Always had a bit of curiosity on this, but never done any investigation. I was always told you either are or you are not color blind. It just does not happen overnight. I hate those colored numbers, some are hard and some doctors just wait for you to say..Doc I cant see any numbers, then he says good, thats a test page...
In the States regs are limited unless you talk to an FAA Flight Surgeon.
heres what I found for the Average Pilots info..

Part 67.103 (c), 67.203 (c), 67.303 (c)
Ability to perceive those colors necessary for the safe performance of airman duties.

That covers all three classes of licenses.
Not really much help. Wish there was a Flight Surgeon who could jump in.

There is a long thread on this subject (that I have not had time to work through) in the medical forum.



I've copied it and merged it into this thread.

Heliport

For my first medical exam I failed the dot test and had to take a test with a FAA agent looking at the control tower from about 1/4 mile. The white and green look similar but apparently I guessed correctly and passed. I need to retain the test document for each medical renewal.
On my last medical the doctor did not have a dot test but instead used colored strips of plastic that almost anybody could pass. So I suppose some doctors may be less concerned with this slight color blindness, it is really not a safety issue.
Shop around for a doc, or just take the lantern test and be done with it.

B. Sousa,

Color blindness is actually a hereditary condition where the receptors in the eye's retina are shifted in sensitivity. It is part of one's genetic makeup, it is not changable, and really shouldn't need yearly testing (unless you get an eyeball transplant!)

It occurs almost exclusively in males, BTW.

...yet is passed through the mother's side (ie skipping a generation each time). As I've found, sadly - my wife's dad used to sing the colourblind-version of "I Can Sing A Rainbow". The one which goes "Brown and Brown and Brown and Brown... Br-ow-n and Br-ow-n and Brown"...

It appears my son may have to learn the same song, although he's too young to take the test yet, apparently.

:{

Thanks Dr Nick, What would we do without you.......

Merry Christmas.

B. Sousa,

I am not a Doctor, but I play one on dinner dates, sometimes!

As I say to the PAX. I am not your Pilot, but I did stay at the Holiday Inn last night. Brits just dont get that one......

alberto, check your PM's

Eyesight and age
 

Hi all,

Firstly sorry if I have put this in the wrong place I looked at the wannabe's section but that seemed to be more about fixed wing and my question is specifically about hele's.

I am part of the "airwolf" generation and when growing up I just wanted to fly a helicopter because of that. When I was still very young I was told I was colour blind and as I got older people told me this would stop me becoming a pilot.. So I (possibly very naively) gave up on the idea and went into various jobs ending up in IT.

Recently my girlfried bought me an hours experience flight and I loved it, every second of it from learnign about the controls to my p*** poor attempt at hovering... I loved it just as much as I had thought I would back in the days watching airwolf all those years ago..

So anyway (sorry for dribbling on but I though it best to explain fully!) would being colour blind (albeit very mild) be a show stopper? Other than that my eyesight is good (no glasses)

Also age wise, is 33 too old to start thiking about flying as a serious career? Am I better off just going for PPL and doing it as an expensive hobby?

Thanks

There are varying degrees of color blindness. Check it out 1st. I say go for it.

Thanks (sorry about missing this very long thread too)

I got caught up reading the very useful tips for new people and somehow missed this!

I intend to get an eye test done (as its been far too long anyway!)

Then just need to work out financing this little adventure ;)

We had a couple of drivers who were colour blind, one managed to go full IFR later. He was quite a case and worth a story. Turns out he had a 'connection' to get a copy of the colour charts book. Came the crucial test; as the pages went by our subject confidently quoted the number on each chart.

The ol' doc looks at him fixedly, "you haven't got a clue have you?" he says. 'Yes', says our mate, 'that's number so and so on that page' as he points firmly at it.

The doc turns a few more pages, the penny drops, notes our mate is reading the page number, which most people are flat out seeing and then says, "y'know there are two numbers charts books that we use."

Brilliant try though eh! :) Did he manage to get the second book in the end!? ;

I have an eye test booked so i'll just see what they say.. At worst I'll jsut slowly train for my PPL and do it for fun, i'd love to fly for a living but if its not possible so be it.

Mikeduk,

Google the Colour Vision Defective Pilots Association (Cvdpa) for lots of good information.

Oow

Great information thanks Outofwhack :)

Hello guys

I would love you t if some one is able to answer my queation .. so now I had some issues to obtain a class 1 medical here in spain although I have a clean class 1 icao and I beleive since im in spain which is an easa state to dont acceot an icao medical so any wayz I ended it up with the spanish caa to take a class 2 medical with a limitation saying not allwed to fly at night .. now the question here is will this limitation affect my ppl license ?? Will any restriction will be written on my license rather than the medical or I will get a normal clean ppl license ?