Well, here's the story in the great white north (and yes it does look white to me, and yes I can easily discern whether or not I'm eating yellow snow!). .When I first went for a medical (circa 1992) I ended up at one of those friendly old family type docs who also happened to do medicals. I of course flunked the Ishihara plates miserably. That said, I knew that I had more than adequate colour vision for the needs of a pilot as I had just spent the past two years studying human factors and ergonomics in aviation as part of my Psychology degree. His only recourse was a lantern box type of test which was done in his office. Unfortunately for me the doc was older than Jesus and so was his lantern box kit. To compound my problems he left the flourescent lights on for the test. I could barely see the light at all let alone tell what colour it was! <img src="mad.gif" border="0"> . .Several tests later (at other docs, since the old guy cashed his check about a month after my medical) and I was able to say that I clearly have a mild case of deutanope (green only) colourblindness. About all I'm really incapable of is co-ordinating subtle shades of some colours (i.e. I get my wife to occasionally check to see if this shirt goes with that tie, and don't hire me to choose the colours when you redecorate--I can however generally mix the paint and even tell if it's not right), which is not really part of the pilot's job--we all wear uniforms right?. .In the end TC was able to accomodate me for a "practical" test at the nearest suitable centre--Winnipeg (only about 1500km away). <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0"> . .They parked me on the end of the runway one night and flashed the landing signal at me 30 times and that was that--no mistakes. <img src="tongue.gif" border="0"> . .Well, now I have amassed several thousand hours of flight time in aircraft equipped with colour radar, and a large amount in EFIS aircraft. I have yet to see how colour vision can be a limiting fault for any facet of flying with the possible exception of landing by light signals. That of course is one of those nearly archaic bits of aviation rulemaking which is now almost on the level of the old "the pilot may not wear spurs while flying the aircraft...." type regulations. . .For every light coded signal that I have ever seen there has been some way of distinguishing that signal by other means. By this I mean that an amber light for a master caution MUST have printed on or beside it "master caution". Even on the latest full EFIS aircraft (I do instructing and production test flying on regional jets) where colour coded synoptic displays are the rule, all abnormalities are backed up with like coloured messages, and aural cues which are discrete for the colours. The only thing in a modern cockpit which relies solely on colour is the Wx radar. The nature of that display is such that all but the most profoundly colourblind can distinguish one colour from the other, and there the patterns make up for the lack of other cues (i.e. you never see the red stuff outside the green stuff). I even checked this one out with a guy who couldn't tell red light from green when driving unless they were arranged in the usual pattern-- and he could point out where the storm was!. .Colours in aviation are (and I'm speaking as one who has studied this) associative cues. They make things a bit easier to see and process (you can process better sometimes if you can say "damn it's the big RED light that's on" as opposed to "damn that light just came on"). It is a good thing, but certainly not the kind of thing that even remotely creates a dangerous situation by not being present. To say that "Elliot won't see it as fast as Bob because he has to read the message" may be valid, but then Ellion may also have better vision (doesn't need bifocals, or smoke), strength (I have seen women unable to manually extend the gear on a CRJ, and men who had to leave their seat to do it, while I can one-hand it and keep my other on the checklist), stamina, or whatever than the person who is next to me. Do we check for these things during medicals? Nope. Do we have to have lightning reflexes to pass? Nope. Do we have to have a min IQ? Nope (although I have seen more than a few pilots who would make me think it not a bad idea--I mean guys and girls who are, all kidding aside, not equipped to handle complex machinery). As long as you can drag yourself into the doc's office and prove passable a good heart,hearing, eyesight (WITH lenses, even if you can't pee without), BP within limits, etc. you get a pilot's ticket. BUT should you be even slightly deficient in the colour vision, which is generally not a factor, you are out. Thank you very much, have a nice day, don't let the doorknob hit your @ss on the way out.
Okay, I'm done now.
By the way. Does anybody know if there's a place in Spain where I can do a JAA initial? I'll need one for some flying over that way this summer, and I am headed to Madrid next week for a month. . .Thanks