He's the most talented pilot I've ever come across and a damn nice bloke too. Would make a top captain - pitty this is standing in his way.
Thanks Ando1Bar! The truth is that there's also many other talented pilots in Australia too, also with many thousands of hours each and who have the same restrictions.
A few examples - we have guys that have worked for many years flying Metro's single pilot IFR at night, yet that same person now also works as an airline FO and is unable to obtain a command. Another fella currently works flying modern full glass cockpit equipped King-Airs single pilot IFR. CASA deem us all safe to fly any single pilot aircraft as PIC using CPL privileges, but suddenly due to our CVD we're deemed unsafe to use our ATPL's in the support of multi-crew environments. There's also the example of another pilot who currently flys B737's as an FO. His restrictions were lifted a number of years ago due to providing impeccable references to the regulator, yet on his latest medical they were placed back on with the explanation of it being an 'oversight' - thereby now precluding him from obtaining a command also. There would have to be many other pilots in Australia also in similar predicaments.
All of us are able to (and have...) provided the regulator with many references, simulator check reports etc which demonstrate that our CVD does not pose any safety risk and that we pass these checks to exactly the same standard as our colour normal friends. Yet the discrimination remains without any proper justifiable answer and in many instances, their explanations are contrary to the case law and the findings/recommendations of the AAT cases in the '80's.
All the safety links have just been assumed, and we now have years of experience in Australia to show that the "traditional" medical standard is not justified.
Even ICAO's own Manual of Civil Aviation Medicine states "The problem with colour vision standards for pilots and air traffic controllers is that there is very little information which shows the real, practical implications of colour vision defects on aviation safety" (section 11.8.29)
These guys mean business and their membership is increasing rapidly!
They have a killer legal team and just require the addition of a little bit of commitment from every one of us to make a large class action. They have a few things to tidy up in Australia first but then watch out UK and Europe!
With the legal fees we're currently faced with, this is almost impossible to achieve on our own. But like OOW says - if everyone with an interest in the cause supports CVDPA then it won't take us long before we can get some positive changes happening both here in Australia and abroad!