CASA attacks colour vision defective pilots again.

[papakurapilot]

I am unfortunately not even slightly surprised to be writing this post. As someone who had CASA send a letter to my employer years ago telling them to consider if having me fly for them was safe given I have a colour vision defect, my opinion on CASA on this topic is very bleak.

CASA about two years ago saw some sense and allowed pilots with a colour vision defect to do an assessment to prove their safety. This was a huge turning point in a very long and dark saga with CASA and for almost two brief years they had a progressive policy that aligned with NZ CAA and the FAA.

That was until early this year. Early this year CASA began rejecting completed flight test forms for this test. This was even though their website still had the OCVA published as an approved assessment, not a single testing officer was told it was now not accepted and THEIR OWN medical department was still telling applicants to take this test (the OCVA). I have contact with multiple people who have paid thousands to do this test through certified testing officers and still been rejected for this even though they have jumped through all of CASA's imposed hoops. I suspect that there would be some cause here for some legal action given the applicants did exactly what CASA asked and followed the published and current procedures exactly. I cannot imagine having sat my ATPL flight test years ago CASA now sending me an email stating 'Sorry mate, we've changed the process now and you are back to being a CPL'. That's effectively what they've done here.

CASA now has removed the OCVA from their website with no replacement on the horizon. They have said they are 'developing' a new test with zero time frame or explanation on what that might entail. They need to provide clear detail on their exact intentions with an exact time frame on this. I have regular contact with students who are beginning their training who now cannot be issued a medical due to an insane decision. What am I supposed to tell these young aspiring pilots? Just to continue your training with a vague promise by CASA that they will develop a new test with literally no timeline attached? After enduring CASA's constant attacks on the colour vision defective pilot community I am at a loss as to what to say to these young people!

I write this here out of exasperation as what can only be describes as an incredibly unjust process by our national regulator. I hope by this writing to bring awareness to what surely has to be some of the most insanely deficient processes that our regulator seems to be following. Hopefully some pressure comes onto the national regulator to reimpose the OCVA until a suitable alternative is put in place.

[Clinton McKenzie]

Have you been in contact with the CVDPA?

What you've described would be a typical intellectually-dishonest CASA Avmed return to a dark-ages scaremongering crusade against the powerless. The OVCA resulted in some of the CVD zealots sucking their thumbs in the corner, plotting their revenge (sorry: I meant disinterested medical professionals reviewing the current evidence).

But there is a chance that what you've experienced is just a consequence of the overly-complex, humandraulic MRS breaking down due to Covid 19. Have you been able to contact the current CASA PMO to confirm that what you're experiencing is intended?

[papakurapilot]

Hey Clinton!

Yep, doctors with not a single flight hour dictating what safe aviation requires, what is new!?

CASA is 'promising' a new OCVA but for now we have had to revert to the CAD test which the creator of literally said has not a single thing to do with aviation during John O'Brien's case at the AAT when he was called as a witness. This information is now on their website as of about 2-3 weeks ago. Unfortunately for a preceding period of months it wasn't and the old info was there and prospective pilots were spending thousands following it. There is zero timeline on the new test and literally no word on what it may entail. I've heard rumours of the word 'years' being used in the development of this test.

I am currently working in Aviation as a pilot and my medical thankfully has not been impacted. I am however in a role where I talk to other Colour Vision Defective pilots who are going for their first medical and this has been absolutely devastating to them.

One of these blokes I am in contact with has been in contact with the PMO and basically been told to sod off in what was a very confrontational phone call. He was told in no uncertain terms if he wants to 'lawyer up' that CASA has access to basically unlimited money to defend their position.

I'm absolutely at wits end with this. It's constant and never ending. I'm sorry but my faith in an organisation which delayed new alternate planning requirements less than 24 hours before they were implemented because they weren't ready is incredibly low. They promise the world and deliver a snow globe.

[Clinton McKenzie]

Zealots on a crusade for a noble cause, taking advantage of a change in CEO/Chairman.

I said this in my submission to the GA inquiry:When a young Australian commits suicide because he has been told that, on the basis of anachronistic standards enforced with a crusader's zeal by CASA, his colour vision deficiency will prevent him from achieving his childhood dream of becoming an international airline captain, there is no negative impact on the safety of air navigation. But there is a cost which should not have been paid. (At least the New Zealand civil aviation safety regulatory comprehends this.)In my supplementary submission I said:I consider and submit that CASA's response, to the New Zealand CAA's [then] recent announcement that colour vision deficiency would now be treated as an operational competence issue rather than a medical fitness issue was - frankly - childish. Rather than accept the objective evidence of the 21st century - as the NZ CAA has done - and adopt, as the '3rd level' test, an operational competence test, CASA suggested that Australian pilots with colour vision deficiency should arrange to undergo the test under the New Zealand rules. CASA steadfastly leaves the unlawfully-determined CAD test as the '3rd level' test for Australian purposes. This is the behaviour of people who will steadfastly maintain the same opinion, irrespective of what new evidence is put before them, because they are "convinced of their righteousness" [which is a quote from an accepted definition of noble cause corruption and those who usually suffer from it].This is the product of very small (usually men) with very big egos who enjoy putting stress on people and ruining their lives.

[C441]

Administrative Appeals Tribunal (https://www.aat.gov.au)

A couple of aviation colleagues have had to resort to this body to successfully overturn CASA aviation medical decisions. Unfortunately it can be a long process but given the circumstances you've mentioned are similar to my colleagues', it may be worth pursuing, especially if CASA's decisions have the potential to severely impact your chosen career.

[Clinton McKenzie]

If you have CVD and are a commercial pilot or aspiring commercial pilot, I’d suggest you (re)join the CVDPA. It seems the potential return to the dark ages is under consideration by CASA rather than the result of some administrative oversight.

I get it that there are plenty of people in our society who are set in their prejudiced ways or have a financial interest in the CVD industry or are just on a crusade for the noble cause of the safety of air navigation, with a crusader’s religious zeal that blinds them to anything but their beliefs. Objective evidence and objective risk are usually a mere bagatelle to bigots. But how do these kinds of people wield so much influence in CASA?

What makes me furious is the inhumanity of it all. The people responsible for this latest foray could not care less about the stress and distress caused to people whose career and career aspirations as commercial pilots are thrown into uncertain disarray. These kinds of people are so convinced of their righteousness that the human consequences are immaterial – just collateral damage that has to be inflicted in the interests of the noble cause.

I do hope this has nothing to do with ACM (Retd) Binskin – an ex-ADF pilot – becoming the Chairman of the CASA Board. Military eyesight requirements are not the civilian eyesight standards. The Board might help by asking what operational situation the CAD test simulates, in which case the Board might find out the CAD test simulates no operational situation (the inventor said so) and, therefore, should not have been purportedly determined for the purposes of CASR 67.150(6)(c). But I have seen no evidence to show that the CASA Board has any effective insight into these kinds of issues or any desire to get that insight.

[VH-MLE]

I will second joining CVDPA. I am colour "blind" & when I obtained my first job as a flight instructor in 1984, I was not permitted to fly at night, due to my colour vision standard. In fact a CAA doctor - Dr Adrian Zentner told me emphatically that I would never fly at night! It was only because a few individuals (Mr Denison, Dr Arthur Pape etc) who took on the CAA that I was finally permitted to fly at night. Dr Rob Liddell - the head of CAA Avmed a number of years ago, was another who had a far more practical approach than some of the more recent appointees - e.g. Dr Pooshan Navanthe (ex Indian air force) who have attempted to return colour vision standards to the 1940's. I have recently retired with several thousand night hours - all of which have been accident & incident free & have involved modern technology "glass cockpit" instrumentation - which CASA have concerns about for colour defective pilots. I for one believe a return to the previous draconian era must be stopped at all cost!

VH-MLE

[Clinton McKenzie]

It's just a small number of zealots who have again prevailed - hopefully temporarily - over those who are capable of objectively assessing all of the objective evidence. Zealots on a crusade are not troubled by mere bagatelles like all of the objective evidence. They know they are right, and search only for evidence that supports their prejudices. Your career and your money and your stress levels are just sacrifices to the altar of their religion.

Unfortunately, CVD is very easy to detect and the zealots have very powerful emotions on their side. The intuitive response of the uninformed public is that any vision 'deficiency' must render a pilot 'unsafe'. Add cognitive bias when contemplating aviation disasters and in the public's mind you're the equivalent of a great white shark in the water off a popular beach. You want to take them on? Buckle up for a long, expensive and stressful fight during which your 'deficiency' will be portrayed as a potential cause of an aviation disaster.

But I do hope you are a member of the CVDPA, because the more members and funds it has the faster these zealots will be brought back under control.

The good news is that all of the objective evidence shows that pilots with CVD are no less competent than non-CVD pilots in performing tasks in modern civil aircraft cockpits, including tasks which require the identification of the meaning of lights/annunciators that happen to be coloured. (The zealots don't like that, and claim it's a consequence of practise which, ironically, is precisely how everyone becomes and remains competent at tasks...) There are good people in CASA who know this, but have been 'sidelined' - again - hopefully only temporarily. I'd suggest you also make inquiries about what's happening in NZ. So far as I am aware, NZ has continued to be able to keep its CVD zealots under control.

[airdualbleedfault]

I sincerely wish you people the best of luck, you will need it to fight those washed up has beens (more like never was) at Avmed. Time and again those useful idiots have gone completely against actual specialists and ruined people's careers because it's easier to be a complete ignorant effwit and say no than it is to listen to medicos who are specialists in their fields. The beauty of it (for the Avmed morons) is that they answer to nobody and there is no target to keep pilots flying, just the opposite. Yes there is the AAT but as mentioned it is a long drawn out process and I believe it has to be black and white (no pun intended) for them to overrule Avmed. Rant over and good luck :ok:

[tossbag]

TristanCty, hang in there mate. It's no consolation I know, but at least fly recreationally until these ******** are taken down. As a pilot that lost my medical and eventually got it back, still subject to the yearly CAsA bull**** it is worth flying privately until a resolution is found.

[vee1-rotate]

Hey guys,

I just thought I’d chime in here and explain my situation and how devastating this current development has been for me. I’m currently 30yrs old, and being a CVD person who’s wanted to be a career pilot since I was a kid, I’ve been closely following this whole CVD saga for over 10 years now. After having done every colour test under the sun many years go, I ended up giving up on the idea of ever following my dreams of being a career pilot. That was until years of hard work were put in by Dr Arthur Pape, John O’Brien and others, concluding in CASA finally implementing the Operational Colour Vision Assessment. After a year or so of fighting within myself over whether I was too old or not to chase my dream, I decided to take the leap and just go for it. Completely over the moon in my decision, I approached my local flying school and started lessons. I now have almost 20hrs (dual), and only just last weekend did my first solo flight. Now…I’ve just found out about CASA’s absolutely insane decision to revert back to their old ways throwing out decades of hard work by the men listed above.

I’ve spent thousands on my flying so far, and it seems like all of that has been a total waste of time and energy. How can CASA do such a thing? How can years of court cases and senate hearings go on, have a ground breaking decision be made, only for it all to be thrown away??

I’m utterly devastated, and I’m now back at a loss of what to do with my life. This is just wrong. I wish I could sue CASA for the years of mental torment they’ve caused me from banning me from doing the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do, but as someone has mentioned above, CASA have unlimited money to fight their case, so there’s no point.

Does anyone know why CASA have done such a thing?

I know it's not the simplest solution, but in your spare time I would look at ways to get over to the US. I've been here on 8 years now working in aviation (non-flying) and am hopefully about to restart my interrupted flying career by undertaking the FAA's OCVT and MFT test. They are multi-part tests but on completion, you are granted a full medical with no restrictions for life (in regards to colour vision).

I sidelined a professional flying career quite a few years ago, with my fears being this exact situation ... spending money, starting a career and having it all turn to dust when CASA changes their mind. I'm not sure exactly how you could do it, but there are a few different visas' available to move to the US. You could then pursue a career here if you are able to pass the tests. As I said, not an easy solution, but a possible solution nonetheless.

[qwertynot]

Hi people. As a CVD person who didn't pursue a pilot career earlier in life as a result, I was both excited and then dismayed to read how the situation has changed and then changed again. Does the current stance from CASA mean that a CPL is not possible for someone who is CVD and fails the CAD test? or is it just for an ATPL? Also, a few people here recommend joining the CVDPA, but the CVDPA website appears to only have a donate page "For individuals not wishing to subscribe" and I see no option to subscribe? The FB page seems quiet too?

Thanks for any info.

[Clinton McKenzie]

Hi people. As a CVD person who didn't pursue a pilot career earlier in life as a result, I was both excited and then dismayed to read how the situation has changed and then changed again. Does the current stance from CASA mean that a CPL is not possible for someone who is CVD and fails the CAD test? or is it just for an ATPL? Also, a few people here recommend joining the CVDPA, but the CVDPA website appears to only have a donate page "For individuals not wishing to subscribe" and I see no option to subscribe? The FB page seems quiet too?

Thanks for any info.Ask Avmed what the answers to your questions are, this week. Please post the answers here.

Check your PMs for contact details for CVDPA.

[Angle of Attack]

I find it interesting CASA beats on about Colour vision, it’s ridiculous, these morons need to get a real job and do something useful for once, they are mainly failed practitioners anyway, anyone half decent wouldn’t even look at AVMED for a career.

[tail wheel]

"Check your PMs for contact details for CVDPA."

Not sure, but he may not be able access PMs until he has a pre determined number of user posts? I think maybe10 posts before he can access PMs??

[Clinton McKenzie]

Then he'll have to make a few more posts. I'm not going to publish Dr Arthur Pape's mobile number.

[qwertynot]

Heh - thanks. Yes, I was able to receive the DM, just couldn't DM you back to say thanks (as your inbox was full too). I messaged Dr Pape, but guess he's pretty busy, as you say.

[First_Principal]

Not sure, but he may not be able access PMs until he has a pre determined number of user posts? I think maybe10 posts before he can access PMs??

Just to confirm: https://www.pprune.org/pprune-problems-queries/627571-probationary-restrictions.html

[papakurapilot]

Hey All,

I am a representative of The CVDPA. This 'Arthur' above is not the actual Arthur for those of you who didn't find that email address suspicious. There is no current case in the AAT. For anyone wanting to speak to us about where this whole thing is at please contact us via messenger on our Facebook page. That's really the only place that is currently monitored.

The short and narrow of it however is this. The OCVA was due to have the 'review' period finalised mid this year. As per usual there have been large blow outs on timeline. Now we are being promised early next year. For any further info please contact us on the aforementioned channels.

Sorry for not realising this post had been gathering some traction, I haven't been getting notifications when there's a reply to my email.

Cheers,
Jeremy

[Cescteor]

I'm a potential international student who may learn flying in australia and I wish to understand more about the impact to student pilots brought by this latest change. Thanks!!!