Thanks everyone for your ongoing support and interest.
I've decided not to follow the FAA route. I'm 31 with my life and family established in the UK, flying is not quote important enough to me to risk all that. I could have self funded modular training in the UK whilst holding down a fairly well paid job with the flexibility to take several months off at a time. It just doesn't work out for me anywhere else. If I was 21 things would be different!
Theres two major problems with the CVD issue for me.
1. As we all know the rules, and tests, are massively inconsistent. The FAA will allow you to fly 400 tonnes of N registered 747 into LHR, but the CAA won't. Crazy, especially as aviation is by its very nature the most global of industries.
2. Are the current tests, any of them, remotely relevant for the tasks I have to perform as either a VFR or IFR pilot flying in 2007 and the future?
For example, I know the most difficult thing for me is a small amount of red on a lot of green - eg a cricket ball on grass pitch. So I think I'd find it more difficult (VFR) to see a red aircraft against a predominantly green ground colour, than I would to spot any aircraft navigation lights at night
Similiarly from what I've seen of Glass Cockpits, I wouldn't have a problem with the colours in there. I can distinguish between a magenta line and a yellow line on the FD as well as the next man. Or green, white and red lines! But the test and protocols are 40, 50, 60 years out of date......
Anyway its a total mess. I've built up my hopes and had them dashed enough. Its VFR PPL daytime only for me, 14 hours into training so far, I'm hoping to get my PPL finished this year. And perhaps IMC next year.
Good luck to all in the future and if anyone has just found this thread and wants any advice from my experiences of City Uni and Gatwick then drop me a PM - I'm more than happy to help as much as I can.
All the best