Class III Medical

Farnsworth Lantern Test

Dr G Class I Medical, Class II Medical, Class III Medical, Colour Vision
eye exam
What is a Farnsworth Lantern?

The Farnsworth Lantern is a very old piece of equipment used to detect colourblindness. As most colourblindness is red-green, it is able to detect moderate to severe red-green colour blindness. Historically it was developed by Commander Farnsworth in the US Navy during World War II and adopted by the US Navy in 1954 for colour vision testing for sailors. It was subsequently adopted in flying.

It is a colour vision test of only 3 colours (red, green and white) which you may be required if you fail the Ishihara colour test during your medical (all Classes). The Ishihara colour test is best for detecting any type of colourblindness. The Farnsworth Munsell 100 Hue test is a more comprehensive colour test of colourblindness.

What does the test involve?

It consists of 9 pairs of coloured lights in different combinations shown for 2 seconds each. If colour deficiency is mild, some patients can still correctly identify the colours. The white light (which looks yellowish) has a 50% neutral grey filter to reduce differentiation based on luminance. The pairs of lights are presented randomly so that patients cannot memorize them.

The lights can be presented as a round of 9 pairs or a round of 18 pairs (each pair being shown twice). Correct identification of the lights in either round will constitute a Pass. To pass the test, no errors are permitted in a round of 9 pairs, or a maximum of 2 errors in the round of 18 pairs.

What do the pairs of lights in a Farnsworth Lantern look like?

Click here to watch a Youtube video of the test

What you need to do before you attend your Aviation Medical

Dr G Aviation Medical prep, Class I Medical, Class II Medical, Class III Medical , , , 0 Comment
Aviation Reference Number
Get an Aviation Reference Number (ARN) from CASA

This number is allocated by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to identify you for any interactions with them, for example, when you do a medical or a flight test. You can apply for one from CASA here

You will need 100 points for identification when you apply for you ARN – the list of suitable documents can be found here

Once you receive your ARN, you can register with CASA’s Medical Records System (MRS)

Reading Glasses - bringany corrective eyewear to your exam
Log into the Medical Records System (MRS)

Once you can access the MRS, enter your details and medical history in as much detail as you can. If you are unsure of the answer, you can tick the ‘unsure’ box and your DAME will help you fill in the correct answer at your aviation medical assessment.

If you wear corrective eye wear (contact lenses or glasses), get the prescription from your optometrist and bring it with you. You will also need to bring the spare pair of glasses which you will be carrying with you in the flight cabin as it will also be tested.

Family Doctor
Recent medical investigations

If you have any recent blood test results or reports of medical investigations, get a copy from your family doctor and bring them to your consultation. These can be uploaded to your medical file. If you have had recent fasting blood glucose level, serum lipids and ECG done, these can be used as part of your Class I investigations. If not, your DAME can organize these for you.

Just before your appointment

If this is the first time you are seeing the DAME or DAO, bring a valid photo ID (Driver’s license or passport) as they will need to declare to CASA that they have sighted your ID. If you are a teenager and do not have a driver’s license or passport, your parent can identify themselves (with valid ID) and verify your identity.

Note that you will be required to provide a urine sample as part of the assessment so make sure you are hydrated and are able to do this (ie. Don’t empty your bladder before your visit).