Color Vision - Optec 900 / FALANT / FAA rules on LOE's, etc

[RS1]

Please review this thread for more info on the Optec 900: http://forums.jetcareers.com/ask-flight-surgeon/109430-farnsworth-lantern-optec-900-a.html

I have a few questions... I had the night flight restriction on my medical from failing one of the first color vision tests I have ever taken... After which I have taken the FALANT, and passed (at a College of Optometry, took forever to find one) sometime in 2007 or 2008, and at the time the FAA was giving out Letter's of Evidence so you wouldn't have to re-take the alternate test again. They erroneously sent me a letter telling me that the FALANT was no longer a valid test, so I called them back to raise hell, and they apologized, sent me my corrected medical certificate, and to my surprise, along with it a letter stating that they NO LONGER are issuing letters of evidence for lab based color vision tests, and that I must retake it every time I renew, or take the MFT/OCVT which is a one time pass/fail with the fed's. It is my suspicion that they knew the rules were changing, so they sent me the erroneous letter on purpose to hold me up in their system so I wouldn't be grandfathered in and receive an LOE. So this is where the headache started. I always knew I didn't have any real world issues with color vision, and didn't even know I had a "problem"... Neither did anyone else throughout my life, because in the real world, I don't. The Doc at the college even gave me a battery of other tests; some non FAA approved ones even, including the Nagel Anomaloscope. It was determined that I am either normal, or mild deuteronomy... Borderline mild green deficiency at worst, normal at best. A bunch of other tests he gave me determined I was normal as well. About the ishihara plates - On the 14 plate version (They test on plates 1 thru 11 I think) To my surprise, I get like 9 or 10 right under fluorescent and incandescent lighting, and 6 to 8 under daylight. They allow 5 or less errors on that one. So technically I pass that one as well. If I remember correctly, I passed the keystone telebinocular as well, but it was difficult to see.

I stuck with my office IT job throughout the recession, and really want to get out there to start my new travels as a pilot before I get too much older and rooted... I want to end this anxiety of not knowing if one day I won't pass my medical (color vision) after the enormous chronological and financial sacrifice to become a pilot. Why should someone like me - even when they passed many times - have to spend 100's of dollars every year to fly out to a different region of the country to take a test they are comfortable with passing just because they were born a certain way, while others do not? This really irks me since it used to be a one time hassle, which was bad enough, but better than this, and if it was such a damn safety concern, why do they still allow people to fly that were grandfathered in when they don't need to be retested every medical? Has anyone written letters to the FAA about this? If not they should, because it is simply not fair.

Since the FALANT will eventually disappear (it's old and pricey), how are the pass/fail numbers of the Optec 900 when compared to the FALANT, will the FAA eventually arbitrarily disapprove it in the future? What about the Dvorine? I have no luck finding this test anywhere.

What would you recommend for me? Purposely fail the lab test so I can get approval to take the one time MFT/OCVT just so I can get on with my life? Or keep this out of the hands of the fed's and leave it to the doctors, but at the cost of hassle, time, money and anxiety?

Any word on this new CAD computer based test that was supposed to be more fair and objective?

Sorry for the long winded post... I've been at this struggle since 2007, and I want to know where I stand.

Thanks for your time, and reading... I may come out to visit and try out some of your tests if needed.

 

[My Flight Surgeon]

Re: Color Vision - Optec 900 / FALANT / FAA rules on LOE's,

1) The OPTEC 900 is basically the same as the Farnsworth lantern. Pass rates are the same.
2)The CAD is a long way off. The Federal Air Surgeon said a year ago it was still experimental.
3) I would be sure you can pass all of the elements of the MT - if you fail it, you cannot use alternative color vision tests in the future.

 

[ABP52380]

Re: Color Vision - Optec 900 / FALANT / FAA rules on LOE's,

This really irks me since it used to be a one time hassle, which was bad enough, but better than this, and if it was such a damn safety concern, why do they still allow people to fly that were grandfathered in when they don't need to be retested every medical? Has anyone written letters to the FAA about this? If not they should, because it is simply not fair.

As someone who has dealt with this problem since 2002, I understand your absolute frustration. The FAA has made people jump through hoops (pass this test and your good) and now seem to be entertaining the idea of rescinding
what they had previously considered sufficient. Simply put, that ain't cool for someone whos spent 10's of thousands after officially gettting signed off by the FAA. As a commercial pilot, it freaks me out. I am one of those who 'currently' is grandfathered in. And to be quite honest, the thought of someone in a similar situation -- who seems to have been short changed -- sending letters to the FAA complaining about people such as myself, well, really irritates me. If anyone could emphathize as to how frustrating this is it should be you.

You were probably just venting and that is understandable. But truely, for those of us that have the letter, please don't try and piss on our careers.

Best of luck in getting past this hurdle - yet again. Getting that letter was a huge day for me, I really don't want to lose it.

 

[Arowana]

Re: Color Vision - Optec 900 / FALANT / FAA rules on LOE's,

I have already given up my career in aviation because of this. When I got my letter telling me my LEO would not be issued because of recent policy change, I was pissed! I am still paying off over $25,000 in student loans from flight training and college courses in aviation. I have discontinued my flight training until I can figure out what I want long term. I can still be a private pilot, but commercial seems out of the question.
I have already failed the OCVT test during daylight hours, under bright sunlight conditions. I have never tried the Optec 900 before, but even if I do pass, I am concerned about the FAA changing their policy again. The FAA is very unpredictable. I have considered doing aircraft mechanics, but for several reasons decided not to. I am still unsure of my future career at this point.

 

[flyingsaluki1]

Re: Color Vision - Optec 900 / FALANT / FAA rules on LOE's,

I had the same problems about two years ago. I was in high school and wanted to become a pilot, but I couldn't pass the Ishihara and I was 50/50 with passing the Farnsworth. I COULD pass the dvorine every time. So instead of taking the OVCT or the MFT, I am just going to go to an AME that has the test that I can pass.

It's stupid that I have to do this every year, but I think it's worth the slight inconvenience to have a career in the aviation industry. Not everything is always handed to you, you have to go out and fight for what you want.

 

[RS1]

Re: Color Vision - Optec 900 / FALANT / FAA rules on LOE's,

I have already given up my career in aviation because of this. When I got my letter telling me my LEO would not be issued because of recent policy change, I was pissed! I am still paying off over $25,000 in student loans from flight training and college courses in aviation. I have discontinued my flight training until I can figure out what I want long term. I can still be a private pilot, but commercial seems out of the question.
I have already failed the OCVT test during daylight hours, under bright sunlight conditions. I have never tried the Optec 900 before, but even if I do pass, I am concerned about the FAA changing their policy again. The FAA is very unpredictable. I have considered doing aircraft mechanics, but for several reasons decided not to. I am still unsure of my future career at this point.

I'm sorry to hear about you unfair treatment. Mind if I ask which part of the ocvt failed you? It would seem that people are best off finding a lab test with ame or opthamologist that works for them and keep doing it that way for as long as possible. Can't worry about what the faa will do in the furute, seems like you'd have a good wrongful terminiation case if u safely flew for 10 or 20 yrs and they changed it again and you couldnt pass after the change... prob best to keep it out of their hands as long as possible. (Sorry for typos, this was typed on my droid)

 

[motoboy]

Re: Color Vision - Optec 900 / FALANT / FAA rules on LOE's,

I share your frustrations. I had no idea I had color vision issues until my first trip to the ame. I then passed the farnsworth lantern without any problems. So three years later I'm still a private pilot, not sure I can justify the risk of taking my training farther only to have the faa change the rules again.

 

[Arowana]

Re: Color Vision - Optec 900 / FALANT / FAA rules on LOE's,

Its hard when you need to start a career before you get too old or established. You start a career when you are usually out of high school or early 20's. It is very hard to go back and change careers later on in life, especially by the time you are trying to raise a family.
I want a career that I know will always be there for me, and do not want to worry about the possibility of loosing it one day over a policy change.

 

[Arowana]

Re: Color Vision - Optec 900 / FALANT / FAA rules on LOE's,

It seems like the FAA is deliberately trying to make becoming a pilot even harder per regulations as time passes. Technology has make things so much safer over the last several years, if anything they should deregulate policies like this. Remember that this policy came after the FedEx crash a few years ago. Color vision was not the cause of the crash, however because the pilot had a letter of evidence, the FAA decided to attack color vision. They needed a reason the convince people that this was a danger that needed to be changed immediately, however every existing pilot was grandfather in, WHY? Because it was easier for them.

What a clever way to make the paperwork load less, by creating a policy that has so much red tape attached, making it unpractical for people to follow through with. I'm sure they anticipated the outcome of this, but no one could challenge them on it. This policy was created without any justification or scientific research, it was clearly a political decision.
What will they do next?

 

[ABP52380]

Re: Color Vision - Optec 900 / FALANT / FAA rules on LOE's,

Yup, yup and yup. The whole thing is retarded. Agreed. And I'm one of the 'grandfathered in' people (least till the FAA goes and craps on that too). The Ishihara is a worthless as all. That test is black or white. It accepts the equivalent of 20/20 vision. I'd say, color vision wise, I'm 20/60...? But I'll never pass that craptastic test. This issue hits home for me (if that's not entirely obvious). Eeegh, good luck man. The FAA is a tomb-stone agency and reactive in nature. I will give them props for the new testing, but this issue is antequated and for the most part based on very old medical tests (most of which do not simulate aviation or the applicable responsibilities.)

Okay, off my soap box.

 

[Qutch]

Re: Color Vision - Optec 900 / FALANT / FAA rules on LOE's,

......I always knew I didn't have any real world issues with color vision, and didn't even know I had a "problem"... Neither did anyone else throughout my life, because in the real world, I don't. The Doc at the college even gave me a battery of other tests; some non FAA approved ones even, including the Nagel Anomaloscope. It was determined that I am either normal, or mild deuteronomy... Borderline mild green deficiency at worst, normal at best. A bunch of other tests he gave me determined I was normal as well.

Sorry for the long winded post... I've been at this struggle since 2007, and I want to know where I stand.

This is a very different approach to the problem, but I think I might be able to help you. .If not you, it might help someone else. . If I'm right, there is nothing wrong with your color vision. . When I was in the Air Force this was a problem I used to deal with all the time, and I never failed to get a rejected flight candidate around their color vision "testing" hurdles. . But the underlying explanation and solution is not well known, either to Aviation Medical Examiners, or to Ophthalmologists. .To get over the anxiety of this problem, you'll need to understand what is happening to you so that 1) your anxiety is reduced (which can interfere with visual perception) and 2) so you can explain to the "experts" who test you what they are doing wrong (not always an easy sell, so you have to know-your-stuff).

I am not a physician. My specialty was Aviation Psychology/Human Factors Engineering, working on advanced perception studies as they applied to interpretation of cockpit instrumentation. . My work involved the study of how the pilot perceives visual information and processes it in the brain. . Although the goal of our studies was aimed at proving that human brains could outperform any future FMS computing potential (like flying complex aerobatic fighter maneuvers off instruments alone) , I worked enough with color perception to solve this problem. . I wrote up one of the applications to my work in JC military forum. . http://forums.jetcareers.com/military-pilots/123144-fix-fix-3.html (start Post #63). . It's not directly related to your color testing problem, but to me, all these things are indirectly connected. . Perception and performance. . Subliminal perception vs. conscious perception. . Depending on how analytical you are, you can take whatever is useful. . I'll start with the basic information below. .If you want to try this route, and want more information, PM me and I'll try to help you. . Based upon my experience -

A)
If you did not know you had a color vision problem prior to aviation testing, and you still don't have a real-world problem outside of testing (which you say is the case with you), then you may not have an aviation color vision problem, even if everyone is telling you that you do.

B)
In a very high percentage of cases, the testing problems are caused by 2 factors 1) physiological stress (fear of the test) which can interfere with visual perception 2) improperly conducted testing by testing personnel due to inadequate training and/or improper equipment. The 2 problems feed off one another. Once the testing personnel psychologically crush the hopes of a pilot candidate with an improperly administered test, the candidate feels enormous stress and anxiety. Therefore, even if the testing procedure is corrected, the stressed candidate may fail a test he/she would ordinarily have passed. . So the candidate is "psyched-out." . Convinced that he/she cannot pass the test, the candidate cannot pass the test. . In many cases, a properly trained ophthalmologist (using a properly administered color test) can "psych" the candidate back into normal processing of color perception and eliminate the problem.

A short Primer -
Think of it like this. There is no such thing as a "color". . Light is a frequency. . What we think of as "color" is merely a frequency. . Our eyes detect the frequency, our brains process it, and we interpret it as color. . Through social interaction we agree with others on an interpretation of certain frequencies as "reds", other frequencies as "greens". . Various environmental factors can alter those frequencies, or alter the way we perceive them. . For example- When we pick out a paint color at the store, we might drive home with "red". But after we start painting at home, the "color" frequency turns to crimson, or scarlet, or maroon or something other than the "red" frequency it appeared to be at the store. . After four trips back to the paint store, you finally get the "red" that you were after. . So what went wrong? . Your eyes didn't change. . The paint did not change. . But the environment did change once you got home to paint (i.e. background lighting, surrounding colors, etc,). That environmental change surrounding you, you and your newly painted surface, resulted in a change of frequency being detected by your eyes and processed by the brain. . Therefore, in order for the FAA required color vision test to be reliable, the tester must very carefully control the environment (lighting, paint color of walls-floors-furniture, etc.). Even humidity can play a role in a paper based test like the AO-HRR and the Ishihara, since moisture swells the paper. . In practice careful control of the testing environment is rarely done.

This is all pretty confusing to the pilot candidate who cannot figure out why he/she could pass the Ishihara one day, but not the next. . Why he/she passed a given test one day under incandescent lighting, but failed the next time under fluorescent lighting. . Then, even if the applicant finally does settle on the correct combination, or another type of test using better controls, he/she may become even more bewildered when they fail again the next time, this time due to stress levels. . Then, facing an "expert" in a white medical coat who pronounces you "color blind", you really are color blind now. . You'll have a heck of a time passing tests after that (even though you'll have no trouble flying, driving, or working with color coded electronic components in the real world.)

Color Vision Too Good? - In other cases a candidate will fail the test, not because his color perception is sub-par, but because it is above average. . For example, using the Ishihara as an example again (which I consider a crude test), some of the dots on the Ishihara are supposed to be gray. . And to most people those dots are interpreted as "gray." However, gray, like black, is made by mixing together other colors. . You might detect a dominant hint of red, or green, or blue, or some other color mixed in with a few gray dots. .Your superior color vision might be enough to turn that 0 into an 8 in your mind. . You Fail, not because you cannot detect red or green, but because you can detect it, even in trace amounts. . However, after the "expert" informs you that "you have severe color vision problems", and you see your ratings (and life) going up in smoke, you may be so stressed that you can't even find your car in the parking lot. .

Controlled Lighting - As you'll read in the literature below, certain types of tests should be conducted under special controlled lighting (but they often are not). . Whenever an open card based test was administered, I insisted that a MacBeth Blue Light be used, set up at a designated angle, prior to allowing any testing. . You may get blown-off by the testers when you demand these precautions, but it helps if you research the proper protocols for the test you are taking prior to testing and show it to the "experts" prior to allowing them to test you. . The testers don't always have the training and expertise that pilots assume they have, so you might have to show them how to do their job. . I didn't' t always make friends doing this, but I got my test subjects past the color test, which was all I cared about. .

　
Documentation - The information I'm giving you is not unknown in the literature, or to the FAA. . It wasn't completely unknown to the Air Force when I was in a Research and Development Laboratory. . But it was, and still is, poorly disseminated information which results in the unnecessary loss of qualified pilot candidates. . Below is some information documenting some of what I've said here. . I'm not going to include the most technical material here. . If you are interested in following this up, PM me and I'll get you more. .

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1506614 National Institutes of Health.gov site

http://www.faa.gov/library/reports/medical/oamtechreports/1990s/media/AM93-16.pdf FAA Library



　
　

As someone who has dealt with this problem since 2002, I understand your absolute frustration. The FAA has made people jump through hoops (pass this test and your good) and now seem to be entertaining the idea of rescinding what they had previously considered sufficient. Simply put, that ain't cool for someone whos spent 10's of thousands after officially gettting signed off by the FAA. As a commercial pilot, it freaks me out. I am one of those who 'currently' is grandfathered in. And to be quite honest, the thought of someone in a similar situation -- who seems to have been short changed -- sending letters to the FAA complaining about people such as myself, well, really irritates me. If anyone could emphathize as to how frustrating this is it should be you.

　
　
Military Doctors Treating PTSD Vision Problems
(stress related vision problems - no physical damage)
http://www.optometryjaoa.com/article/S1529-1839(09)00663-0/abstract

http://www.revoptom.com/content/c/29363/
"Stress is a physical, mental or emotional reaction caused by a change that disturbs or interferes with the body’s normal equilibrium. The ocular impact of stress may range from mild discomfort to severe, debilitating vision loss."


　
I was taught this info by an Ophthalmologist by the name of Robert Lohr, who taught me how to snap guys out of "thinking" they were color deficient, after being told by sloppy testers that they were "color deficient." . I'm not recommending anybody below, and I don't know them. . I just googled up the name of vision care provider who offers this type of service as an example. . For you and others who have already been stressed-out or psyched-out over this, I recommend that you work with a specialist before you go back for the official FAA test. .Once you are confident that you've licked the problem, go for the test. . There are tricks and tips I've seen guys try like X-Chrom lenses and memorizing patterns. . However, I've been fortunate and have not encountered anyone yet who was so color deficient that he couldn't solve the problem just by practicing with his own specialist. . If I can help, contact me. .


http://www.visiontrainingcenter.com/
"Excessive stress interferes with our abilities to process information from a major source: our vision. Vision -- which affects, directs and modifies almost every action and thought -- can become less efficient or dysfunctional as a result of stress. As we compensate, we can develop a myriad of vision problems along the way. Comprehension can suffer and we can fail to make necessary "connections."


One more thing- Vision Preparation: We all know that before taking on tasks at night, its best to avoid bright lights. . Wearing red goggles can help preserve night vision. . Exposing yourself to the wrong type of light prior to a color test might lower your chances of passing the color test (looking straight into the sun being an extreme example.) The technical article below, although not focused on color vision specifically, discusses the broad issue of environmental vision preparation as it relates to pilots. .http://www.aoa.org/x5352.xml


I hope someone finds something here useful. .