Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners
Decision Considerations
Aerospace Medical Dispositions
Item 52. Color Vision
An applicant does not meet the color vision standard if testing reveals:- All Classes
- Seven or more errors on plates 1-15 of the AOC (1965 edition) pseudoisochromatic plates.
- AOC-HRR (second edition): Any error in test plates 7-11. Because the first 4 plates in the test book are for demonstration only, test plate 7 is actually the eleventh plate in the book. (See instruction booklet.)
- Seven or more errors on plates 1-15 of Dvorine pseudoisochromatic plates (second edition, 15 plates.)
- Six or more errors on plates 1-11 of the concise 14-plate edition of the Ishihara pseudoisochromatic plates. Seven or more errors on plates 1-15 of the 24-plate edition of Ishihara pseudoisochromatic plates. Nine or more errors on plates 1-21 of the 38-plate edition of Ishihara pseudoisochromatic plates.
- Seven or more errors on plates 1-15 of the Richmond (1983 edition) pseudoisochromatic plates.
- Farnsworth Lantern test: An average of more than one error per series of nine color pairs in series 2 and 3. (See instruction booklet.)
- Any errors in the six plates of the Titmus Vision Tester, the Titmus II Vision Tester, the Titmus 2 Vision Tester, the OPTEC 2000 Vision Tester, the OPTEC 900 Vision Tester the Keystone Orthoscope, or Keystone Telebinocular.
- LKC Technologies, Inc., APT-5 Color Vision Tester. The letter must be correctly identified in at least two of the three presentations of each test condition. (See APT-5 screening chart for FAA-related testing in instruction booklet.)
- Certificate Limitation. If an applicant fails to meet the color vision standard as interpreted above but is otherwise qualified, the Examiner may issue a medical certificate bearing the limitation:
NOT VALID FOR NIGHT FLYING OR BY COLOR SIGNAL CONTROL - Special Issuance of Medical Certificates. An applicant who holds a medical certificate bearing a color vision limitation may request a signal light test. This request should be in writing and should be directed to the AMCD or RFS. If the applicant passes the signal light test, the FAA will issue a medical certificate without the color vision limitation and provide the applicant with a “letter of evidence.” The signal light test may be given at any time during flight training.
- Color Vision Correcting Lens (e.g. X-Chrom). Such lens are unacceptable to the FAA as a means for correcting a pilot's color vision deficiencies.
- Unacceptable Tests. Any test not specifically listed above is not an acceptable method of testing for the FAA medical certificate. Examples of unacceptable tests include, but are not limited to, the "Farnsworth Lantern Flashlight" and "yarn tests."

