Why is it that you can't fly a plane if you are color blind?

Question

I was watching little miss sunshine(the movie) last night and this guy got really mad when he found out he couldn't fly because he's color blind.

Can you explain why you can't fly if color blind?

Answer 1

You CAN fly if you're colour blind! You will be limited to daytime flying only, and can have even that restriction removed by doing a light-gun test with the FAA to show you can tell the differance between red and green lights. The Military maybe won't take you though since they have more than enough applicants for limited spaces available and can be more picky.

Answer 2

As bradnick.. said, it has to do with lights. The most common form of color blindness is red-green colorblindness, where the person has trouble distinguishing those colors. Unfortunately, aviation uses red & green lights to indicate several different things.

Color blindness is usually not a total barrier to flying; I know many CB pilots that can fly only in the day.

Note that movies rarely ever get the details correct when it comes to anything aviation-related.

Answer 3

As has been stated, partially to do with lights. In the event of a radio failure, the tower at airports will use a light gun to signal pilots. Kind of like a high power flashlight using red and green flashes. Color-blind people may not be able to differentiate.
The other issue is the inability to read aviation charts at night under diffused red lighting. We use red at night to keep from affecting our night vision, but this red makes it very difficult to read the charts, and especially if color-blind.
If you can show to the Aviation Medical Examiner that you can decipher charts under these conditions, you can get an exemption.

Answer 4

People who are colour blind find it hard to distinguish objects that are against a background of a similar colour.
It would make it hard for a colour blind pilot to see other aircraft flying in the same vicinity as him if, for example, a green aircraft was to be seen flying at a lower altitude against a green field, or a light blue aircraft was flying at a higher altitude against a clear blue sky.

We need to be able to see other aircraft so we can avoid bumping into each other. Yes there are collision avoidance systems available out there, but not all aircraft are equipped with such soffisticated & expensive systems.

Answer 5

It has to do with lights. Different color lights are used to relay different information, be it weather, collision, emergence, etc. If your color blind you cant react effectively. A color blind person can however take a special flight test and show if he can fly safely. If he passes he can still fly.

Answer 6

You can.
Your certificate will limit you to day time flying only. Also, in case of nordo, you cannot fly to a controlled airport expecting lightgun signals to get clearance to land.(day or night!) You CAN fly in controlled airspace contrary to the above posters claim.

Answer 7

You can be a pilot and be color blind. You are limited to uncontrolled airspace, and may be denied the privilege of night flying.

Answer 8

Bradnick is absolutely right.

Answer 9

Landing lights are diffrerent colors.