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Getting shafted (color blind?!)

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speednangels

New Member
So here's the situation:

I've never been able to pass the tri-color plate tests with the mystical hidden numbers / shapes. I've always been administered the lantern test as an auxiliary and I've passed it repeatedly for years, including a year ago in R.I. At one point I even had a opto-neurologist give me an even more difficult test than both the lantern and the plates and I aced the thing.

So, this Tuesday I had my NOMI physical and just could not pass the lantern test. I dunno what it was, stress, over-thinking, not enough sleep, trying to do it with their stupid chunky corrective lenses on my face, who knows. They brought me in again today to try again and I passed, but "not consistently enough for them to sign off on it."

Now I'm getting NPQ'd with recommendation for no waiver (no waivers for color blindness)

Are there any recommendations for ways I can get this re-evaluated, re-tested, undone, etc, because I KNOW I have sufficient color vision to be a NFO. What can I do and who can I talk to to get something done about this?
 
HAL Pilot

HAL Pilot

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
Not meeting the standards is not getting shafted, it's being not physically qualified. Sucks for you but it's not the Navy shafting you. Sorry but that's life.
 
BACONATOR

BACONATOR

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
First of all, can you get a retest, two consistent tests might prove that it was a "bad day". At least ask if a solid test wasn't going to be good enough, then why did they even do a retest?

Second, if you lack color vision, then you can't be any un-restricted line designator, as far as I remember (no SNA/SNFO/SWO/etc etc). So are they calling your color vision "good" for URL, and just not for pilot, or are you straight NPQ: COLORBLIND in which case you can't be NFO either.
 
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speednangels

New Member
They're starting the paper work for a straight NPQ: color blind. I've had pretty extensive color vision tests before seeing as I would not have been able to even attend my academy if I didn't meet all the URL standards. I had a full flight physical a year ago and did fine then. One doesn't become color blind without some sort of trauma or disease. I'm dead certain that I meet the requirements. I'm going to look into having a 3rd party opinion considered as well as convincing them to let me retest.

I've heard there's a way to appeal. Does anyone know anything about that?
 
FlyinRock

FlyinRock

Registered User
Different standards for most military color tests. I had the same problem and was shade blind rather than color BLIND. Have done numerous color checks for USA and other countries for ATP 1st class flight physicals and passed them. Still, I've been flying on an FAA waiver for about 40 years. I think some of the color checks done in the USA are not really valid but they are the law!
 
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speednangels

New Member
I don't know why I couldn't pass them. I've been told that fatigue, stress, etc will affect you, and I think they definitely played a part. They had me retake the tests a number of times and I passed some, failed others. It's like I said, though, they didn't think I was consistent enough.
 
BigIron

BigIron

Remotely piloted
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
If you have problems discerning colors (under stress, fatigue or otherwise) you cannot fly. It sounds like you have a medical condition. You cannot have a problem that rears itself at inopportune times in aviation.
 
BACONATOR

BACONATOR

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Swanee said:
If you aren't colorblind why couldn't you pass the test?
Click to expand...

I'm inclined to agree. I CAN'T see like 3 or 4 of the ISHIHARA PIP test (the plates). But I pass the FALANT. If you can't see the FALANT... you REALLY are colorblind. I mean, it's not quite "black and white", but it certainly is "green, red and white" and pretty clear. Once you're an aviator there's a waiver for pretty much anything, including color vision degradation, but if you fail it before wings, good luck. Sounds like you've got a good plan to fight it and claim it was a "bad day", but my gut tells me you might be SOL.
 
bunk22

bunk22

Super *********
pilot
Super Moderator
Being color blind is extremely rare. Most folks are color defecient, to varying degrees. From color weak to color strong and the FALANT was developed to allow approximately 28% of those with color vision issues to pass the test. That means those with color weak vision can pass as their perception of color isn't much different than those who are color normal. The AF in their infinite wisdom stopped allowing the FALANT in 1993 as their docs claim that the test can allow those who are severely color defecient can pass the test. They use the same two incidents to back their claims, a Navy F-4 mishap on 5 Aug 1980 where a Phantom pilot launched from the boat at night to join on another aircraft but confused the lights of his wing, thought a mid-air was immenant and punched out. Supposedly, he was severly color defecient but could pass the FALANT. However, I've never read any of the details.

The other mishap was a FEDEX crash on July 26, 2002. The crew survived and one of the casual factors was the first officers color vision. He was a fomer Navy pilot who was in the left seat and supposedly he was unable to deteremine that the aircraft was low, mistake red lights for white. The NTSB report said he could pass the FALANT and had for 16 years. He was issued a SODA by the FAA and was cleared to fly. Here is the NTSB report and the color vision issues starts on p. 42:

http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2004/AAR0402.pdf

Now I've since read that the co-pilot in the mishap dissented and had doctors show that his color vision was not the cause of this mishap, fatigue was. It should be noted that the color vision portion of this report was done by the US Air Force School of Aerospace Medecine whose conclusion is the FALANT is not a valid test. Matter of face, the Air Force is implementing a new color vision test that could possible cause 10-15% of their winged aviators to now fail and thus, may be NPQ'd after the fact. Which IMO is absolutely ridiculous.

Point of all this is that the Navy has been using the FALANT test for 60 years and at least in the past 30 years, except for maybe one instance, there has not been an incident where color vision was the primary or even casual factor in the mishap. The AF has nad none. i would like to read about that Navy mishap as I've heard that the pilot may have been cheating the system and thus the color vision issue would not be valid. However, I have yet to read the safety or JAG investigation. I'm working on getting it. BTW, I might be doing my CAPSTONE project to finish off my masters on this subject, thus my information.
 
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