators;

(c). Runway edge light system;

(d). Runway end identifier lights;

(e). In-runway lighting (runway centerline [CL] lights, touchdown zone [TDZ] lights, taxiway lead-off lights, and land and hold short lights);

(f). Airport boundary lights;

(g).Taxiway lights (edge lights, CL lights, clearance bar lights, runway guard lights, and stop bar lights;

(h).Red warning lights on television towers, high buildings, stacks, etc.;

(i). Airport beacon lights.

If you pass the operational color vision test (OCVT) and the color vision medical flight test, the inspector will issue a letter of evidence that’s valid for all classes and a medical certificate with no limitation or comment regarding color vision.

If you fail the signal light test portion of the OCVT during daylight hours, you will be able to retake the test at night. If you pass the nighttime test, your medical restriction will read, “Not valid for flights requiring color signal control during daylight hours.” If you cannot pass the OCVT during day or night hours, the restriction will read, “Not valid for night flying or by color signal control.”

Because this new policy is complicated by the need to interact with the local FSDO, AOPA recommends that pilots who need only third class medical certificates try one or more of the alternate color plate tests first. If that fails, do a “trial run” of the signal light test during daylight hours with the air traffic control tower first, preferably with someone who has “normal” color vision, to confirm that you correctly identified the tower light signals. When you know you can pass the test, you can contact the FAA for approval to take the test.

If you hold a statement of demonstrated ability (SODA) or a letter of evidence that was issued before July 2008, your color vision waiver is grandfathered, and you will not be required to test according to the new procedure.