Hi im 17yo male in the UK. I have failed the CAD test, so no class 1 for me for now. The plan is for me to move to america to do their OCVT+MFT to obtain an unrestricted FAA class 1 so i can fly commercially over there. Obviously it would be great if the OCVA got approved in the UK but im thinking it will take a number of years (like 10 years maybe). Have there been any developments in getting the CAA to approve it?
Also, i had a friend briefly tell me if i get an LoE from The FAA to get a class 1, i could get the CAA to approve that LoE and allow me to get a class 1 in the UK. Is there any truth to that?
Many thanks, Ollie Seaward.
Has anyone had any luck with retaking the CAD if failed once. Is there anything restricing people from just repeating it over and over again or is it just a lost cause as the results are unlikely to change.
Thank you Jordon.
Hello Ollie
Yes the UK left EASA as part of brexit and thus the UK is its own licencing state. So you can hold both a UK and an EASA licence at one time.
The CAD is proven to be the most restrictive test , it passes around 10% of CVD applicants when the Anomaloscope passes 15% and the lanterns 30-35%. This is according to this independent research which also concluded that the CAD is the most restrictive. Color Vision Tests in Pilots' Medical Assessments - PubMed (nih.gov)
Thank you, i didn't know the CAA license was separate from the EASA license. If I failed the CAD is there a high chance I would fail the lantern or Anomaloscopes?
Regards, Ollie.
Hello Ollie , sorry to hear you failed the CAD test , unfortunately its becoming a very common issue in the UK and across Europe.
ECDAA is currently working very hard to make progress , however, we cannot forecast how long it will take to achieve an OCVA style of test in the UK and in Europe. As soon as we have some major development news we will let our members know through our monthly newsletter and via our website.
In terms of your plan here are some points to think about :
the FAA route is definitely a good route to go, however to live and work in the US currently you will need a greencard, airlines currently dont sponsor non US nationals for greencards, however this could change in a mass pilot shortage. There are jobs for FAA pilots in the UK however most require experience pilots.
The CAA will not look at the FAA OCVT result unfortunately , the CAA are its own authority and only accept the CAD. Even fully qualified and experienced commercial pilots from Europe who passed via another test have been made to do the CAD , and if failed turned away.
Have you looked into getting an EASA licence ? Most EASA states accept lanterns or/ and Anomaloscopes . You will most likely need an EU passport for most EASA jobs though.
Have a look at our post on the other EASA colour vision tests here : Colour Vision Testing Guide for EASA pilots (ecdaa.com)
If you need more specific advice , you can use our advice service here : Advice Service | The European Colour Deficient Aircrew Association (ecdaa.com)