Disqualified for Color Blindness
 

I just got my FAA Class I Medical Certificate renewed, and was reminded of the numerous stories I have heard from guys that told me they had wanted to fly in the military, but ere disqualified due to color blindness. For anyone out there who may be facing this, you should know that there is an alternate test to the color plates they typically use to test for color blindness. It's called the Farnsworth Lantern Test ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farnsworth_Lantern_Test ). The link above says that the Air Force no longer allows it, but that leaves the Army, Navy and Coast Guard. I needed this alternate test on my first flight physical (1981). Had it not been for the efforts of a kindly Army Ophthalmologist, I might have had a stellar career in the Infantry. I hope this helps someone.

BTW, color blindness is not something that changes with time. It's like your blood type. You've got what you've got. I don't know why the FAA tests me for it every six months!

So if i have a friend that wanted to be a combat pilot in the military he would still have a shot with the army or navy? hes 27 and is color blind.

Thanks for sharing!

I think the days of getting in to the military using alternative testing are over.

After 25 years of using the standard plates or books, the Air Force switched to a computer-based system. I could argue that it is less accurate than the books, because who knows if each computer monitor screen is perfectly calibrated for color?

Be that as it may, they switched about 7 years ago.

Holy *****: it ain't easy. And it isn't just me, it's everyone saying that.

I think the only place you will see the traditional books, or the alternative lantern test, is civil-only.

Waivers? My brother had an Air Force pilot slot in 1980; he didn't pass red-green. They tried to get him a waiver; no-go.

I doubt it would be more lenient today.

Funny side-note: I flew OV-10 Broncos as a Lt with a crusty Major (Callsign "Chicken") who had flown in Vietnam. He was the most decorated FAC (Forward Air Controller) of the war.

Why?

He was color-blind, and fudged his way in. He could see AAA gun emplacements no one else could see, because the camouflage netting "...stood out like a sore thumb..."

Normal-vision guys saw trees. He said "That doesn't look right, must be guys that need to be blown up."

He was responsible for more AAA gun-kills than anyone else. Undoubtably saved a lot of lives.

When I was waiting in the lobby for my United interview, I saw Chicken walk by, as a Captain!
That's one guy I'm glad was on our team (he's retired now).

Lantern Test
 

I never could pass enough of the plates. I took the alternative test yearly through 2009 and had no trouble seeing the lens behind the boat. LSOs are correct to critique my technique but seeing colors had nothing to do with showing color occasionally.

Depends on how color blind, if he's really color blind then no. He should take the lantern test and see if he can pass easily. Then look into the military medical screening process.

Not exactly true. Unlike refractive error, the good news is that if you're young and healthy you can expect your color vision to be stable.

But as you get closer to retirement and/or have health issues or make bad health choices your color vision can start to degrade. That's why they keep testing you on every medical. Supposedly certain vitamins can help preserve your vision.

I don't know what a "combat pilot" is. There are lots of hurdles to clear when competing for a flight slot at any of the services (Aptitude test, interview, physical, etc.). This color vision test is just one that I have seen stop many, many good candidates. The various services are not governed by the FAA, but they have an agreement to provide an "equivalent level of safety" to what's in the FARs. Sometimes, they simply copycat the FAA standards (as with the color vision test). If you take the Farnsworth Lantern test for your FAA Medical, they call it a Statement Of Demonstrated Ability (SODA). The Army just calls it a waiver to the standards. Apparently the Navy invented the Farnsworth test, so they'll probably hang on to it longer than anyone else out of sheer pride of ownership.

They don't want you to have color vision to spot anti-aircraft batteries, or anything goofy like that. They want you to be able to recognize the patterns and colors of an instrument landing system runway approach lights. They're simply mimicking the FAA standard, which is used in conjunction with standards for luminosity, chromaticity and angularity of the lights certified for use in approach lighting systems. As for what the Air Force is doing with their standards, I can only guess. I'd give those guys a wide berth, anyway.

I hope this helps someone.

And, don't seek out combat. When the time is right, it will find you. Good luck.

It does make sense that the military standards would at a minimum match FAA standards since mil pilots routinely operate in the civilian system and thus need to be able to use those systems.

Also...any Navy line officer (combat arms), not just aviators, must have good color vision. Ships use colored lights as well.

Add me to the list of guys saved by the Farnsworth lantern. Sat in the doctors office and cried in the 7th grade when I found out I couldn't read the Ishihara cards. Tried to put the dream of flying jets out of my head until my Junior year of college.

Ran into an S-3 bubba in San Diego that passed this exact bit of gouge on to me.

Senior year of college I did my flight physical at Fairchild AFB (while applying to Navy OCS). They told my Navy recruiter that I had failed the color test. (Failed the Ishihara plates but passed the Farnsworth lantern). I was able to get the 0-6 running NAMI at the time to call my recruiter and explain Navy regs.

Here is the current Navy Ophthalmology waiver guide, reference color vision abnormalities, 12.2. The Farnsworth lantern gouge is still accurate.

http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmotc/...ogy_140205.pdf