pilot_flyer
Well-Known Member
Hello everyone. Here's the situation I'm in. I've been a PP for 3 years now and have a 3rd class medical. I'm totally healthy and passed the exam fine except for the color vision portion. I couldn't see the ishihara plates. So, the AME just asked me to identify colors around the room and said I was good. At the time, I had no aspirations to fly professionally. Now, 300 hundred hours later, I have decided that I am going to pursue a career flying (hopefully). I have been worried about the color vision aspect and having to take that test every year for a 1st class. What worries me more is having to take it every 6 months at 40yo. (I'm 30 now) I talked to my wife about it and we agreed that it's too big of a risk to spend the money and time pursuing flying as a career unless I know for sure this isn't going to be a problem. I knew there was always the option of taking the OCVT and MVT ride with the FSDO. So, I went down to the local class C and called the tower and asked them to point the light gun at me. It was a super sunny day and the guy wasn't doing a good job aiming since I was only getting very quick flashes of light. Even so, I had very little problem differentiating red, white and green. On top of that, my wife pulled out a VFR and IFR chart and quizzed me on as many colors that she could find and I did just fine. Therefore, after much deliberation I decided that I wanted to take the OCVT and MVT tests. So, I called the FSDO and asked to talk to an inspector. They connected me to a guy and I told him that I wanted to take those two tests and he explained that I first needed to fail a color vision test and that it all had to go through OKC. He then proceeds to tell me how unfair the FAA is with this and that it was discriminating against individuals with color deficiency. He had a long flying career in the Navy and later flying part 121 and said that it's a bunch of bunk the way they handle this. He told me that all the color deficient individuals need to get together and stand up together to get the FAA to change this. He did tell me that if he were me, he would try to get a medical without risking losing everything. He even told me that I should just memorize the Ishihara plates and pass them that way. (of course he said not to tell anyone that he told me that) We talked for almost 45 min and he also suggested trying the Farnsworth. He was super nice and helpful.
So, here's my situation. I called the medical school here in town and they have no Farnsworth lantern. I have called everybody and their brother in this city and there seems to be none in this city of 1 million. I'm just wondering what advice I can get on here. Should I take my chances and try to "train" myself to do the Ishihara plates and have to worry about this every year and later every 6 months? Or, should I put everything on the line and fail the test and take the OCVT with the FSDO? I hate this is even an issue!! I can see colors just fine. I just can't pass the Ishihara plates. Suggestions???
So, here's my situation. I called the medical school here in town and they have no Farnsworth lantern. I have called everybody and their brother in this city and there seems to be none in this city of 1 million. I'm just wondering what advice I can get on here. Should I take my chances and try to "train" myself to do the Ishihara plates and have to worry about this every year and later every 6 months? Or, should I put everything on the line and fail the test and take the OCVT with the FSDO? I hate this is even an issue!! I can see colors just fine. I just can't pass the Ishihara plates. Suggestions???