flying8764
Member
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2015
- Messages
- 151
My DS is struggling in his decision to accept his appointment to the USAFA or NROTC to Purdue. He has his 1st class medical and private pilots and want to fly for a life long career in the military and secure his AE degree. He stumbled upon this old post in his research and speaking to several pilots at both branches and a professor and flight instructor at the USAFA. He is even speaking to the USAFA Navy cross commissioning representative for input. I tried to locate a medical university to see if he could take this test and have had no success. We were told it is only found at air force bases. Here is the post, would appreciate any updates or feed back from those who fly or have any insight good or bad.....
Mods, I recommend making this a sticky.
Any candidate who desires to be in a rated position (pilot, nav, etc.), this is a must read.
The DoDMERB color vision standards use the PIP test (color plates) to determine color vision.
1) If you fail these and your goal is pilot, do NOT go to USAFA or try to commission in the AF. Any color vision deficiency DQs for pilot with NO WAIVERS ALLOWED. PERIOD. The Navy and Army have vastly lower standards and mild color deficients should not struggle with getting a pilot slot due to color vision.
2) If you are close on the color test (barely passing) or can afford it, seek out a vision clinic with an anomaloscope. The air force standard test is the cone contrast test (CCT), but you will probably not be able to find any non-AF clinic with this test. The anomaloscope is the only test that is as sensitive (if not more) than the CCT. The test should be inexpensive (~$100) and usually can be found at university medical campuses. The old PIP standard will allow up to 20% of mild color deficients/anomalies to pass (false-negative) but the CCT is near 100% accurate in identifying anomalies, no matter how small. The anomaloscope is 100%. If you are diagnosed with a mild color deficiency on the anomaloscope (called a mild deuteranomalous tricromat), DO NOT try to become a pilot through the AF. You will be identified and denied without exception. Period. Again, Army/Navy use the PIP and PIP failures are allowed to take the OPTEC-900 FALANT. About 50-60% of color anomalies can pass the Army/Navy standard.
Bottom line - if you want to be a pilot, get the most accurate information about your color vision. About 8-10% of men have a color anomaly, it is not rare. The AF will DQ for anyone that is not 100% color normal. Navy and Army will allow color SAFE individuals. For further reading, see AFI 36-123 for medical standards and AFD-130118-045 for the medical waiver guide.
This could change in the future, but probably not for a long time.
Mods, I recommend making this a sticky.
Any candidate who desires to be in a rated position (pilot, nav, etc.), this is a must read.
The DoDMERB color vision standards use the PIP test (color plates) to determine color vision.
1) If you fail these and your goal is pilot, do NOT go to USAFA or try to commission in the AF. Any color vision deficiency DQs for pilot with NO WAIVERS ALLOWED. PERIOD. The Navy and Army have vastly lower standards and mild color deficients should not struggle with getting a pilot slot due to color vision.
2) If you are close on the color test (barely passing) or can afford it, seek out a vision clinic with an anomaloscope. The air force standard test is the cone contrast test (CCT), but you will probably not be able to find any non-AF clinic with this test. The anomaloscope is the only test that is as sensitive (if not more) than the CCT. The test should be inexpensive (~$100) and usually can be found at university medical campuses. The old PIP standard will allow up to 20% of mild color deficients/anomalies to pass (false-negative) but the CCT is near 100% accurate in identifying anomalies, no matter how small. The anomaloscope is 100%. If you are diagnosed with a mild color deficiency on the anomaloscope (called a mild deuteranomalous tricromat), DO NOT try to become a pilot through the AF. You will be identified and denied without exception. Period. Again, Army/Navy use the PIP and PIP failures are allowed to take the OPTEC-900 FALANT. About 50-60% of color anomalies can pass the Army/Navy standard.
Bottom line - if you want to be a pilot, get the most accurate information about your color vision. About 8-10% of men have a color anomaly, it is not rare. The AF will DQ for anyone that is not 100% color normal. Navy and Army will allow color SAFE individuals. For further reading, see AFI 36-123 for medical standards and AFD-130118-045 for the medical waiver guide.
This could change in the future, but probably not for a long time.
