AnthonyGA

Logically, the more marginal the color vision, the longer the test. For someone with normal color vision, or for someone with very severe color blindness, 30 seconds might well be enough to obtain a score that is unambiguously pass or fail. But for borderline cases, it might take a lot longer to get a reliable score. If someone gets every item right or every item wrong in the first 30 seconds, there's no need to go further.

I don't know if this is the way the test is actually conducted, but it certainly makes sense that it would be conducted that way.

Guessing is useful because it allows a test subject to detect differences that he might not consciously notice. Here again, it would only make a difference for borderline cases.

Scottish.CPL

I do agree with the point, to test for longer to establish a specific level, but as the CAA stated on a presentation that was done for the CAD it states that a 30 second screening test to be used, and if a fail then to do the 15 min test..

ste07 made a great comment which does back up my issue in certain areas.

natoPilot

Wow this is a long thread!

Background: I have a waiver from the FAA that allows me to obtain any class of medical. I received an offer of employment in UAE last year and went over for 2 weeks and had to come home. Turns out that the UAE jumped onboard with this rather ridiculous CAD test (literally 2 weeks before I got there) and after passing the Ishihara with the 1st AME and then failing with the second (yes, they make you take it twice with two different departments) and then sitting the CAD twice (only to fail that too) I had to come back to the states unemployed. I have since been fortunate to start flying again in the states.

The real reason for my post:

I just found this website as I was poking around. It sounds very promising in that, so far as I know, every aviation authority still administers the Ishihara test 1st and then moves on to the other tests if you fail it. This might not help all of you over in the UK if you can't make it to Baltimore but if you could...and this technique was accepted by your aviation authority (topic which I have not researched yet - I have a call in to the office and am very anxiously waiting response).

Anyway, check it out:

Color Max, Color Vision Correction Specialist, Color Blindness Correction

PS Has anybody gone to see this guy already? I would be very interested to hear your thoughts and experience.

Scottish.CPL

Hey

Ok the CONTINUOUS issue is that... ishihara testing is only reliable in the controlled inviroment it was designed for, proper lighting, and the plates do fade over time.. Seocnd the test clearly states the same old story 13 out of 15 plates, you are good to go, the crap about getting all the plates right comes from the old fashion armed forces standard, and this was only used to filter out people at the medical.. and that is the truth, and some bright spark at the CAA/JAA descided, yeah we will continue that standard...

The cad is a student at one university's PHD, and the cad is a clinical test.. The one, the length of time to do the test 15 min, and that is too long to be playing a game to look for a signal box, fatigue and other things set in, and also the TECHNICIAN clearly stating ' oh and if you dont see a signal' ' have a guess' see if they allowed a 30 sec or 5 min test, that would be better..

Oh and a question to all, anyone found the ammendemtn to the JAA medical books about the process for the CAD... i can find it...

blusky75

Hi guys!!! Anyone knows the email address to contact the aeromedical center in gatwick?? I must do the cad test... Thx!!

Scottish.CPL

why dont you search for the email address yourself, clearly you have the interenet??..

blusky75

if i m asking here maybe it means i was not able to find it..if u must answer this idiot message, save ur time

osmosis

This whole cv thing is a quagmire and won't get better soon; nor will this thread. I believe the cv standard needs to be removed entirely but that will never happen; the system is simply too monolithic for anyone apparent in this thread to move it. Live with it; or else let it fester within you. In Aus, if you fail the standard tests already mentioned in this post there is one alternative offered as a last resort; that is a live lamp test done on-field with a CASA rep. Lamp in tower. CASA rep radios instruction to tower. Tower flashes red/green lights at cv retard. Latter stands there & sees nothing. Pay hundreds for the privilege. You get the picture.

To any young wannabes out there, don't get bogged down here. Take the cv test early with your local gp, you'll soon know.

Scottish.CPL

blusky75,

are you serious, my god, what a way to answer your own question , idiot question, its like people who ask for the caa telephone number or in your case the email.. oh come one , think about it, ermmm mabye the CAA WEBSITE WOULD BE A Start.



clearly some people are so lazy, and cant be ar***ed to do things themselves....

Bad medicine

OK, play the ball not the man, or you'll find yourselves taking an enforced break.

Blusky75 - the information you require is in the very first post of the BEFORE POSTING: Check here thread (the very first thread in the forum), or the very first result if you put "CAA aeromedical centre" into Google.

Cheers,

BM

Domzy

Im looking to do my ppl next year at some point and have a question about the medical regarding colour blindness. (i understand this subject has been done to the death)

I know im slightly colourblind and know i will fail the ishihara test plates as i have failed them on countless medicals before. Now i know that the next stage (if i want unrestricted flying) is to get a lantern test carried out...

Now, in 2009 i joined the fire service and part of the initial medical was to be tested for colour blindness (ishihara test plates) which i failed 7 errors from the first 16 plates (38 plate 1966 edition). The next stage in my process was to go to Glasgow Caledonia University eye clinic to get a more thorough test carried out to determine the severity of my colour deficiency. The test results are as follows -

City university spot test (second edition) - Binocular Pass no errors

Farnsworth D15 Test Binocular Pass no errors

Nagal Anomaloscope Midmatch point 33.1, Matching range 16.6 (diagnosis simple Deuteranomalous Trichromat)

FM 100 Hue error score 68 (average discrimination)

Holmes Wright Lantern Type A Binocular Pass no errors (light adapted)

Diagnosis: Mild Deuteranomalous Trichromatism.

I was accepted for the fire service after these results.

Back to my question - if (when) i fail the ishihara test in the medical do i then have to sit (and pay for) another lantern test or can i use the results from my previous test above. Also if someone can decipher my results for me that would be great - am i likely to pass another lantern test easily or will it just be my luck on the day - as i felt some of the lights where almost 50/50 green/white sometimes.

Scottish.CPL

hey there

if you cant pass isihara then the usual is the lantern, but now the cad is the replacement, so any results from the holmes wright are not accepted, and you did the holmes wright lantern A , it would be the B type, not does not make any difference..

LukeBN

Hi everyone,

I am new to this site and have a question which I hope someone can help me with.

I have always wanted to be a commercial airline pilot. I am now 29 years old but I failed an RAF colour vision test 10 years ago when I attended RAF Cranwell for a Flying Scholarship medical. I failed the test but was still granted the scholarship as it involved daytime flying only. Having failed this test, I didn’t pursue my flying dream any further.

I have recently re-taken the Ishihara colour plate test at my local optician. And I passed the test with a 100% score (24/24). So I am not sure if a mistake was made 1st time around or if I just got lucky on the 2nd attempt.

I am now thinking of a career change and applying to various airlines to enter their pilot training schemes.

My question is this – will the CAA (or JAA) have a record that I failed the Ishihara 10 years ago?

If I make an appointment for a class 1 medical examination will the CAA (or JAA) know that I have failed previously?

If so, is there any way around this?

Will the CAA just test me on the Ishihara plates?

Since the 1st test was with the RAF, will this show on CAA records?

Also, the 1st test was only for an RAF flying scholarship. Will they still have these records?

Or if I make an appointment for a Class 1 medical and then pass, will I then be considered colour safe for the rest of my life (and never have to do the test again)?

I am quite anxious about enrolling on a pilot training course only for the CAA to dig out a test result from 10 years ago which may hinder everything (and cost me my training fees)

Any advice would be gratefully received

2close

Previous tests count for nothing so don't worry about that.

No, it will not show on any records - such RAF records are only maintained for 5 years.

And DON'T TELL THEM!!!

However, if you have any doubts, first of all go down to your local optometrist and try again. If you pass there, book in for your Class 1 Medical at Gatwick but insist on doing the eye examination first - if you fail (and from what you are saying, you should be fine) then stop the Class 1 examination at that point and you should be refunded for all but the eye examination (That's how it used to work, at least).

Interestingly, there is some very credible new research which proves that people can see colours differently at different times of the day and under differing circumstances, including mood, lighting, etc. It is a known fact that certain medications affect colour vision.

Also, the condition of the Ishihara book may have played a part - faded plates are notoriously difficult to discriminate under artificial lighting conditions and the CAA WILL NOT allow you to take the test under natural lighting conditions, even though the test was designed for such. The examiner would have to walk all of ten yards to a window providing natural light........that's asking a bit much.

There are many factors which may have caused you to make an error first time around - many people with normal colour perceptiveness do, which is why the test allows two misreading errors (except in the world of commercial aviation).

The genes which affect colour vision have been known for many years and experiments with Spider Monkeys (Dalton & Sam), whereby they were injected with non-defective genes had remarkable results, in that it 'cured' their colour blindness.

There may be hope for you all yet, although I'm sure the CAA would introduce a rule that says anyone who has been treated with gene therapy is banned from flying, in the same way that you are not permitted to use tinted spectacles which may assist you with colour vision problems. You can wear sunglasses, which impair your ability to detect ALL colours, you can wear vision correcting spectacles, but you can't wear colour correcting spectacles.

coefficientoflift

Hi all,

I'm looking to travel to the US later this year to convert my CPL and get an FAA ATP. I only have about 2 weeks max. to do this. Unfortunately, I cannot pass Ishihara due CVD. I have passed Lantern tests for other CAA's.

I've been in touch with one or two AME's stateside, but neither have or know anyone who has access to Farnsworth Lantern test.

Does anyone on here know of an FAA registered AME who has one in South Africa, or else in the Wichita region in the US?

Has anyone got specific details / have themselves passed the signal light test in the US for their unrestricted class 1?

Your help truly appreciated.

ndr1804

I have to agree with 2close for someone who has fought the battle for cvd pilots for years. If colour was such a big deal how the hell have i lived with a medical with no limitations for the past 27 years. No where can i remember having to use colour for the safety of a flight........oh so now there's the prity mfd's that the caa and probably now EASA will say is important total poppy cock. Hell all analogue cockpits were almost black and white and still are in a lot of cases. Can someone name me one accident due to colour deficiency. If you can have class one to wear glasses why can't we improve cvd with glasses hell i'll carry 100 pairs to comply.

flybywire380

Hi All,

Would anyone be able to advise as to which JAA Member States are most lenient regarding colour vision standards/testing please? Any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated.

On a separate note; has anyone with an alternative licence/medical (e.g. FAA CPL/Class One medical) and a few hours experience with no colour-related incidents, tried writing to the CAA Aeromedical to make them see sense?

millonario

Hi all,

I just returned to my home country of Sweden and I am seeking to convert my pilot license to get a job in Europe. Having completed my training in Australia, I was able to get a CPL and instrument rating despite being slightly color deficient (failed 4 plates on the 24 plate Ishihara). My question now is, what method does the Swedish CAA use for testing color vision? Should I expect the usual 24 plate Ishihara?

Thanks!

dnsnlsn

Hello,

I am an aspiring pilot - one with the way paved for him. Finances are of no issue, location, education, nada. Everything is set and ready to go.

I also recently found out that I am Color Vision Deficient. I FAIL miserably at the Ishihara test. I dream, really DREAM of becoming a pilot. I am located in the Philippines and was wondering if any of you guys have had miserable experiences with the Ishihara and still got a Class A medical. Please, I am in deep depression as I write this. Is there a chance?

Scottish.CPL

hi there,

Ok the facts on colour vision for a JAA class one medical, this may change when EASA becomes the new regulator.

The ishihara test, JAA standards for the plates, 24 plate edition, 15/15, Ishihara instruction pass recommendation 13/15..

The lantern tests are no longer accepted by AMC Gatwick, as the CAD test has replaced them,

The CAD test is only available at city univeristy and AMC Gatwick, if you fail the plates, you will need to pay another £120 for the CAD test, and you might need to test on a different day as they run the cad on specific days, that might be subject to change...