Color Vision for PPL

[TXGrunt]

Alright I have been flying now for about 13-14 hours plus or minus a few hours and have been afraid of getting my medical! The medical which is holding me back from soloing has got me bumbed considering that I have color deficiency with Red/Green... Its not that I cant see Red and Green but different variations of Red and Green when close together I wouldnt be able to tell them apart... When looking up in the sky at night and a plane that is 4-8 thousand feet up I can see the variations in Red and Green! But the test for color vision I always fail... I am worried about the out come of this and was thinking that my flying days are over... Does having this "color definciency" keep me from having a PPL or am I limited to sport pilot cert? Can I have a PPL with limitations (ie no night flying)? I have done plenty of research but nothing that really answers my questions! Any info on this subject would be appreciated!!!

Thank you

[Splinter562]

I've heard of color-blind private pilots that have a daytime only limitation, but I do not know what type of color deficiency they have.

You could try calling a local Aviation Medical Examiner or maybe the local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) and asking your question to them.

[olderndirt]

Way back when, we'd get a call from a local FAA Inspector requesting a 'light gun' vision test for a private pilot aspirant.  So we'd squirt them some of the repertoire.  We made a point to brief airport flight schools - telling their check riders to call ahead and get a plan.  Don't remember any failures at Merrill Field. 

[DaveSims]

You are not alone, I have gone through the same problem.  If you fail the color test, your medical will have a daytime only restriction.  There are several options to help remove that restriction.  The AOPA recommends trying this first, go to any eye doctor and request they conduct any of the FAA allowed color vision tests (there are several, some of which are easier to do that the color dot tests.)  Your eye doctor will provide a letter that you send to the FAA medical office in Oklahoma City.  Once it gets approved they will issue you a new medical without restrictions, and a letter for you to provide at any future medicals that allows you to skip the color vision testing.  This is the procedure that I did.

The other option is as stated, going to an airport and passing a light gun test.  The only problem with this option is, if you fail, the restriction will become permanent.

[RitterKreuz]

You know. I have a very mild red green color deficiency myself. Funny thing is, i can tell any of the lights apart from one another, and i have never noticed any problem with it until you put those damned color tiles in front of me.

My medical examiner and I have determined that there is some sort of pea soup / baby poop green that i cant distinguish.

when he does the color slides with me, I'll get about 70% of them... but the odd thing is. on the slides where it says like "56" i'll not be able to see the 5 well but the 6 clearly for example. the doctor says thats odd... because i red green color deficient person shouldn't see anything on that slide.

I have been to about 4 different doctors... none of them have ever given me a restriction. i think as long as you dont miss a lot of them you should do ok. there is a minimum passing standard that seems to be around 70.

should you get a restriction, i know another CFI who has had one. he said he basically got the restriction removed by doing a "test" with an FAA examiner.

the test i had always heard of involved looking at light gun signals from the tower. they shine a few random lights at you - either red, green or white. You name them correctly you pass.

however, this CFI said he had to do that. then they made him do the same thing with a plane that happened to be taxiing by at a distance.  after that he had to explain the colors he saw on a sectional chart to the examiner.

i was surprised it was so in depth, but once it was over he had the restriction removed and was issued a waiver.

he shows the doctor the waiver on his medical renewal and they dont even bother with that part of the test.

[TXGrunt]

Thank you for the info all! I did talk to an FAA medical examiner and he did say that if my CFI says that I can see the tower lights that, that is good enough for him. Which Im good with! So I say screw it! Im ready to start flying again! Restriction or no restriction, as long as I am flying I am good with that! 

Thanks for the info!

[olderndirt]

[quote]Thank you for the info all! I did talk to an FAA medical examiner and he did say that if my CFI says that I can see the tower lights that, that is good enough for him. Which Im good with! So I say screw it! Im ready to start flying again! Restriction or no restriction, as long as I am flying I am good with that!

[TXGrunt]

Took my medical today and I received my student medical ticket with no color restriction!!! Woot!

[olderndirt]

Took my medical today and I received my student medical ticket with no color restriction!!! Woot!

All downhill from here  .

[Flying Trucker]

Here is a link you might find interesting....

http://www.learntofly.ca/aviation-light-gun-signals

Here is a link for light signals to aircraft and vehicles on an aerodrome...

http://www.csgnetwork.com/avlightsignals.html

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug
P.S.  IF IN TROUBLE OR IN DOUBT
       RUN IN CIRCLES
       SCREAM AND SHOUT