Color-blind

Kathy wrote:
What do you advise for a color-blind pilot wannabe? How likely is it for
someone who's color-blind to get a SODA?

If I may (I am also color blind -- well, at least I was until
I got this letter from the FAA saying I was ok :-))

Go for it (at least if you are flying in USA, which I assume
since you are talking about SODA, regs elsewhere may not be as
good, except may be Australia thanks to Dr Pape);

If you fail the standard test that the AME gives you (most of
the time the Ishiara test, i.e., these silly mosaics thing),
you'll get a medical with a no night flying restriction (and
no using of color light signals at controlled airports);

Note though that this restriction won't prevent you from
completing the standard private pilot cursus and getting your
certificate since all the night flying requirements is (usually)
done with a CFI. Note that it is also possible to complete
your commercial certificate with the restriction on (I did it
before getting the waiver, there is a trick, let's see if the
readers know the regulations :-)

Now, there are a couple of ways to get a waiver (it is no longer
a SODA by the way). There are a number of alternative tests
that the FAA recognize as valid (AOPA has documentation about
these tests -- join AOPA now if you haven't already); e.g.,
Farnthworth lantern, D15, etc. the trick here is to find an
ophtalmo who has the whole battery of tests (rare -- try the
ophtalmo department of an university hospital); you can fail
them as many times as it takes, all you have to do is to pass
one of them successfully.

If that fails, you can then try the practical light gun test;
I would not recommend that as the first option for a couple
of reasons: one, you can fail this test only once; if you
fail twice, you are done, and won't ever be able to get
a waiver (usually, the first try is done during the day, and
the second one at night, which is easier); the second reason
is that even people with normal color vision routinely *fail*
this test (most people, color blind and normal vision alike,
tend to confuse the white and green lights); if possible
find a FSDO who has its own light gun rather than doing it
from the tower (and try to find one of these light gun beforehand
and play with it so you can see what white or green is supposed
to look like before the test -- I did it and it helps a lot);

if you succeed one of these tests, then you get a letter from
the FAA saying that you have passed one of the acceptable alternative
test, and you present this letter to the AME everytime you renew
your medical (it is valid for all classes of medical unlike a SODA
which can be limited to a given class);

in summary: talk to AOPA and don't worry too much. Oh, and
a good read on the subject:

http://www.aopa.com.au/infocentre/to...lourvision.pdf

--Sylvain

Sylvain wrote:
Kathy wrote:
What do you advise for a color-blind pilot wannabe? How likely is it for
someone who's color-blind to get a SODA?

if you succeed one of these tests, then you get a letter from
the FAA saying that you have passed one of the acceptable alternative
test, and you present this letter to the AME everytime you renew
your medical (it is valid for all classes of medical unlike a SODA
which can be limited to a given class);

in summary: talk to AOPA and don't worry too much. Oh, and
a good read on the subject:

http://www.aopa.com.au/infocentre/to...lourvision.pdf



Just as a point of interest: I'm pushing 3000 hours now and I've never even
seen a light signal. Have any of you?

Heh heh... maybe I'm color blind after all G




--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" wrote in message
. ..

Just as a point of interest: I'm pushing 3000 hours now and I've never
even seen a light signal. Have any of you?

Yes. DIA's (KDEN) tower nearly blinded me with theirs at about five miles
out one night. Maybe they had it on Day -- assuming there's a day/night
setting. I asked to see it.

Jon

In article ,
"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" wrote:

Just as a point of interest: I'm pushing 3000 hours now and I've never even
seen a light signal. Have any of you?

yep - back in 1987 after my radios went tango-uniform.

--
Bob Noel
no one likes an educated mule

I'm over 2000 hours. The only time I've seen a light signal was at the FSDO
when I took the test to get my SODA.

John Severyn
KLVK
"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" wrote in message
. ..


Just as a point of interest: I'm pushing 3000 hours now and I've never
even seen a light signal. Have any of you?

Heh heh... maybe I'm color blind after all G
--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" wrote in message
. ..

Just as a point of interest: I'm pushing 3000 hours now and I've never
even seen a light signal. Have any of you?

Heh heh... maybe I'm color blind after all G




--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

I have. My instructor asked the tower to give me light signals during one of
my night training sessions. Although I'm the original poster, I'm not a bit
color-blind (a good friend is). But I couldn't tell the color of that light.
It looked kind of yellowish to me. "What color is that light, and what do
you do?" my instructor asked. "I'm guessing it's green and I'm cleared to
land," I told him, "but if I didn't know, I couldn't tell. Does it look
green to you?" He looked at it a minute and hmphed and said, "Springs Tower,
Warrior 369 - what color is that light, anyway?"

I heard some years later that the light guns are so old and faded and dusty
that this is not an uncommon problem for pilots who see color perfectly
well. But since then, I'm up to 600 hours and no more light signals since -
thank heaven.

Kathy

Sylvain wrote:
...
if you succeed one of these tests, then you get a letter from
the FAA saying that you have passed one of the acceptable alternative
test, and you present this letter to the AME everytime you renew
your medical (it is valid for all classes of medical unlike a SODA
which can be limited to a given class);

in summary: talk to AOPA and don't worry too much. Oh, and
a good read on the subject:

http://www.aopa.com.au/infocentre/to...lourvision.pdf

--Sylvain

I received a SODA for color blindness back before waivers were issued
for a color light gun test. It is limited to a 3rd class medical only.
What would be necessary to convert this SODA to a waiver that could be
used for a 2nd class medical?

Thanks in advance!
~Ken

Ken wrote:
I received a SODA for color blindness back before waivers were issued
for a color light gun test. It is limited to a 3rd class medical only.
What would be necessary to convert this SODA to a waiver that could be
used for a 2nd class medical?

I don't know, but I would ask the question to AOPA.

--Sylvain

On Mon, 10 Oct 2005 14:38:42 -0700, Sylvain wrote:

Note though that this restriction won't prevent you from
completing the standard private pilot cursus and getting your
certificate since all the night flying requirements is (usually)
done with a CFI.

Getting a recreational certificate is also an option, seems to me.
With a bit of footwork, for the GA pilot without Bonanza ambitions,
there's little practical difference. Wouldn't be able to fly at night,
across open water (10 miles I think it is), or out of the country.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

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Cub Driver wrote:
Getting a recreational certificate is also an option, seems to me.
With a bit of footwork, for the GA pilot without Bonanza ambitions,
there's little practical difference. Wouldn't be able to fly at night,
across open water (10 miles I think it is), or out of the country.

....or above 10'000 feet or in controlled airspace or in aircraft
with more than 4 seats or with more than one pax and with a
sh*load of other restrictions (additional endorsements etc.) all
that for pretty much the same amount of work (and cost) as a
private; a private with non night flying would be equivalent
with what Europeans content themselves...

if radio goes nordo, you simply head for the nearest uncontrolled
airfield, no problem;

--Sylvain