ATC and colorblindess

C

cessna2351

Well-Known Member
Hi,

I was nosing through www.atccti.com and they have the listed documents used for the hiring process of ATC. A few of them describe the FAA medical examination involved and that one of the disqualifiers is color vision deficiency. I have the whole red/green colorblindess thing going but I hold a 2nd class medical cert and a PPL. But between you, me, and the wall, the medical examiner I went to seemed to "breeze through" the exam not paying much attention...but maybe I'm wrong. I sometimes have trouble with the colored dot tests (its so frustrating staring at that stupid circle and not seeing a number look back at you, no matter how hard you try /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif ), in fact there are some of them which are just impossible for me.

I was just wondering if my case sounds serious enough to possibly disqualify me from a career in ATC. I know how the FAA feels when it comes to colorblindness in pilots but what about controllers? During flying I have no problem seeing the VASI/PAPI, etc lights from the air.

Right now I'm a freshman at Riddle and considering doing the Air Traffic Managment Major if flying doesn't work out.

Any advice before I consider seriously going into ATC? Thanks in advance!
 
I'm pretty sure the ATC medical is the same as the airmen medical. Both fall under the "airmen" definition. You could always take the light gun or one of the other alternate tests. I'm slightly colorblind, and I have trouble with those damn dots, too. I've had AMEs and vision docs both tell me that Ishihara is really not the best test for color vision. Best advice I can give on the dots is not to rush things. If I take two seconds and focus, the number just "pop out" at me.
 
Well I guess making a colorblind controller applicant do a light gun test would be a good idea....I hope he knows which colored light he's flashing. I'm not that colorblind anyhow.

What concerned me was that my medical examiner who gave me my 2nd class really didn't seem to care that much when I did the circle test. Maybe I misconstrued his attitude and I actually am ok. But there are some of those circles that I could spend hours looking at and not see a thing.

I had an eye exam last week for new glasses and everytime they get that Ishihara book out I want to rip it apart.

Anyway, when I get back to school this weekend I'm going to track down the ATM dept head and get his/her opinion.
 
You're allowed to fail a certain amount of circles without failing the whole test. Maybe you didn't fail enough for him to restrict anything.
 
Yea I asked my flight instructor in Cleveland today and he said it was the same. I'm gonna get the dept head's opinion next week.
 
I went through the whole colorblindness fiasco when I got my medical. I origionally failed the test for my 1st class. There is an alternative way to get around it. It costs about $1000 before it's over with, but it is well worth it Do not take the light gun test. They will put a SODA or Statement of Demonstrated Ability on your medical. The airlines don't care for it. I now have a letter I just give to the examiner and don't ever to take a colorblindness test as long as I meet the rest of the requirements for a 1st class.
 
I think the place is called Flightsight. The specialize in the alternative colorblindness tests. They were not as bad as the ishihara. I hate those things. Turns out I am a little red green deficient.
 
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What concerned me was that my medical examiner who gave me my 2nd class really didn't seem to care that much when I did the circle test.

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I've got some color deficiency too. I've used 2 different AMEs in my career, and even though I think I did horribly on the dots, I guess I pass "enough" of the dot plates to qualify. Seems strange to me, too, but I guess everything's OK.

Operationally, I do just fine in the "real world" of aviation (i.e. reading PAPIs and VASIs and other lighted thingys).
 
I am the same way. I thought the various light systems would be a problem, but I really have to look closely at the white and green. At night it's no problem. I guess I need to get into cargo so I can always fly at night.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I went through the whole colorblindness fiasco when I got my medical. I origionally failed the test for my 1st class. There is an alternative way to get around it. It costs about $1000 before it's over with, but it is well worth it Do not take the light gun test. They will put a SODA or Statement of Demonstrated Ability on your medical. The airlines don't care for it. I now have a letter I just give to the examiner and don't ever to take a colorblindness test as long as I meet the rest of the requirements for a 1st class.

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This is absolutely not true. It was true at one time, but the color light gun test no longer puts any SODA on your medical. In addition, you can now have any class of medical regardless of you color vision, but there will be restrictions on night flight or by color signal control if you do not pass the color vision test.

You do not have to pay $1000 to take the alternate tests either. Go to a local eye hospital. They have other tests such as the farnsworth latern, and a few others. They may charge you $50 or maybe $100, but there is no reason to pay any more than that. Be careful! There are unscrupulous companies out there that will tell you that they are your only hope of getting a clean medical, and it is not true. Do some research on the FAA website and the AOPA website. By all means, call the AOPA help line, and join if you aren't a member.

One word of warning, you may only fail the light gun test twice. After that, your medical is restricted forever. You may fail the other tests indefinitely, so try them first.

I failed the ishihara plates, and passed the light gun test. I have no SODA, and no restrictions, and a 1st class medical.

Grayson
 
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