I am currently working on preparing a technical / legal argument against exclusion of CVD pilots from professional flying and here is something very interesting from the HSE.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ms7.pdf
You will note on page 3, paragraph 15, that it clearly states that colour vision naturally deteriorates with age and potentially affects ability to differentiate colours.
Taking this into consideration, surely, if flight safety is dependent on a pilot's ability to correctly discriminate between colours, the authorities have a legal and moral duty to test colour vision not only at initial medical but also at certain intervals.
This is obviously something that has not been recently discovered so one asks the question why it isn't done. After all, flight safety does not cease to be an issue just because the flight crew is older.
However, introducing such testing under current testing standards may result in a significant number of professional flight crew suddenly being told they can't fly any more. I could see BALPA going right up the wall against the suggestion of introducing any further periodical medical testing that could potentially result in the exclusion of its members from the flight deck. Then again, maybe BALPA would then join in the argument against the exclusion of CVD persons.
The other issue alluded to above is that of discrimination. The Disability Rights Commission states on its website (and I paraphrase) that the CAA cannot refuse to issue a Class One Medical to a prospective pilot unless it could prove that it affected competence to operate an aircraft safely. The present testing methods (and these lantern machines were built at least 30 years ago) do not, in any way, shape or form, test an individual's competence to fly and therefore cannot be seen to be an objective measuring stick for such competence. In that respect I think the authorities may be on a sticky wicket should someone wish to take them on down this route.
But as for £ 10 each, probably add a couple of 00's.
HTH
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