Update on my visit to Cardiff
My appointment was interesting as I imagined. It only lasted about 30 minutes and I did two tests. One was a standard test to see how good my colour perception was and the other was a test on the Giles-Archers lantern. I didn't do any Ishihara tests which surprised me but I did tell the optician that I was crap at them and only get past the first few anyway. I can't imagine it would of told her much apart from i'm colourblind which is already known.
The first test involved lining up a number of disks with colour inserts in a row to determine how good my colour discrimination was. The disks were a bit bigger than a 2 pence piece. There were 15 disks in total. The colours were pastel colours and very soft. They looked like purple, green, reds, and oches (orangey browny) colours. Of course this is what they looked like to me and may not be the actual colours used. It was assesed by comparing them to their correct positions. Their correct positions were on the circumference of a circle and it went around the circle in a numerical order. Think of it like a clock just with 15 numbers.
Then the optician simply joined the numbers up in the order that I had put the colours. The numbers are on the bottom of the disks so you can't cheat. My first attempt was the best attempt. I did go from one end of the spectrum to the other within the first two disks but then it went ok. There were a few mixed up but generally I got the order correct, just back to front.
Like I said I did get a few mixed up. Maybe 5 or 6 out of the 15. And they were out of order by perhaps a few places. My second attempt wasn't any better. The fact that I was told I went backwards maybe influenced me. I tried to compensate and reverse my first attempt but it just made it harder and my results were worse. If it was perfect then the lines would join up all the numbers to make a perfect circle.
The Giles-Archer lantern was the next test. I think this is a Lantern used by railway signal men and the railway industry. I think there were about 6 six colours in total. 2 green colours, 2 red colours, a yellow and white.
The 2 reds were pretty easy for me to spot and I hardly had any difficulties. There didn't look to be any difference between them. The two greens were also not hard however I knew what to look for.
The first green I saw took me a few seconds. It was very similar to a bluey greeny light and to some may of looked more blue than green. It was also very bright and could of been confused as White. However it resembled
exactly a right wing tip navigation light and I said. "It looks green but a bluey green". Thats correct she said, it is a bluey green.
I suppose it was a turquiose colour. It wasn't much different to a traffic light green. The second green was much darker and simply looked like a grass green colour. Again I didn't have too much trouble with that one.
The yellow and white were no problems what so ever.
Than lantern was the standard 6 meters aways and the appature was set to a medium setting. Plus only one light was shown at a time.
So I passed the lantern test with no faults and was told my green discrimination is what I struggle on. My red discrimination wasn't too bad and this apparently is good news. Apparently people with red difficulties have many more problems than people with green difficulties.
Now i'm pretty happy with the assesment but I understand that this by no means guarantees a class 1 medical. To start with the Holmes-Wright shows two colours at a time and I can imagine the appature will be set to its smallest. Because the CAA are
ards. However I always was under the impression that it will be the dirty white and turquiose green that I will struggle on when I go to Gatwick. Now I feel slightly more confident that I will be able to see the difference and more importantly pass. I'm not going to hold my breath but it's worthwhile doing this sort of colour vision assesment to boost your confidence. Of course this is also dependant upon the serverity of your colour vision.
Still it is worth a go and I reccommend anyone that wants to get a class 1 to have a go. It only cost me £20 too.
Now wheres that 300 odd quid I need for the Gatwick medical.
Hope my posts helps to the discussion.
EDITED>> due to wrong name of lantern. Think it was the Giles Archer lantern I was tested on not the Archer Elliott. If that one even exists.