Colour vision - the bottom line???

L

lar

Well-Known Member
Dear all

The best way to pass the medical if you suspect you have a colour deficiency is probably to buy yourself a copy of the Ishihara 14 plate Concise Edition available on the internet or at bookstores. Look at the plates at home. You are allowed 5 errors on plates 1-11. That leaves the 6 easier ones. 1 is obvious to all. That leaves only 5. With a new book and good lightning you can see them. At least with a little practise.

Now take that book with you to your local optometrist and bring the 8500-7 form. Do all the eye tests or just the colour vision test and bring the completed or semi completed form to the AME. He doesn't even look at your eyes if you have done the full test. Do this every time and you don't have to take any other test or get an LOE. EASY!

DOC

IN FEBRUARY 2008 I WROTE THIS:

Hi. Before going to an AME for my medical can I go to a local English optometrist and have him fill out the form 8500-7 so that the AME can skip the eye tests? If so do I simply bring the filled out and signed form to the AME and where does the optometrist state the results of a colour vision test?
Thanks

YOU ANSWERED:

That should work. The color vision goes in the block 16.

NOW YOU (OR SOMEONE ELSE) WRITE:

An optometrist can complete the 8500-7. The AME is still responsible for the accuracy of the reports and is supposed to do the color vision test.

and

The Examiner must personally conduct the physical examination. This section provides guidance for completion of Items 21-58 of the Application for Airman Medical Certificate or Airman Medical and Student Pilot Certificate, FAA Form 8500-8."

I interpret that to mean the AME must perform the color vision test. The primary purpose of the 8500-7 is to determine whether or not an airman meets the requirements of Part 67.401. It is not a tool to convey examination information to an AME from an eye specialist.

Other members dispute this. Captain Teezy wrote:

I called Oklahoma City and they said that you can take the 8500-7 to an optometrist and get your vision and color vision stats recorded and then bypass an tests with the AME. So go to an optometrist have them fill out the 8500-7 and ask them to make color vision stats (using an FAA approved test of course) in the remarks section and then take that to the AME. The AME will forward this to the FAA with his 8500-8.

See this thread: http://forums.jetcareers.com/ask-flight-surgeon/71774-color-vision-letter-evidence-status-3.html

WHAT IS CORRECT? It has worked for me so far.

???
 
If you can "practice" them, then I believe you can actually see them. :) Lighting is VERY important...especially for those who have the slightest deficiency. The proper lighting is often forgotten about in some doctors' offices.

You may not catch them on the first try but all that means is that you would probably pass an alternate test with no problem.
 
Doc, is there any new developments going on with the faa regarding color vision standards and testing?

I'm just trying to come up with my plan of action to get rid of my night restrictions.
 
motoboy said:
Doc, is there any new developments going on with the faa regarding color vision standards and testing?

I'm just trying to come up with my plan of action to get rid of my night restrictions.
Click to expand...

There are no new changes that I know of at this time.
 
My Flight Surgeon said:
There are 3 versions of the Ishihara test but they all look the same. The test I looked at on-line are pretty accurate.
Click to expand...

So if I failed one before but passed the online tests, what gives? I know my color vision is slightly impaired...could it have been an old faded book or something?
 
My Flight Surgeon said:
That is possible. The online colors are not as true as the colors in the books though.
Click to expand...

One more question doc. With the availability of the Ishihara test online and the ability to easily purchase one, what is to stop someone from memorizing the test and cheating at the AME visit? Kind of scary...no real way to catch them.
 
My Flight Surgeon said:
That is possible. The online colors are not as true as the colors in the books though.
Click to expand...
The Doc is hitting the nail on the head with this one.

Here's the reason: The colors may be slightly different on your computer screen than mine due to different manufacturers individual color calibrations of their screens. The only true test is to go see them in person.

Here's another way to hit this point home... view the same plates on a laptop. Once you come to any of the more difficult ones, then just start tilting your screen down and see how the numbers come into view better as the contrast increases from the severe screen angle. That effect won't happen in person with the plates.

So... it's really most advisable to see the plates in person and just use the plates you see online as a general "litmus" test.

Bob
 
srleslie said:
One more question doc. With the availability of the Ishihara test online and the ability to easily purchase one, what is to stop someone from memorizing the test and cheating at the AME visit? Kind of scary...no real way to catch them.
Click to expand...

Basic eligibility requirements for an ATP rating:


To be eligible for an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, you must know English and:
  • Be at least 23 years of age; AND
  • Be of good moral character.
Why put yourself in a position that could possibly cause you to lose your career at some point in time down the road, especially after the time and investment you would have put in. That's a huge risk.

Bob
 
srleslie said:
One more question doc. With the availability of the Ishihara test online and the ability to easily purchase one, what is to stop someone from memorizing the test and cheating at the AME visit? Kind of scary...no real way to catch them.
Click to expand...

They can memorize them, but they do not know in which sequence the Drs Office is going to present them.

I do not present the test in the same sequence at all.

So they could try and fool the AMEs office. But don't count on it being easy to cheat.
 
In addition... officially, the plates are only allowed to be viewed for no more than 3 seconds. That makes it a bit harder to just "memorize" the patterns... especially on the 38 plate edition.
 
I think there was this famous guy once who said something along the lines of 'not building your foundation on sand.'
 
srleslie said:
One more question doc. With the availability of the Ishihara test online and the ability to easily purchase one, what is to stop someone from memorizing the test and cheating at the AME visit? Kind of scary...no real way to catch them.
Click to expand...

Put it this way. No one would be able to memorize any of the plates if they were color blind to the point of actually impeding safety. Someone who has problems only on these tests but otherwise normal in the real world? Then maybe, because they can see the color differences and maybe make out some of the number just enough to remember the rest of it... but who cares about them, because they aren’t any less safe as pilots. Someone who can't tell red from green? (Then you MIGHT actually have a safety problem here, but still doubtful in my opinion.) I strongly doubt they will be able to go on memorization. Especially if given in a random order. Most color deficient people don't fall into that category tho. Most are still trichromats - in other words still have all 3 color receptors. Red, Green, and Blue. It's just that for whatever reason the peak sensitivity on one of the pigments is slightly different. (Anomalous Trichromat). Most of them are mild tho and present no problem in real world color discrimination. - Just on these TESTS.

Protanopes (Missing Pigment Red Altogether) have been known to have issues reading red LED numbers on dark backgrounds (radio stack, etc) because they have issues with luminosity (brightness - because their eyes can actually perceive less light) as well as colors in the red range...
But again, these people rare compared to people with minor green deficiencies. Brightness is not affected in the minor green cases, if anything, they are actually better at telling apart brightness than a normal trichromat.


See below if interested in more... This is from wikipedia:


  • Dichromacy is a moderately severe color vision defect in which one of the three basic color mechanisms is absent or not functioning. It is hereditary and sex-linked, affecting predominantly males.[9] Dichromacy occurs when one of the cone pigments is missing and color is reduced to two dimensions.[8]

  • Protanopia is a severe type of color vision deficiency caused by the complete absence of red retinal photoreceptors. It is a form of dichromatism in which red appears dark. It is hereditary, sex-linked, and present in 1% of all males.[9]
  • Deuteranopia is a color vision deficiency in which the green retinal photoreceptors are absent, moderately affecting red-green hue discrimination. It is a form of dichromatism in which there are only two cone pigments present. It is likewise hereditary, sex-linked, and present in 1% of all males.[9]
  • Tritanopia is an exceedingly rare color vision disturbance in which there are only two cone pigments present and a total absence of blue retinal receptors.[9]

  • Anomalous trichromacy is a common type of inherited color vision deficiency, occurring when one of the three cone pigments is altered in its spectral sensitivity. This results in an impairment, rather than loss, of trichromacy (normal three-dimensional color vision).[8]

  • Protanomaly is a mild color vision defect in which an altered spectral sensitivity of red retinal receptors (closer to green receptor response) results in poor red-green hue discrimination. It is hereditary, sex-linked, and present in 1% of all males. It is often passed from mother to child.[9]
  • Deuteranomaly, caused by a similar shift in the green retinal receptors, is by far the most common type of color vision deficiency, mildly affecting red-green hue discrimination in 5% of all males. It is hereditary and sex-linked.[9]
  • Tritanomaly is a rare, hereditary color vision deficiency affecting blue-yellow hue discrimination.[9]
 
Hey doc, I got a physical copy of the Ishihara 14 plates and I consistantly missed 5 out of the 11 required. Does this mean I should be ok to get a medical without color restriction?
 
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