View Full Version : Pilots in the UAE/etihad/emirates etc
Jessie123
1st Nov 2010, 21:58
Hi guys. Just done the emirates medical assesments to be a F/O. For the guys out there in the UAE at the moment or anyone that knows..do you do the colorblind test on every GCAA medical renewel or just the initial?? had to do further testing, turned out to be color safe but i feel nervous accepting the job if there could be a problem in the future.
thanks for any info
every mecical it is checked
ya1000
2nd Feb 2011, 17:42
How was the color blind test like? Do you know the specific name? (if any) I'm considering working overseas but I have the same problem too.. Any comments?
typhoonpilot
2nd Feb 2011, 18:11
They use the Ishihara test. Bad flourescent lighting and untrained nurses can lead to a false indication of color deficiency. You can't stare at the plates too long or you WILL detect a pattern. Had the same thing on my first go and had to re-test. Fortunately with a trained nurse outside in natural light. Even she said she could see the pattern on the one you're not supposed to see if she stared at it long enough. :ugh:
oh, and you can't become color blind. You either are color blind or you are not. It doesn't change.
TP
Typhoon,
That's actually not true. You can become color blind with age...If he finds it difficult to pass now it could get worse with time as his eyes age.
VisionWeb (http://www.visionweb.com/content/consumers/dev_consumerarticles.jsp?RID=10)
The Outlaw
3rd Feb 2011, 06:39
I have a hint of color defiecientcy and it has not changed in 30 years. Its a genetic issue which is carried by females and affects their children. So you really can blame your mother!
The Ishihara plate are a very course indicator of the LEVEL of color blindness, they are good to indicate that you either are or are not color blind but seem to be the accepted test by most doctors worldwide.
There are many online tests which probe the level of deficientcy you have. The best one I found was a test where you would arrange a series of colored dots from one end of the color spectrum to the other, called the Farnsworth Arrangement Test. This test shows in what spectrum of color your weakness is and the level.
Color Vision Test - Farnsworth Arrangement Test (http://www.univie.ac.at/Vergl-Physiologie/colortest/colortestF-en.html)
In the UAE, you will be tested using Isihara plates. Forget trying to study them because the UAE requires a full eye test from a proper external Optrician who will test your color vision (along with your vision) using other means.
You will have to do a "lantern test" which will make the determination if you can get a "color safe with lantern test" restriction on your UAE ATPL.
The Korean and Chinese medicals do not allow any deviation from 100%.
Hope this helps
Nurse said: Results could be affected by fatigue.......
Did my test after a night turn due to lack of slots....Go figure....:zzz:
Outlaw,
Your post is not entirely factual. Color blindness is a genetic issue for some but not all people that suffer from the condition. It can be developed with age and can worsen with time. Here is a quote from the link I posted above.
Most color blindness is inherited and present at birth. But acquired color blindness can result from cataracts, retinal or optical nerve disease, use of certain medications or simply the normal aging process -- as we age, the normally clear lens begins to darken, making it harder to differentiate one dark color from another.
flaphandlemover
3rd Feb 2011, 13:24
i got checked at my last medical... seems new, that they check it every time now...
Does anybody know whether EY and QR do the Ishihara test during the recruitment process? Or just EK does?!!
Thanks
salsaboy
28th Jan 2012, 09:59
Yes it is used... at the QCAA medical done once you have resigned, left your country and come over here!
Thanks. I was planning apply to EY or QR , but I have a small level of color blind. So I don't think they will accept me. =/
Thanks for your help Salsaboy
NGFellow
28th Jan 2012, 12:31
I guess the best bet would be to try and get a UAE or Qatari medical done on your own before going there and failing a medical. Not sure that anyone outside the respective countries can do those medicals though.
Actually I'm going to the ophthalmologist next week to check the level of color blindness I have. Thanks for the tip but to take the UAE or Qatari medical I would have to go these countries and take the exam. So I would prefer to apply for the interview instead of travelling just to take the medical test. I live in America, it's not a fast trip.
=]
Thanks anyway