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The FAA Operational Color Vision Test (OCVT) and Color Vision Medical Flight Test (MFT)
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- čas přidán 15. 08. 2024
- This video describes my experience taking the FAA Operational Color Vision Test (OCVT) and Color Vision Medical Flight Test (MFT) and the process that I had to go through in order to remove the “not valid for night flying or by color signal control” limitation listed on my First Class Medical Certificate due to a failed color test at my appointment with the Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) to obtain a medical certificate.
The goal of my video is to consolidate all of the information I had to gather in order to learn what to expect from the tests I had to take. Below are some links to help you...
Find Your Aviation Medical Examiner: www.faa.gov/pi...
Find Your Flight Standards District Office (FSDO): www.faa.gov/ab...
Ishihara Color Test: www.colour-bli...
Flight Standards Information Management System (FSIMS): fsims.faa.gov
Regulations Relating to OCVT and Color Vision MFT: fsims.faa.gov/P...
See specifically 5-1523F, 5-1526-E-6, and 5-1527D
VFR Sectional Print Chart:
www.sportys.co...
www.pilotmall....
Online VFR Sectional Chart: vfrmap.com
Signal Light Test Example:
• Airport Light Gun Sign...
• FAA Tower Vehicle Ligh...
• Real Light Gun Signals...
Aeronautical Information Manual: www.faa.gov/ai...
Chapter 2 Aeronautical Lighting and Other Airport Visual Aids: www.faa.gov/ai...
PDF Version (Recommend using above links as they will contain updated information and procedures as the FAA updates them): www.faa.gov/ai...
G1000 Tutorial (I found this helpful, despite its length): • G1000 Garmin Tutorial
Folks, just to clarify I do NOT have any color vision deficiency. I never have, I only botched the color portion of my first medical exam, and this is the process I went through to have the limitation I received, removed from my medical. Even the FAA Inspectors I met with told me they’re not fans of the Ishihara Color Test
Pilot applicants who don’t have color deficiency. Let’s just call their lives the continuing adventures of the luckiest SOB’s who ever lived
I had the same issue waaaaaay back when....1971 to be exact. Had to jump thru all the hoops to get my 1st class. I have done extensive research on this issue over the years. The Ishihara color plate test has been the FAA standard since the dawn of time. It does not take into account the fact there are varying degrees of color deficiency. In addition there is a perception issue that affects some people that in fact are not "color blind". I had a ophthalmologist give me a test where there are about 50 color discs that take you through the entire color spectrum from blue to tael to green to yellow to orange to red. He dumped them on a table and I had to arrange them in order which I did perfectly. Also, I was fortunate to join the Navy and flew F14's in the 1980's. The Navy gives you what is called the Farnsworth Lantern test which is a machine that randomly shows you 2 lights that are over/under red, white and green. you tell them red over white, red over green etc whatever it may be. you sit about 25 feet from the machine when you do this. I passed that as well. After the Navy I got hired by Pan Am World Airways. They went out of business, I got hired by United Airlines and flew for them for 28 years. I retired last year. Anyone out there that fails the Ishihara all is not lost. That being said, approx 8% of males and .4% of females are true red/green color blind and it is congenital. So, if it is in your family you may have some form of it.
I’m currently going through this right now and I’m an instrument rating pilot
@@captaincurry3859 are you color blind? How did you over come it and got it out of your record?
So are you a discromath?
Thank you for sharing. I am a CFI and just recently went to renew my first class medical and failed the color portion. I now have a night and color gun signal restriction on my medical certificate. The next day I requested my local GA airport to give me light gun signals and I was able to see the green, red, and white without much difficulty. I am now going to send a letter to the FAA regional flight surgeon to request this test. Praying for the best. It would be a shame to make it thus far with no issues only to realize my color deficiency is going to end my career I’ve spent countless dollars and hours to achieve thus far.
Hello, any update about your situation?
We need to make this public we need to change the FAA I’m going through this right now
@@rickFSX just saw an AME in Ashland Ohio and was able to pass his color vision test. It wasn’t easy but I was able to do it. He specializes in color deficient pilots. Dr. Ray Steinhauser is his name.
@@rickFSX and the FAA never got back in touch with me concerning the OCVT MFT
@@captaincurry3859 check out OhioAME in Ashland Ohio if you’re still dealing with this. Best wishes
I followed everything in your video and also took the OCVT and MFT. I got my LOE in the mail last week and I'm ready to fly!
Any tips? I'm taking mine Monday. How long did the chart portion take?
@@ryanaustin6801 how'd it go man?
What can I expect of the MFT? I can’t find any information on what the test comprises of.
Any further information that you could share? How was the OCVT and MFT?
@@ryanaustin6801 hey did u pass?
I’m in high school, I want to be a airline pilot, but I’m color blind. IM SCARED!!! This has been the only thing that handles me excited for the past two years and If I can’t become a pilot I don’t know what I’ll do with my life
Great information! I wish I could have watched this 20 years ago. I was told by everyone that there was no way I could become a pilot with my color blindness. Good luck in you schooling.
I was told that too, but I'm starting to think there's a good possibility I can pass these.
Great video. Good luck in your training. After failing the Ishihara test, I took the light gun test in 1995 and managed to pass. I have a SODA and was grandfathered in when they changed the testing standards in 2007 or so. Went on to get my Commercial and Instrument ratings as well as my CFI certificate from there.
Even if you don’t want to fly 135 or 121, if you are colorblind and have a night flying restriction on your medical, you can’t be a CFIA either because you can’t act as PIC during night training for primary students. Sucks all round for those that can’t pass the tests.
happy for you getting that fixed, good luck man. i got my piloting dreams crushed as a kid when they found i was red-green colorblind, and then later in my life i found out i had a genetic heart condition. i was screwed from the start so i'll see you all on the flight sims
I feel so bad for you! That’s my worst nightmare.
Thanks for making this video. I got my second class medical yesterday, with night restriction. Pretty sure I could pass a practical color vision test.
Sir is there any update
This was outstanding info, especially all the links you included. Thanks a ton brother. How has your training pipeline been going?
I have the same problem with becoming a police officer. I can not pass the isihiara tests, but I can see and name any color out there.Still the doctor did not allow me to go to the academy. People must stop freaking out about this...
Congratulations!!
I’m Jess from TAIWAN, I’m going to have the OCVT at Oakland, CA in January, your video is really really helpful, thank you so much
Ryan Austin I had a appointment with the inspector on 1/21, do you have any questions?
jack64071 how did it go?
Sorry guys, I didn't notice you tag me in the comment until now.
Actually the FAA determined that I failed the test.
I got the SLT all correct, but I confused a little bit on aero chart, the inspector tell me that I confused some color on the aero chart.
And we took the MFT on the same day(inspector told me both test will takes on the same day, probably because he knew I'm not living in US), I rented a C172 with traditional instrument(not G1000), and inspector asked me about some color on the instrument(ex. Yellow and Green around Speed indicator), and the light color outside the plane, and actually I got one light incorrect which is on the tail of the C172, the inspector said the light is White, but I saw the case of the light is a bit dirty so I told him that was Yellow. After that, the CFI(comes together with the rental) flew us around, the inspector asked some question about how the terrain and color looks like.
In conclusion, I confused the Aero Chart, I got SLT all correct and MFT is good but one color of light incorrect. Then FAA didn't let me pass the test.
For SLT, the WHITE light is really bright, you can tell the different between WHITE and GREEN by the brightness.
@@jack64071 Sorry it didn't go well for you. I'm sure you are aware, but you can retake it at night since you did not pass during day. Then you would be allowed to fly at night and during day but just not by light guns.
thanks so much for your video. Good luck during your flying dream.
Unable to PM your channel at the moment. will figure it out and send questions should they come up. thanks
So in conclusion if you're colour blind the dream of becoming commerical pilot is not over?
Did you have to take the airplane in flight or did you just simply sit in a g1000 aircraft and turn on the screens and do a color vision assessment? If you took the airplane to flight, did you pilot it or did the faa?
Super helpful, thanks for making this vid!
I am freaking out myself. I just got my first class medical and failed the color blind test. I don’t know what else to do with my life if I can’t become a pilot. It is my dream. Two slots open At my closest academy for the month of May, I wanted to start ASAP.
Unlucky mate, same thing here. ;(
I Drive Ships the key is to find a Neuro-Ophthalmologist. I found one in my area that has the the D15 test and the Farnsworth Lantern. Passed them easily, just sent the results to my local flight surgeons. Now waiting to get my medical certificate without any restrictions.
@@Dejesusluis87 haven't actually gone for my first class yet however I'm almost certain I'm going to fail the ishihara test. Great to know there will be alternatives if I do fail since being a commercial pilot is my dream job. Good luck and please keep me informed!
luis dejesus Hey man how is it going now? Anything new?
Same thing happened to me I’m certain I’m going fail
Mfs2020 have the green and red light for landing
Great video man
So my AME said to write and sign a letter asking the faa to let me take the ocvt and color flight vision test, and then take a picture and send it to this special email. Now I'm just waiting, but this video has me thinking maybe I took the wrong steps ?
what happen if you never flown a G1000 cockpit? do they make you go up in a regular cockpit then go to simulator?
Can you still get a job as some sort of pilot with a night flying restriction? Are there any companies that operate during the day that would be willing to hire a pilot with restriction?
My guess would be aerial advertising. That's the most logical one, but whether they actually would do it, I don't know
Probably an agricultural spray pilot - which can only be done during the day!
I am moderately red and green colorblind. Do you all think i can do what Preston did in the video?
If you are not flying in a 14 CFR Part 121, do NOT take a First Class medical. A First class requires additional testing that is unnecessary for commercial or private operations. If you an issue during an unceccessary testm, you have screwed yourself. Do NOT take a first class if you do not need one. just for the ego value of having a First.
I recently passed my SODA Test (02-15-2023). If anyone have questions about it, I'm willing to answer them.
What would you say were the most difficult things to point out ?
@@Nickmh07 i can't really point out the most difficult part because I practice a lot with an instructor with a sectional chart and also practiced in the airport that I have to do the exam on (the tower light gun). Because every tower light guns are different but I was super lucky enough that my home airport have an LED light gun so you can see it from afar. If I have to point out any difficult part, I will saying "me". After all those practices, I was still scared that I might fail and knowing that this is it comes with its own fear. If you fail this, that will definitely be the end to your career if you want to go to the airlines unless that you want to just fly around for fun. I hope this helps a little bit.
At what airport did you take the signal light gun test?
@@SailorGerry Denton Texas KDTO
@@Kenny-bp8ux how was the MFT portion? How long did it take and was it more airport related or was it random colors everywhere?
Does anyone know why air traffic controllers dont have any colour safe tests?
Oh yes - air traffic controllers do need to take colour tests also, as part of their medical screening.
thank you!
I'm really nervous about the color vision medical flight test not so much the light gun test
Did u take it?
HI! DEAR Preston McMillan I am a chinese ,BE a pilot is my dream, and thank you for your vedio,as you see , my english is not good. I have a question that from get medical test to get ocvt and cnmft TOTALLY， HOW long time should I STAY at America?I WANT to get medical test(first test) at Sep 15th,and I want to get first class medical test.thank you very much
@Preston McMillan, when you did your flying part of the test, who was flying the aircraft? I know that you said that you haven't started flight school when you went for the test. I will be going to Oklahoma too, I just want to clear my medical certificate before I pay a lot of money for flight school. Hopefully you will reply me soon.
Thanks for the upload i have a question what is the pass to fail ratio of the Ishihara test
firstname lastname I actually don’t know the pass fail ratio. I was failed for getting 4 of 6 correct, and the FAA examiners were actually shocked that I was failed
Preston,
Can you help me understand why the FAA did not accept your vision screening from an ophthalmologist? The FAA website specifically says if you pass one of the approved tests, and then they list them. Why didn't they honor what they have posted? I spoke with an inspector today, and he said to use the OCVT and MFT as a last resort.
Paige Arey unfortunately the AME I used only mentioned to go to an ophthalmologist, however Oklahoma City (FAA CAMI) denied the results because the results were not done by an ophthalmologist who happened to also be an AME themselves. I did try to locate someone who did one of the approved tests, and after calling all ophthalmologists in the region (an area with numerous research hospitals) and none did any of the tests. I would be astonished if I found a place which did one of the approved tests. The OCVT/MFT is a last resort, but I didn’t really have much of a choice if I wanted to remove the restriction from my medical certificate. Since I am not colorblind and have never had any issues with color prior to my first medical, I wasn’t concerned with the actual tests themselves.
@@prestonmcmillan796 thanks for the information, and thanks for replying! This is for my fifteen year old brother who did fail the Ishihara. My mother was able to find the FALANT at a college several hours away. However, I'm wondering it those results would be rejected because they aren't being given by an AMI? Several posts I've read have said to bring the passing results back to the initial AMI. Although my brother has a mild deficiency, he was able to read all the colors on the map, and can tell the difference between red, green and white light signals--my mother is concerned (based on your video) that he still may be too young to go through the OCVT/MFT. It seems like a fairly stressful experience, and seems so final.
@@prestonmcmillan796if you weren’t color blind why did they make you take the OCVT?
Actually as a past student of civil aviation who has flown about 10 hours in private training, and as a person with moderate color deficiency, I would feel terrified flying a plane with the amount of difficulty I would have with color signaling. The first time I tried to make final approach based on white and pink ground signaling scared the shit out of me because the lights weren’t changing colors to my eyes. I just landed the damn thing on dead reckoning. Never again.
Pink? What do you mean pink ground signaling? Is it not suppose to be either white or red?
I take my OCVT/MFT in less than a week! I do have a slight issue with Led/ vs incandescent lightning so we’ll see how this goes….
I just passed today !!!
@@Nickmh07what was the difference between the white and green light for you? I have a slight issue differentiating the whites and the greens if the greens are very light
Hey mate i am from australia, i am partial colourblind red-green. I have always dreamed of being a pilot , and now after lot of research and medical advice i see that FAA has decommissioned the test and thats what i see when i checked the link thats under there on your description. Could you give me any idea about it
more.
Great video! I am in the process right now. Did you have to get a LOA send to the FSDO before you were able to take the test? And if so how did you do that?
Hello ! Did you do the test ?? How it was ??
I have the same restriction on my medical certificate. I am needing to do the OCVT and MFT. What part were you most nervous for? And what kind of questions did they ask you. Thanks
JoKe Epix I’d definitely say I was most nervous for the Signal Light Test (SLT). I actually went to my local airport (Class D, smallest with tower if you know what that means. Once I completed the mock test, I knew I could do the real thing, and it was no sweat. They honestly ask you what colors you see, it’s a really simple test. I would make sure you are responding to the proper object they are referring to, be it on a sectional chart, or in the airplane, or on the ground.
Preston McMillan Do they ask what colors you see on the aeronautical chart and what colors the inside of the cockpit are?
Is the flight test, if you mess up once it’s an automatic fail?
So let's say that I am able to pass this exam at the airport and get the first class medical. Does this mean that I have to arrange this test with the F.A.A. every single year if I wish to become a pilot?
No
I was wondering the same. Is it once in a lifetime test or need to be renewed at some point or interval i wonder.
The test is for life. They give you a letter to give to the AME at every visit to omit you from taking any more color vision test
i’m green-weak!
can i pass?
How's everything going now?
Can I become an airline pilot with colour blindness?
Would there be a way to do all these tests prior to an Ishihara test as a way of bypassing a limitation all together?
No I don't think so
hi, does anyone know when you go in to do the MFT if you have to have your PPL to fly you and the test conductor around? or can i have me, my instructor and the test conductor all in the same plane while doing the test? if that makes sense. Thank you!
I was told you just need to be able to solo.
@@pantherz2010he wasn’t a student yet so idk how he was able to fly
Thank you for sharing your experience. I too have to go through these dreaded tests cus of my acute red-green deficiency.
I have a question... Did you already have a student pilot’s license before you took this test? I’m guessing not since you never mentioned it but I’m wondering because to do the MFT portion you have to be Pilot in command, correct?... I have absolutely 0 flight experience and don’t start ground training till 2020 so does that mean I simply can’t do that part, or can I pay a flight instructor to fly the plane for me during that portion?
I imagine the examiner doesn’t take any part in actually flying the aircraft during the test.
No, he said that he did not have a students license before taking the test. No bro you cannot pay the flight instructor to fly it for you in that portion
Did you pass these tests as well? How severe is your colorblindness?
How did it go?
@@thebigman3794then who flew the plane? Lol
What colour deficiency do you have? I will be undertaking the OCVA in New Zealand to have restrictions removed from my license
Patrick Williams I have zero color deficiency (normal color vision) as stated in the video. I failed the Ishihara color plates at the doctors office
Preston McMillan what is the worst colour deficiency to have do you think? Thanks
is it possible to do the light signal
test incase of failure
firstname lastname yeah, so this whole process started because I failed the Ishihara test at my medical with the AME. Usually the next step will be the OCVT and MFT, but not necessarily. You will be able to do the light test in case of failure. Check out the Ishihara color test link in the description for some resources
thanks for the response man what course are you doing in college
Is the MFT conducted at night?
Do you need any flight experience for the medical flight Test? And also, what type of questions did they ask you there?
Yes. You need at least Pilot certificate in order to take the MFT.
@@redgray318but he just said that he isn’t even a student pilot yet, I’m assuming someone flew the plane for him
If anyone has any questions relating to the OCVT portion of this test, ask me. I went through it today and got a lot of answers that CZcams can’t help with.
How difficult is the light gun test? I can see stoplights perfectly, and can differentiate the PAPIs miles out. I'm worried the light gun is like the FALANT test at MEPS where their green light is washed out.
How do you get in contact first to get the tests set up?
Apparently you can ask him questions, but don’t expect a reply. 😄
@@BobanVagene I haven’t checked this page in forever. I completely apologize, and if you have any questions let me know
@@LegendaryAce73 still have questions?
Is it possible to pass the Ishihara test by guessing the numbers you can't see? Or do you have to confirm the examiners that you actually see these colours?
bob mama 2 the only thing that matters is that you can tell the numbers doesn’t matter anything else
are you moderately red and green color blind or mild?
Not colorblind at all. No color deficiency of any kind
Preston McMillan Whoops I rewatched the video and saw where you mentioned that. I am moderately red and green colorblind. do you think that i have a shot at this?
David Vejar yeah same here
Do you have instagram/email account