Red/Green Colour Blindness and NATS

[JasonG]

You'll have to forgive me if this is something thats been asked before, but for all the searching I've done, I cant seem to find a definative answer on it.

I would love to persue a career as an ATCO in the UK, but I have Red/Green colourblindness (Not total) and was wondering if this would prohibit me from joining NATs and becoming one?

Thank you for any light you can shed.

[Flyin'Dutch']

Hi J,

You would need to be able to hold a CAA class 1 medical to be able to become an ATCO.

I believe that the requirements for this are the same as the JAR Class 1.

That means passing the Ishihara plates or the Lantern test.

Most GPs and all opticians have the plates; the Lantern test can be done at the CAA @ Gatwick.

Good luck

FD

[JasonG]

Thank you very much for the information, I'll see if I can get into contact with the CAA.

Regards

[Dantruck]

CAA Medical at Gatwick now has three colour tests, the plate test, the Holmes-Wright Lantern test and the Beyne's test. For Class-1 JAA medical you only have to be able to pass one of the three.
I failed the first two, and past the third.
So, go and get checked out, and then you'll know for sure.

Good luck

[Warped Factor]

Just for info, in the very near future ATCO licensing and medical standards are being harmonised across Europe and the current CAA Class 1 will no longer be the medical standard required of UK ATCOs.

You'll find the requirements for the new European Class 3 Medical Certification of ATCOs here (http://www.eurocontrol.int/src/html/sru_hum.html) (item 7 in the second table).

WF.