GiJoe, I got your email - thanks. Sorry I haven't had a chance to reply properly yet.
I would like to find out whether the UK CAA are still using the Holmes-Wright lantern or this 'Nagel's Anomaloscope' that's referred to in the JAA regs. I have no information at all about the 'Anomaloscope' and would appreciate any info from anyone.
I was *very* encouraged by your comments Speedracer - there could still be hope for me yet. - though my first reaction when I saw you were in NZ was one of 'well, the NZ CAA cannot possibly be as restrictive as the UK one', plus, I suspect you are also a lot younger than me. However, I should stop looking for the negatives all the time.
I am intrigued by your references to the HW 'A' and 'B' tests - I think these could be the same test but using different apertures - but why you would have to travel to the other end of the country to save the AME from moving a lever I don't know !
I have a bit more info on the HW tests buried in my 'Wannabeapilot' file (along with all the rejection letters!) which I will dig out today and post any useful stuff I find.
Incidentally, I have noticed in various other posts on this subject in the archives (and if you haven't read through the archives, it's well worth it - just use the search facility on Pprune) that various people state that they were told they could only take the HW test once... I have it in writing from the CAA that you can take it as often as you like (though, of course with a comment that there was little point !). Whilst I'm ranting, it's interesting that when I failed at the CAA, I wrote to them asking what version of Ishihara plates they used, as I intended to buy a set, genuinely out of curiosity and to help me understand my 'disability' better. The AME that replied was downright rude and actually suggested I was trying to find a way to cheat the test ! Bloody Cheek ! - If I was genuinely unsafe to fly, *I* would be the LAST person to get in a plane with me !
I have a copy of my HW results and wondered how they compared with anyone elses....
(I'm using '.' to signify a correct answer, and e.g. 'G' to signify that I saw that colour as Green) - does anyone know what the numbers mean, e.g. 'Red 2' ???
Lit Room: Dark Room:
==========================================
1 2 3 4
------------------------------------------
Red2 . . . .
White G G G G
Green2 . . . .
Red1 . . . .
White . . . R
White G . G .
Green2 . . . .
Red2 . . . .
Red1 W W . .
Red2 . . . .
Red1 . . . .
Green1 . . . .
White . . . .
Green2 . . . .
Green1 . . . .
Red2 . . . .
Green1 . . W W
Green2 . . . W
As you can see, I misidentified just 15% of the lights in a lit room and oddly, did slightly worse in the dark ! (though the AME stopped testing me after the first set in the dark, so you can't compare the stats really).
I really need some more information on Class 1 meds - e.g....
1) How long does your initial Class 1 last ?
2) Do they re-test colour vision and, if so, how often ?
3) What would be the implications of going to NZ to take the test that SpeedRacer took ?
...or indeed, taking a Class 1 anywhere in the world. Would that be valid in the UK, or would I then be in the realms of Foreign Licence Conversions etc ?
If only I could get through this damn colour test, then I would only have the small hurdle of raising more money than I've ever seen in order to get trained ! (I'm Taurean, and would stop at *nothing* :-) )
Thanks for your replies so far people.... I have never felt so optimistic about my chances of getting in the right seat of anything.
Kev.