JAA relax colour vision requirement

[apruneuk]

The JAA have proposed an amendment to FCL(3)15 which, amongst other things, covers colour vision requirements for the issue of a class 1 medical. In their Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) they propose that an individual should be considered colour safe if "the first 15 plates (of the Ishihara 24 plate book)are identified without error, without uncertainty or hesitation (less than 3 seconds per plate). The plates shall be presented randomly." Prior to this, all 24 plates were required to be identified correctly.. .For those who fail Ishihara, they will be considered colour safe if they pass the Nagel Anomaloscope test or one of the Holmes Wright, Beynes or Spectrolux lantern tests.. .I know that the CAA use Holmes Wright at Gatwick but can anyone tell me where it is possible to take the Nagel, Beynes or Spectrolux tests?

[icebox]

To apruneuk

Hmmm, this amendment seems to be a step in the right direction. But is this really a relaxation?

The Ishihara plates test for colour deficiencies, the most common being a red-green colour deficiency. As I understand it, pilots need to distinguish these colours more than any others. The end of the book deals with blue-yellow dificiencies which is very rare in people. So by presenting the first 15 plates in random order it still 'weeds out' most colour deficient people, because they should be able to see the last section of plates anyway.

A more 'hands on' test is needed in my humble opinion.

In answer to your question, I'm sure CAA are getting the Beynes Lantern very shortly. I think they still do the Anomaloscope test in Germany but I maybe wrong. The Anomaloscope is a very hard test if you are colour deficient. You look through an instrument similar to a microscope.. .You see a coloured semi circle and you have to match the bottom half to the top half colour. It is then measured on a scale. You can have an error of about +/- 4 on the scale. It is considered a very accurate test. Most people who fail other more relaxed colour tests also fail this one.

I do not know where you can get the other colour tests done.

Regards

Ice

P.S. If any of the information is wrong, someone please correct me.

[ 27 January 2002: Message edited by: icebox ]</p>