Can color blind people still fly?
By Patch • Category: Medical, PopularAs I’ve mentioned, from the time I was very young, I’ve had a dream to fly. I’ve watched planes and helicopters, and even birds and been fascinated by flight. I love flying. I had called the local flight schools so often, I was probably becoming a pest.
As I got older, I considered a career in aviation and wanted nothing more than to be a Navy pilot flying an F-14 over the skies of my hometown, San Diego. I remember taking one of those career profile tests in middle school and writing down my career choice as Airline Pilot. The test suggested social worker. I thought it was a stupid test.
At some point in my life, my mom told me she thought I was color blind. I didn’t like the thought of that, but I didn’t really care. I could color and get myself dressed and most of the time the colors weren’t an issue. Sometimes my clothes didn’t match, but I marked it up as my bad sense of “taste”.
The color blindness didn’t matter until I started talking about being a pilot. That’s when someone told me I couldn’t be a Navy pilot if I had any amount of color blindness. I was very upset and started to argue with anyone who told me I might be color blind. It wasn’t until I joined the Navy and took the actual test that it was confirmed. I was color blind.
Suddenly the jobs I could do in the Navy had been severely limited. In the aviation field, I could become a parachute rigger, storeman (ordering parts for the planes), or administrationsman. No avionics, no power plants, and certainly NO PILOT!
Reality set in and I decided I would be an “Aviation Maintenance Administrationsman” A huge name better known as an “AZ”. At least I would be close to the planes and able to see them everyday. I even saw some “non-color blind” pilots walking the halls every day. It was as close as I was going to get. Someone said I could have joined the Army and been a helicopter pilot, but I heard they have a life expectancy of less than 1 minute in a combat situation. I decided I wanted to be a pilot for a little longer than THAT.
There are approximately 8-12% of the white male population who are color blind and less than 1/2 of 1% of the white females. For a guy who wanted nothing more than to be a pilot, this was definately a bad hand to be dealt. At one point I even figured I would just memorize the little cards with all the dots on them and try to sneak past the “color guards”. Turns out, that just can’t be done.
Do you see the 6, 8 and 45 above? I don’t! Seriously, it’s hard for a non-color blind person to imagine not being able to see something that is so crystal clear to them, but it’s true. I just a bunch of dots of various colors.
So, I’m color blind and I’ll never be a Navy pilot. But, that didn’t mean I couldn’t be a civilian pilot. I started to look into this option and I was thrilled to find out my color blind state wasn’t going to stop me in this area. According to the FAA, to become a private pilot you don’t have to prove your color vision… as long as you don’t want to fly above the clouds or in other IFR (Instrument Flight Regulations) situations.
That was it! I was going to get my private pilots license. That was when I was 18 years old. Today I’m 39 and I still haven’t done it. More about that in the days to come.
If you’re wondering about your color blindness I’ve included a few simple tests and a couple of links to more information.
About Color Blindness – Spend some time exploring this site. It has a lot of great information
Color Blind Kids – This is a great site if you’re dealing with color blind children. There’s a lot of information on how color blind kids struggle in school and how it often goes unnoticed and consequently untreated.
Corrective glasses – ColorView glasses state they don’t “cure” color blindness, but they do say they will help you if you have a red/green color blindness issue. I don’t know anyone who has tried these, so I have no idea if they work.
Corrective Sunglasses – These are supposed to do the same thing as the ColorView glasses, but in sunglass form. They have some “laser dye” treatment. I know nothing about them other than the fact that they cost about $300 each.
Patch is the owner of this site. I originally took my flight instruction with Spokane Airways located at Spokane International Airport (GEG). I passed my checkride in August of 2007. I now live in Florida and fly out of Lantana (KLNA) or North County Airport (F45).
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I am colourblind and wanna be a pilot, is there anyway i can be a commercial pilot???
Pleeeeease reply
Thanks so much
Marshall
Hi Marshall,
In the United States, to become a commercial airline pilot, you’ll need an ATP certificate. This is an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate. It requires a 1st Class Medical which is the most restrictive. The 1st class requires renewal every 6 months.
There are a number of color blindness tests that can be administered to you. It doesn’t matter which one you pass. Truth is, most color blind people will be able to pass one of the many tests. You just have to find out which one you pass. The FAA doesn’t say you have to pass a specific one.
I’d recommend you spend some time trying each one type of test and find the one that works for you. Is this cheating? No! Truth is, it’s VERY difficult to test for all the varieties of color blindness. Honestly, every person in the world has some level of general color blindness. So tests like the Ishihara, are designed to pass the majority of people, but it doesn’t work for everyone. The most accurate test is the farnsworth munsell 100 hue test. It will give you the most feedback.
If you were to take one of those books with all the dots and spend some time studying it, you’d probably be able to figure most of them out. I’m not talking about memorizing, just spending some time studying. It might be worth buying one to do this. Every doctor uses the same one. DON’T CHEAT on your medical.
Here’s what the FAA requires:
FAR 67.103 (c) – Ability to perceive those colors necessary for the safe performance of airman duties.
Hope this helps.
you dont want to be a pilot. trust me. its a great job, but a terrible career.
Hey Patch, its finally good to know that i wasnt the only kid that had his heart tore out because he was colorblind. I too watched F-16 and always got toy airplanes as a kid. i even had a pedal plane. But i evenually gave up after finding out that i couldnt fly and just started working right out of high school. until i found out that their is a test you can take! So just to let other people know. i am red-green colorblind. I took the light gun signal test. this test has to be done at a controlled tower.
their were 3 parts to this test. 1st one was that i had to Identify all the colors on a VFR sectional map. 2nd was a bunch of like flash cards that had taxiway signs, and you had to Identify the colors of the signs. then we went out outside and the control tower flashed us 6 lights at 1000 feet away. he also stressed that this was a pass or fail test and that you could get any wrong. the six light are either red, green and white in different order. Then again at 1500 feet away with 6 lights. as a colorblind person i saw all the colors prefectly. they say that most people confuse the white with the green, but i could definately see the difference. and now i dont have to take the color test when i get my physical any more.
i am posting this so when people take this test they arent so worried about it like was. and to let other people know that just because you are colorblind doesnt mean you cant fly. i am at a college going for my commerical license. so please please please dont give up. you can fly!
How do you schedule such a test as the one you mentioned? I am confident I could pass this test but would not pass the optometrist style tests.
Hey nate, My name is adrian and i too would like to be a pilot. I was wondering if we could chat one on one through emails about this and your test because i am somewhat colorblind. My email is adrianharris91@gmail.com
Hi Patch glad to see i’m not alone i have always wanted to be an airline pilot until i found out i was color blind. I have failed almost every test so far.
best of luck for your PPL
-cheers, James
Just want to say thanks to everyone for the information.
I always wanted to be a pilot but I am also colorblind, now I became a Flight attendant, but I will always want to be seating up there in the cockpit.
Great job! At least you’re airborne on a regular basis. You have a wonderful opportunity to talk with the pilots about your best opportunities. I will say, after talking to numerous ATP pilots, most of them agree, the greatest joys flying come when they step into a general aviation aircraft. I would look at getting your Private Pilots Certificate and then on to your Instrument Rating. After that, you may realize, it’s giving you all the flying time you want and then you can enjoy being a flight attendant when you’re not in the left seat.
Consider getting your PPL and experiencing the real joy of flying, whether it’s low and slow or you move on and get your Instrument Rating and bust through the clouds. Most airline pilots will tell you, the greatest joys flying come when they step back into a general aviation aircraft.
Thanks for this write up, like every other kid in the world that didn’t want to be a doctor or a fireman, I had to be a Pilot.
When I hit my teenage years I discovered I had a minor tremor, always thought I just had no skill as small manual tasks. So I kind of gave up on the dream. It’s hereditary, and it’s supposedly why my dad wasn’t able to pursue flying in the air force.
So here I am today, mid 20′s still a little shaky and 4 years after I discovered I’m also colorblind a touch.
But back to thanking you for your write up, things like this are helping me build up the will to at least give it a shot.
You know, it’s funny I’m typing this from work where I’m designing some lighting for some airline stuff (I do electrical engineering). I can’t physically work on the wires in the plane because of the color thing, but I can design what they do. Maybe someday I’ll get to appreciate what they do.
Hi guys just been reading all your comments. I’m in the same situation and tryin to pass my medical in europe which is 10 times harder when your colorblind. Check out airlinepilot. Com and pprune.com. They both have threads with hundreds of posts by pilots and people in aviation who know all about this area. I knew nothin a couple of months back and now i understand it all and have my tests booked. Everyone will be able to give you advice. They’re great forums with really helpful people.
hi,ive more than considered a career in aviation. Ive want to join army ROTC and become a helicopter pilot. but im colorblind,but i can distiguish colors fine. can somebody please tell me something about my situation. and i will not take no for answer
Hi guys,
Just went for my 3rd class certificate, and being that i am slightly color blind got limitations of “not valid for night flying or by color signal control”
The doctor gave told me i can take some other kinds of tests, does anyone know where i can do this in the NYC area?
Thanks,
Avi
Hey,
Thanks or the info. Also, you mentioned the color view glasses. Well when I was in the army I wanted to go to Ranger school. I had all my paperwork done and went to my physical where the eye doc told me that I was Red/Green color blind. He put a pair of red lens glasses on my face and I could suddenly read the ishihara number. I accepted the fact thet there would be no Ranger school and finished my service. I got out and went to work on a towboat. I learned there that I could become a boat pilot but would have to pass yet another color exam. The first time I went the nurse pointed at colored door markers, you know the ones outside of exam rooms. I correctly called out the color and she sent me on my way. Before going for my pilots physical I went to my eye doctor and had him make me a red contact lens. He said that he had heard of that but didn’t think it would work. I insisted and he to my measurement and had it made for me. Once it came in he was surprised to see that I could in fact see the numbers. Fortunately I changed careers but just wanted to point out the fact that there are aids that do work. I am 35 and have always wondered why everyone that wasn’t colorblind didn’t want to be a pilot. I think I will pursue my dream and see what happens.
I have a friend who is color blind, while I do not feel there are too much convenience to his carrer and daily life. Just pay enough attention in speical occupations.
Desperately want to become a pilot. I’m mildly color-blind and hoping I can figure out this testing issue and go to school to learn to fly. I’m a veteran, and all my schooling is paid for… Now I just hope I can finally live my dream and take the right test to be eligible!
Hiya today i went on a helicopter and im 10 years of age and i really want to be a pilot i got the captins auto-graph and everything i could and before i got off i ask can i be a pilot if im color blind he said no 100% no for a airline pilot but a 100% yes for a privete pilot is that true? also my nan lookes on the internet and found a website that said theres glasses the make green lighter and red darker [red and green are the colors i need to pass] but the glasses are being used by pilots now but by the time i need them they will be used by other pilots and if they work i could possibily be a airline pilot i want to know if thats true because when the pilot said no today i was so upset i have wanted to be a pilot for about 5 years now i love aircraft. but if i cant be a airline pilot can i be a privete pilot and maybe be hired by a company of some sort or even do it as a hobby but i would like to do it as a job if i can. The pilot said i can 100% be a privete pilot i hope thats true. Thanks for reading please please answer all my questions it means the world to me tahnks for reading.
i’m color blind and i have always loved planes since i was little. and in that test the number 8 to me looks like a number 5. i’m mainly color blind with the dark colors. would it be possible to fulfill my dream as a pilot, since i’m color blind on dark colors?? or would i just have to be a private pilot?? back in 1999 on one of my college visits, i went to check out a college in fort dodge, ia, for the aviation program and he let me fly the plane and he said i was a natural at it. also about 4 or 5 years ago my brother-in-law’s brother used to fly on a commercial airline and he got fired because he’s color blind.
planes can fly even without human pilots, why can’t you be a pilot. Technology can let you see everything even in total darkness. Even if you are colorblind, technology can let you see those colors.
Hey, my name’s Farhan, and i am 20 years old now. I always wanted to be a pilot since i was a kid, when i had my medical, they told me to get a Lantern Test, ‘coz i too have some red-green deficiencies, i took the test, and i failed, they stated that i am unfit for flying, i cant go for CPL, i may have chances in PPL but its of no use as a profession i suppose. and now i’m studying B1 engineering, (aircraft engineering) and it always hurts to see others Fly =’(