Color blindness

[i1luzion]

I would like to start off by addressing what longhorn has said. There is no way that longhorn knows red is what he sees. It's his interpertation of red, just like yours is what you see. I too have color "blindness". The thing that many people don't realize is that people with this "blindness" can see things that others can't. So that means maybe it's the 90% that has a problem with vision. It's all how you look at it.

 

[wildflyin69]

All I know is that I fail the standard find the number in the dots test, but I can tell what red, green, white, blue, and yellow are at night (along with several other people), so I'm pretty sure I'm good to go. And actually I heard it's much more than 50% that fail that standard test.

 

[orthaj]

I kind have a perspective on this that a lot of others may not. Most of the males in my family are colorblind ie cousins, uncles, father, second cousins. They have blue eyes. I have hazel and my brother does too and we aren't colorblind. Colorblindness is much more common in males with blue eyes than other colored eyes. It is a trait that is passed down through the mothers side. So if there is a family history of males with blue eyes who are colorblind on the mothers side and you have blue eyes, You are probably colorblind. It is one of those XY chromosome things. My relatives have the classic red, green colorblindness. It is impossible for them to distinguish a red dot on a brown or green background. It is impossible for them to distinguish a green dot/speck/shape from any other on a red back back ground. At night they cannot determine the difference between a red light, green light, from far distances, all they see is yellow and white lights. All of my relatives who have blue eyes are very colorblind. I can understand why the Military is very particular about this colorblindness issue and aviation. If there is a colorblind pilot flying around it could be alot easier for him or her to mistake one light from another and that mistake may cost unnecessary taxpayer dollars and lives of fellow soldiers,sailors,airmen,or Marines. There is alot of technology that has been developed to counteract these effects but a pilot is still required to trust his senses and instruments, but if his senses are giving him false information bad things can happen. Maybe I am pointing out the obvious and everybody here knows this info already. Even being a "little colorblind" can have negational consequences. This colorblind issue is not limited only to aviation, people who want to fix electronic equipment can't be colorblind either.

 

[wildflyin69]

yeah, but as long as you pass the Farnsworth you're good to go orthaj. I have brown eyes though and I thought color blindness was passed from the male side of the family.

 

[bunk22]

I believe being totally color blind is very rare. Being color deficient, with different degrees of severity, is the norm. I've been in the Navy almost 11 years, almost 8 of those as a navy pilot and I'm one of those who had difficulty passing the colored number tests. It didn't matter since the only color vision test I have ever taken as a naval aviator is the Falant light test. If you pass it, you're good, if not, then being a navy pilot will be much more difficult to achieve.

 

[Enrique]

Dude

Simple just go to MEPS and ask for the FALANT test. I'm in the same situation as you. The Shahira plates book is hard to pass. And any way they are reports that show, that this test is not 100% sure.. So when u go to MEPS again ask for the FALANT test.

And if you don't konw what the FALANT test, or looks like, do what I did. GO to a local military or civilian air port that has the rotating becon if you can see all the lights that the becon hass you are good.

I also whent to the FAA office and ask for a FALANT test. And I was able to give me an idea what the NAVY or Mairne Falant test is all about.

Is not hard to pass the test, but you only get one chance, no second chance. You will be nerves but hey just relax, and look at the lights.

But if you have problems wiht the FALANT test you should just look at somthing else.


So good luck and don't go Air Force, the air force wont take u if you don't pass the shahira book, the falant test is no good for them for pilot or nav.

And yes I cry when they told me I was color blind. And you know what, it helps...I had to do some research go to the NAMI web side, and you will see that. Color vision is not a problem the longest you pass FALANT. Thank God for FALANT.

So I guess I made my point..

 

[Wolfpack]

Ok. This seems to be unclear from the above dialogue? If you are professionally recommended then you go to MEPS for a full physical including a color blind test. Is it the Ishihara Dot test or the Farnsworth Lantern? If it is the Ishihara and you fail then would you not be able to go to OCS for Pilot/NFO thus you would never get to the Flight Physical. Or, will they give you the Farnsworth Lantern before you go to OCS at MEPS? Thanks.

 

[wildflyin69]

Do you have to ask for the Farnsworth Lantern? or will they just give it to you if you fail the original color test?