Medical & HealthNews and debate about medical and health issues as they relate to aircrews and aviation. Any information gleaned from this forum MUST be backed up by consulting your state-registered health professional or AME.
Contact CASA and get a list of DAME's (Doctors who do pilot medicals) and go see one. The DAME will be able to advise you on what restrictions your colour blindness will result in and take it from there. Good luck with it, I hope there is an opening somewhere for you.
Wannabe, don't rule it out.
speak with a dame and apply for a class one medical before throwing any money at flying. there are many different scales of colour vision defiencies protanopia and dueteranopia being the most common. In a medical they will thrust the ishihara book before you which will if like me will seem like nothing but dots.
from there you can get sent to an opthalmologist for the farnsworth lantern test. If you fail that, you can contact Avmed and arrange to conduct a field lights test where they take you to an airfield and fire the light gun at you from the tower whilst supervised by casa rep.
If you fail this test, you can still fly commercially in aust only
keep in mind though that QF have their own policies on the colour vision standard and may retest you to get their own result.
The door ain't shut till you get the tests done to find where you are placed. don't give up until every avenue afforded by Dr Arthur Pape has been exhausted and then fight some more.
Good luck
What rioncentu has stated above is pretty much rite, however there is 3 tests that CASA use to see the degree of a pilots colour blindness. Just because you can’t see those ridiculous plates that DAME gives you doesnt mean you can’t see the red and green traffic lights at an intersection!
Steps 1 - you can attempt a Farnsworth lantern test (pretty difficult to pass in my opion if you have no colour issues at all anyway)
Step 2 - Visit a UNI in melb that will perform an extremely in-depth set of colour vision tests and see the exact severity of your colour vision problem.
Step 3 - You can sit a Practical lantern test. The tower flashing a series of red/green/white lights at different distances.
If you fail step 1 or 2 (but you can’t do both you either have to choose to do the Farnsworth lantern test or the UNI testing) you can attemp on to test 3. If you pass any of the above you will be issued with a medical with no colour vision restrictions. To my knowledge australia is the only country that offers the further testing to prove your colour vision! (But keep a copy of the Practical latern test form FAA will in some cases accept this as a pass) I think it depends on the serverity ie red/green or yellow/ blue i think it is
If you are the unlucky few that can’t get the restriction removed then you can still hold a CPL and MECIR but can’t be issued an ATPL. If you did the ATPL subjects an airline would hire you but u would never get a command. I have had several mates who have had these issues and 2 of them fly for major carries. The others are just bush pilots at heart anyway! One doctor told my mate you are so colour blind I am surprised you can tell the difference between red and green traffic lights! He now holds an ATPL and has a command on a heavy jet don’t let it get you down .......go and do the other tests and go from there!
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Okey dokey, I'll assume no restrictions on it so, as it has lapsed by less than 5 years you can revalidate it with any JAA approved Aeromedical Examiner in any country and it is a simple revalidation examination.
If it had lapsed by more than 5 years and you have to go back to an Aeromedical Centre for an Extended Medical.
More than 10 years and it is back to the AMC for an Initial Medical again!!
....2 close you are very knoledgeable and kind answering my stupid q's....
beers on me if You swing by the US ok???
it has been less than 5 years i'm sure about that, and i have no limitations on it, so i can go in any med.center in EU and renew it, but i have to retake the ishiara plates and eventually other test like lantern??? or not???
Location: Where men are men and the women even hairier!!
Posts: 890
Quote:
Originally Posted by zagno83
...2 close you are very knoledgeable and kind answering my stupid q's....beers on me if You swing by the US ok???
I'm also ruggedly handsome and a total chick magnet.......... came the cry from the shadows.....OK, so I'm a one eyed dwarf with body odour and broken teeth!!
But get the beer on ice, I'm on the way!! Never pass a free beer!!
In answer to your question, if you have an unrestricted JAA medical, which I presume is on the basis of having previously passed a Holmes-Wright, Beynes or Spectrolux Lantern Test or a Nagel Anomaloscope then the answer is No, at no time are you required to retake any colour vision test unless there are clinical grounds for doing so. If you need a copy of the appropriate JARs drop me a PM with your e-mail and I'll send you a copy. Always handy to have in case you come across a jobsworth doc who doesn't know the rules.
There are 3 x JAA AMEs listed on the UK CAA website in the USA in Tyler, Texas, Arizona and Florida. Follow the link and scroll to the bottom.
I have been in recent discussions with our friends at Aviation House and they tell me that the CAD test IF certified will not be acceptable for about another two years. They expect it to be under EASA when they take control of FCL.
Now the CAA DO have the CAD test at Aviation House (I have taken it there) they did also tell me that they have a pass/fail criteria - they even told me they would look into my results and see if I passed it, however they seem to have now backtracked on that!!
There is more behind the CAD than is immediately obvious. The CAA could certify it for UK use NOW, I'm sure it could go through JAA in a "reasonable" amount of time, however they have taken it to the ICAO. I do also understand that they have talked to the FAA about it. This could become a standard test for ALL ICAO states and could bugger the chances of the many who pass say the Tower Signal Test in the US (such as I did). There is also another version of the CAD test on the cards that will act as a screening test to do away with the ishihara - so ALL CV testing will be done via CAD!!!
In short the CAA have spent a lot of time, money and effort behind the CAD test and I'm sure they want a result from it. They have a lot to gain in prestige, financial gain and a defense from legal action taken against them.
My view the CAD is another useless academic wet dream that serves no purpose. Let pilots be pilots and demonstrate during practical tests that they can preform the duties that are required for the license or rating sought - seems a lot fairer and sensible method to me.
Hi everyone, long time for me not writing on this thread
first, telboy thanks for the 'update'.
I haven't been recently in contact with the CAA but last year i constantly tried to get any possible information from them... but all i got were unsatisfactory answers.
To be honest i would be interested to try the CAD in Gatwick and maybe if possible try again the Baynes and HW. do you think that would be possible? (i wouldn't be surprised if the charge me)
also next month i'm going to Spiez to sit the Spectrolux. i'm really trying to get any help, suggestion, info or whatever can help... to pass this damn test!!! i really got to achieve a full class one med!
and to conclude, i wasn't very active (actually not at all) with my colour-unsafe-friends from CEDAR! i'm very sorry guys but from now i'd like to be more active and helpful if i can!
Good points....
Something is already changing in FAA land, under inputs from the NTSB the FAA is reviewing and reevaluating colour vision testing, however they are talking about "grandfathering" all the already issued SODA (tower signal test).....
Do You think something similar will happen with the CAD and EASA?
I do not think they will retest people and may be cancel, until then valid, first class....
Ani inputs?
I do understand that the FAA will give grandfather rights to us that have SODA/LOE from Tower Signal Test etc. Here in Europe things are not so simple. The EASA is a European wide agency that has rules written into European law. This makes it very difficult for one nation to stand out as ALL EU states are governed by European law above their own national laws.
For the UK we need to take a look back in history. Before the JAA we had 3 medicals just like in the US. Class 1 for CPL/ATPL class 2 for BCPL and class 3 for PPL.
You will see BCPL here, something that most newer members to aviation will not know about - this is the beginning of the modular v integrated training.
Back in the old days before JAA you either needed 700 hours to get CPL or go on an integrated course and get CPL in 200 hours. The BCPL allowed you do do instructing for pay - it was called the self improver method.
Now the class 1 medical could not have any limitations for colour vision put on it so C1 was out, but CVD people could have a class 2 with no night restriction and must fly with a radio. The UK was the only nation to have this. Now in JAA times with only 2 classes of medical the UK filed a deviation with the JAA to put a restriction on class 1 saying no public transport and no night (the radio bit seems to have been dropped) this gives us the same rights we always had in the UK and we are the only JAA nation to do this.
When EASA take over FCL - god knows what will happen with our restricted class 1 as in the UK we are only one nation against all the others. They do after all seem to want our IMC rating scrapped!!
However I am sure the EASA will tread carefully as all those people that have invested large amounts of money and now earn a living from instructing are likely to sue The arse of the EASA if they suddenly loose their livelihood, and bloody good luck to them.
1.) You can have a retest on the Beynes Lantern and Holmes Wright at Gatwick. I retook the Beynes Lantern last year - and failed. Just. But I'm sure they have withdrawn it for some reason (perhaps so badly in need of new bulbs it has been sent back to the manufacturer!). You can request a retest 6 months after your last test I believe. Ask for a retest and see if they'll give you a crack at the CAD test. And please let us know what you were allowed to take. Also, if they do Beyne, can you find out if it has been serviced recently
2.) So you are going to Spiez! I do need to book in here too, I have had too many work pressures to find the time. I have taken the Spectrolux before in Dubendorf. I scored 11 out of 12 on the first run and 12 out of 12 on the second run. A fail. I'm a mild protanomolous, so struggled with the dark white and the bright green.
Roughly, you sit 2 metres from the Spectrolux. The aperatures are bigger than the Beynes lantern so it should appear 'easier'. It was for me.
You get shown 2 lights, one above the other. They are either red, white or gree, with two different intensities (i.e. bright red, dim red, bright green, dim green, bright white, dim white).
You cant prepare, but the basics will help. Be well hydrated, well slept.
Good luck in Spiez. Have you actually booked? How long ahead were they booking?
Cedar has gone quiet - kind of, but PM me and I'll explain. The best thing you can do to help, is to keep us all informed of your progress and experiences with Gatwick regarding Beynes and CAD; as well as your (hopefully) successful trip to Spiez.
The CAA do NOT like to give lantern retests after 6 months and will come out with a load of BS to try and stop you. Fact is the Beyne has been sent and returned for service - so you DID take the test on a faulty machine!!! just be a pain and they will retest you. Last i knew the HW had not had anything done for over 20 years. You can FOI the CAA to get exact dates etc.
The spectrolux to point out has 12 sets of colours and these are repeated twice without stopping - so you are shown 24 sets straight off, the second set of 12 being the same as the first set of 12.
For those that have booked at Spiez - how did you contact them, I have only got the answerphone message in German - I don't speak German, but understand that it is just giving times etc.
Could those that have taken the spectrolux at Spiez please post your experiences.
came the cry from the shadows.....OK, so I'm a one eyed dwarf with body odour and broken teeth!! 
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