Passed the Farnsworth

[motoboy]

I finally am on the way to getting an unrestricted medical (hopefully). On Monday I saw Dr. Good at the Ohio State Medical Center. I passed the Farnsworth Lantern. He proceeded to write a letter to the FAA medical division stating my results, but I'm not sure if he filled out a 8500-7. How long on average will it take to receive a response from the FAA?

Also, my 3rd class medical does not expire for over three years, how do I go about upgrading my medical if/when I receive a waiver for the color vision? I would like to go ahead and get a 1st class medical on file just to make things easier in the future.

Thanks,
Ben

[My Flight Surgeon]

Good news about the Farnsworth lantern test. Bad news is they will probably not give you a Letter of Evidence. They may send you an unrestricted Third Class medical but you will have to do another Farnsworth at your next medical to get an unrestricted certificate. See the link here:
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/...ch/item52/amd/ for the explanation of their current process.

[motoboy]

Thanks for the quick reply Dr. Forred. So basically I just need to find an AME that has the Lantern so I can do it at the time of the physical?

[Holocene]

I had thought the Farnsworth lantern was no longer accepted. These things seems to change overnight.

[My Flight Surgeon]

You just take the Farnsworth results to the AME. He will probably accept it.

[My Flight Surgeon]

Originally Posted by Holocene

I had thought the Farnsworth lantern was no longer accepted. These things seems to change overnight.

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/...ch/item52/amd/

[motoboy]

Any idea on average how long it will take to get a response from the Faa?

[My Flight Surgeon]

2 months

[Doctor_Stein]

First, Let me thank you Dr. Forred for the great service he provides here. Nice Job!

Regarding the Farnsworth Lantern - Sorry you had to go to Ohio State for your testing. Not sure where you are in Ohio. But I am an AME in Ashland Ohio and I provide Farnsworth Lantern as well as the Dvorine Isochromatic Plates for color vision screening. I have an office located on the field at 3G4. Give me a call if I can be of any service to you.

I hope I am not stepping on your toes Dr. Forred - I enjoy and learn from your frequent postings.

Best Regards,

Ray Steinhauser MD

[aorta]

I talked the FAA OK Office and they said I didnt have to do the Fansworth every year just to keep my passing results and as long as no major changes occor it will remain valid to take into the AME each visit.

[My Flight Surgeon]

Originally Posted by Doctor_Stein

First, Let me thank you Dr. Forred for the great service he provides here. Nice Job!

Regarding the Farnsworth Lantern - Sorry you had to go to Ohio State for your testing. Not sure where you are in Ohio. But I am an AME in Ashland Ohio and I provide Farnsworth Lantern as well as the Dvorine Isochromatic Plates for color vision screening. I have an office located on the field at 3G4. Give me a call if I can be of any service to you.

I hope I am not stepping on your toes Dr. Forred - I enjoy and learn from your frequent postings.

Best Regards,

Ray Steinhauser MD

Glad to know there is someone else out there with a Farnsworth. Send me your contact info and I will send folks your way who are from the east.

[motoboy]

Originally Posted by Doctor_Stein

First, Let me thank you Dr. Forred for the great service he provides here. Nice Job!

Regarding the Farnsworth Lantern - Sorry you had to go to Ohio State for your testing. Not sure where you are in Ohio. But I am an AME in Ashland Ohio and I provide Farnsworth Lantern as well as the Dvorine Isochromatic Plates for color vision screening. I have an office located on the field at 3G4. Give me a call if I can be of any service to you.

I hope I am not stepping on your toes Dr. Forred - I enjoy and learn from your frequent postings.

Best Regards,

Ray Steinhauser MD

Thanks for the info Dr. Stein. I am located in in North Canton (very close to cak) so that will be much more convenient then driving to Columbus.

Once again, thanks for all your help Dr. Forred.

[CaptainTeezy]

Originally Posted by aorta

I talked the FAA OK Office and they said I didnt have to do the Fansworth every year just to keep my passing results and as long as no major changes occor it will remain valid to take into the AME each visit.

That is not what they have told me 10 times over by OK City...Dr. Forred do you care to chime in?

[My Flight Surgeon]

The last thing I saw from the FAA said specifically that the test needed to be repeated at each examination. If they allowed one to just carry around a Farnsworth lantern result report, it would nulify the need for a Letter of Evidence. I suspect the person you talked to misunderstood your question.

[My Flight Surgeon]

This is from the AOPA website. Notice in the 4th paragraph, they state you must take the color vision test each time you take a medical exam.
Vision—Color Restriction Removal

The medical standards in FAR Part 67 specify that applicants for all classes of medical certification have “the ability to perceive those colors necessary for the safe performance of airman duties.”
In 2002, a FedEx Boeing 727 crashed into trees on approach to Tallahassee, Fla., resulting in the loss of the aircraft and serious injuries to the three crewmembers. The NTSB investigation determined that the first officer’s color vision deficiency was one of several causal factors. As an outcome of that investigation and a subsequent safety recommendation, the FAA has modified its procedures for removing the operational restrictions for color vision deficiency. The new procedures vary depending upon the class of medical applied for or held.
If you fail the pseudoisochromatic color plate test at the time of your FAA physical exam, the aviation medical examiner (AME) may issue your medical certificate with the limitation “Not valid for night flying or color signal control.” To have the restriction removed, you may choose to take one of the FAA-approved alternative pseudoisochromatic color plate tests. These tests take into account the degree of color vision defect and are less sensitive to mild color vision deficiency. The Dvorine 2nd edition 15-plate test is one that you might consider taking. Your local eye care specialist, either an optometrist or ophthalmologist, may have available one or more of the allowed tests.
If you successfully complete the alternate test, you will be considered as having acceptable color vision for the FAA. You will need to take a color vision test each time you reapply for a medical certificate. Try to take the same test that you previously passed each time you reapply. If you need to seek an outside specialist to take such a test, make sure you obtain a letter from that individual that mentions the type of color vision test and the passing results. Take this to your AME at the time of your FAA exam. The AME may then issue the new certificate without the color vision restriction.
If you cannot pass one of the alternate tests, you have another option that requires taking an operational color vision test with an FAA aviation safety inspector through the local flight standards district office (FSDO). The information describing the tests is found in FAA Order 8900.1, FSIMS, Volume 5, Chapter 8, Sections 5-1523.F, 5-1526.E.6, and 5-1527 F.

[Pietrantonio]

Wasn't this change just recent? I thought there was a cut-off for those who passed the Farnsworth, etc prior to (x) did not have to re-test and those who passed after (x) had to re-test? Am I correct on this?

[My Flight Surgeon]

The change was a year ago. Letters of Evidence issued before the change are still in effect.

There is a misperception out there that you can take the Farnsworth and carry the results around with you to use every time the flight physical is performed. This would effectively by-pass the LOE process and I don't think the FAA will allow this.

[aorta]

I called Ok. with questions about getting an LOE just to make it easier for me and thats when they told me I could just use the same one.

[CaptainTeezy]

Originally Posted by aorta

I called Ok. with questions about getting an LOE just to make it easier for me and thats when they told me I could just use the same one.

I am gonna call them on monday and ask them. They have been very strict with me and told me I had to take it every time. Maybe they are becoming more relaxed but I seriously doubt it.

[My Flight Surgeon]

Originally Posted by aorta

I called Ok. with questions about getting an LOE just to make it easier for me and thats when they told me I could just use the same one.

If the FAA sent you a Letter of Evidence, you can use that every time you take a physical. You cannot use the old Farnsworth results in place of retaking a color vision test if you do not have an FAA issued Letter of Evidence.

[Kestrel452]

This is off topic, but I have question about my eye problem as well. I just had my first medical last spring and had a few complications with the eye exams. I know I am going to need to get my visual clarity checked, but I am unsure about the others. Am I going to need to take the titmus machine tests again? IIRC, the exams used with it was a color vision test, and a few tests to check for monocularity (where you tell the doctor which musical note is on the line etc.). Do i have to take all these tests every medical, or just the vision clarity checkup to make sure my glasses are good enough?

[My Flight Surgeon]

All of the tests.

[motoboy]

It's been about 80 days and still haven't heard anything from the faa, is that normal?

[My Flight Surgeon]

Time for you to call them. They should send you a certificate with no color restrictions.

[motoboy]

Will do, thanks.