"Not valid by night flying or color signal control"

[CN94559]

I have this wavier on my medical currently. This isn't a how to get it off my medical thread, its just a question.

My AME told me that I could not fly into towered airports because of the chance of color signals. My CFI and many other pilots with this waiver told me that was wrong and I could fly into towered airports, I just have to divert if light gun signals are needed.

I believe the ladder to be correct, but wanted to get some input from the crowd here.

Thanks!

 

[waco1990]

I had the same restriction on my medical at first. You are correct that you can still fly to towered airports. I just went to the FSDO and did a light gun test and had it removed and now I have a permanent waiver from the color test on future medicals.

 

[Murdoughnut]

I had the same restriction on my medical at first. You are correct that you can still fly to towered airports. I just went to the FSDO and did a light gun test and had it removed and now I have a permanent waiver from the color test on future medicals.

Yeah, I did the same thing. Took the light gun test in '97 and was initially given a SODA. It later converted to a waiver.

 

[CN94559]

I know about the light gun test, and am planning on doing it. I just wanted to make sure even if I failed, I would still be ok to be flying into towered airports.

I appreciate the responses!

 

[msmspilot]

I believe the ladder to be correct, but wanted to get some input from the crowd here.

Thanks!

Ladders are devices that you use to reach higher places than you otherwise could have from the ground.

"latter" would be the second item (or sometimes third) in a list.

To answer your question, yes, you can fly to a towered airport, just not if you lose comms.

 

[gomntwins]

I had the same restriction on mine and got the waiver. When I had the restriction it was my understanding that I could fly into towered airports and I still think you can. The problem is, if you do get ramped, what happens if the examiner does not share your opinion (like the 7% in your poll that answered 'no')? That, I don't know. I was going to get clarification in writing from the FAA when I had the restriction, but ended up with the waiver prior to pursuing any clarification. Personally, I'd get some clarification from the FAA that clarifies it prior to flying into towered airports solo, but that's me.

 

[msmspilot]

I had the same restriction on mine and got the waiver. When I had the restriction it was my understanding that I could fly into towered airports and I still think you can. The problem is, if you do get ramped, what happens if the examiner does not share your opinion (like the 7% in your poll that answered 'no')? That, I don't know. I was going to get clarification in writing from the FAA when I had the restriction, but ended up with the waiver prior to pursuing any clarification. Personally, I'd get some clarification from the FAA that clarifies it prior to flying into towered airports solo, but that's me.

Just like you deal with a cop when he's wrong. You be very polite, and you deal with it off the "street." Not a great system, but especially in flying, where it's civil law instead of criminal law, it's arguably even more important.

If you decide to get clarification from the FAA, get it from the FAA and not from a local FSDO. A FSDO opinion is the opinion of the individual inspector and worth about as much as the opinion of the local grumpy old guy at your local airport. I've known several inspectors who were wrong on a particular issue (night landings counting for daytime currency for example... And yes, I know there's no such thing as daytime currency.)

 

[gomntwins]

Just like you deal with a cop when he's wrong. You be very polite, and you deal with it off the "street." Not a great system, but especially in flying, where it's civil law instead of criminal law, it's arguably even more important.

I agree. But, at the same time, having never dealt with the FAA when a Fed has assumed I was in the wrong, I don't know what kind of headaches they can create in the short-term. Also, I've heard some people make some very pursuasive arguments as to why you cannot fly into a controlled airport with this restriction. So, just because I think you can sure does not mean you can.

The one question I've had about this is, what happens if you land with radios but lose them on the landing rollout? Now you're lost comms, are you legal to taxi? The chances of it happening are so minimal I wouldn't worry about it but it's the one scenario that I can think of where you'd be explicitly going against your restriction.

 

[highspeed]

Yeah, I did the same thing. Took the light gun test in '97 and was initially given a SODA. It later converted to a waiver.

I have the SODA dating back to '98. How do I convert it to a wavier? Or does it just automatically hapen? Any benefit to changing it?

 

[Dugie8]

I think you guys are thinking about this the wrong way. The restriction isn't there for radio FAILURE. Radios are not required for all towered airports and light signals are not JUST for emergencies. You can legally fly into a Class D airport with no radios. This restriction forbids you from doing that.

It has been a while since I instructed primary. Isn't there a towered landing requirement for private pilot certificates?

 

[Dugie8]

I have the SODA dating back to '98. How do I convert it to a wavier? Or does it just automatically hapen? Any benefit to changing it?

I have one as well. Don't worry about changing it. The same thing happens at your medical, be it waiver or SODA.

 

[msmspilot]

I agree. But, at the same time, having never dealt with the FAA when a Fed has assumed I was in the wrong, I don't know what kind of headaches they can create in the short-term. Also, I've heard some people make some very pursuasive arguments as to why you cannot fly into a controlled airport with this restriction. So, just because I think you can sure does not mean you can.

The one question I've had about this is, what happens if you land with radios but lose them on the landing rollout? Now you're lost comms, are you legal to taxi? The chances of it happening are so minimal I wouldn't worry about it but it's the one scenario that I can think of where you'd be explicitly going against your restriction.

That's the only scenario I can think of as well. If you're truly concerned about that, your option, of course, is to get the tower's phone number before departure, and if you have that comm failure in the flare, land, get off the runway, and call them before you move.

Other than that, I think this one gets a lot of people in a tizzy over nothing. I sent at least one student with this restriction to a PP checkride, and nothing was said about it. They had to meet the 3 solo takeoffs and landings somehow. Now one DPE doesn't mean any more than one FAA inspector does, but I'm sure most of the instructors here could give a similar story.

As far as the lightgun at the tower, I'm aware of a tower or two that doesn't even have a lightgun in it. So would you argue that you couldn't fly into those towers just on the off chance of a radio failure?

 

[OhioStatePilot]

Leland, I would advise you against taking the light gun test until you've exhausted all other options. Hell, use some benefits to fly to where you can find a farnsworth lantern!

 

[Murdoughnut]

I have the SODA dating back to '98. How do I convert it to a wavier? Or does it just automatically hapen? Any benefit to changing it?

I was out of flying for many years, and when I came back I had them pull my medical history from their files (I requested a copy of my SODA). They sent me a letter of proficiency (or something like that) instead, saying that they converted all light gun test SODAs.

 

[CN94559]

Ladders are devices that you use to reach higher places than you otherwise could have from the ground.

"latter" would be the second item (or sometimes third) in a list.

To answer your question, yes, you can fly to a towered airport, just not if you lose comms.

:crazy: It was late.

Leland, I would advise you against taking the light gun test until you've exhausted all other options. Hell, use some benefits to fly to where you can find a farnsworth lantern!

Yeah, thats what I'm planning on, I just wanted to make sure even if I end up having that stuck on me I would be alright. How you been? PM or text me brotha man!


I appreciate all the responses!

 

[fly]

I have this wavier on my medical currently. This isn't a how to get it off my medical thread, its just a question.

My AME told me that I could not fly into towered airports because of the chance of color signals. My CFI and many other pilots with this waiver told me that was wrong and I could fly into towered airports, I just have to divert if light gun signals are needed.

I believe the ladder to be correct, but wanted to get some input from the crowd here.

Thanks!

Did you ever ask the FAA about this?

 

[js0305]

I have this wavier on my medical currently. This isn't a how to get it off my medical thread, its just a question.

My AME told me that I could not fly into towered airports because of the chance of color signals. My CFI and many other pilots with this waiver told me that was wrong and I could fly into towered airports, I just have to divert if light gun signals are needed.

I believe the ladder to be correct, but wanted to get some input from the crowd here.

Thanks!

I had a student with this issue in DFW. After speaking with several FSDO inspectors the general consensus was that YES you can fly to a towered airport. Should you need signals then you must depart the area and land at a non-towered airport.

My student was foreign and had a clear medical from home country, but failed the color plates here in the US. Our primitive form of testing regularly disqualifies "color normal" pilots. Hopefully change is in the near future.

 

[fly]

I had a student with this issue in DFW. After speaking with several FSDO inspectors the general consensus was that YES you can fly to a towered airport. Should you need signals then you must depart the area and land at a non-towered airport.

My student was foreign and had a clear medical from home country, but failed the color plates here in the US. Our primitive form of testing regularly disqualifies "color normal" pilots. Hopefully change is in the near future.

Thanks for the info! There are few airports where I live that do not have a tower. I have been wanting to get a PPL but figured it was pointless if I could not fly to most of the airports in my area. This is good news!