In regards to the OCVA, you are right in saying you don't need to fly the aircraft and thus don't need technically any experience however if you do this, everything you'll see will be alien to you, especially in combination with all the differences in aviation to that of the EU. We recommend that you at least have a few hrs with an instructor to understand everything going on around you and that you are comfortable with what you're looking at.
Also, I agree you need to look at the first lot of testing options used in the US.
Secondly, in response to converting an FAA medical to an EASA medical, this is unfortunately not possible. Both medicals are separate as they have differences in medical regulations. With an FAA medical you can only work on an FAA license, but as mentioned that doesn't necessarily mean you have to work in the US as many pjets etc are N registered in Europe, but you'll likely need quite a few hrs to get those positions.
Hello Jordan,My apologies for the late answer. I talked with 2 AMEs (EASA) the past weeks. To summarize, no upgrade is possible from a class 2 to a class 1 according to the doctors. I already did the additional tests (failed) with them and because of this I'm "colour unsafe".
Other than that, they couldn't really help me in terms of EASA.Note: These were all military AMEs in the same facility that also can examine non-military personnel. I am thinking to contact another AME outside this facility for a second opinion.I have my doubts though about the outcome.We did not talk about the OCVT outside EASA. I assume they are not familiar with them.Kind regards,Sip
Hi all,I recently found out about this organisation and it gives me a comforting feeling that I am not the only one with CVD. I'd love to share my future experiences to you.My name is Sip, 24 years old and from Belgium. Last year I got accepted into a flight school. I passed all tests during the medical, except the Ishihara Test. After that I did the additional tests which I all failed:- CAD- Anomaloscopy- Farnsworth LanternThe AME told me that I can forget a medical class 1. As a result I received a medical class 2 with "Restriction Night Flying". My only option left would be to do an OCVT in the US. Since this is a childhood dream, I am prepared to do these extra tests and go all the way. I am a bit lost at the moment. Outside EASA everything is a bit unknown to me. I have read that a lot of people go to the US/NZ to do the OCVT (Operational Colour Vision Test). My question now is: Where can I start and who do I contact? I would love to hear from you. Let's open up the gate for CVD people to the aviation world, together!Kind regards,Sip
@Sip Hello , thanks for your comment/question and for your support in ECDAA! We really appreciate it!
Sorry to hear you have failed the colour vision tests, it's a bit strange you were tested on the Farnsworth as that is not an EASA approved test , so even if you had passed it they wouldn't have accepted it. EASA only accept the Holmes Wright , Beyne and Spectrolux lanterns. Maybe it might be worth trying the Beyne lantern in an EU country as those pass 30% of cvd applicants.
In terms of the OCVT if you search on the FAA website , there is a page which provides the details and how to book the test etc. However I would recommend before starting this , first see if you can pass any of the FAA lab based tests as this maybe cheaper and easier. Secondly if you are doing the OCVT you need to have some flying experience in the US , we are talking at least 10hrs to understand all the differences both in maps , airspace, flying etc. Otherwise you may struggle to know what your looking for/at.
Finally I would like to ask , whilst you can do the OCVT and pass , and get an FAA class 1. What is your plan for working as a pilot in the US or abroad?
Do you have the ability to gain working rights in the US ?
I hope this helps, do come back to us
Also if you need a more in depth 1 to 1 chat then we offer an advice service at a donation cost of £20 where we set up a online meeting to discuss the situation and the possible solutions.
@Jordan Penning Hi Jordan,It was indeed the Farnsworth Lantern test, strange. I did this test together with 2 other tests.
I will however take a look at the Beyne Lantern test. I made an appointment with the AME for next week to discuss my remaining options.Regarding the OCVT, I did some research about it. You have to be able to distinguish red, green and white (tower) from each other. An additional MFT (Medical Flight Test) is required for a Medical Class 1. However, a CFI at the flight school told me that they (FAA)would fly the aircraft, so that flying experience would not be necessary. They would only ask aviation related questions like airport signs, airport lighting etc. I'm afraid I have been informed incorrectly.I would like to keep this test as my last option. If the test is failed, it is not possible to redo it and you will be cleared as "unfit" to upgrade your medical (through the OCVT). All other tests are possible to try multiple times.Regarding the medical, the plan was to obtain an FAA Medical Class 1 and convert this into an EASA Medical Class 1. I have no interest to work in the US, since I'd like to start a career in Europe. These FAA lab based tests are unknown to me, I will look into this.Thank you for the offer. I am open to have a talk after I gained a bit more info on the subject, so I can also share my experiences with other future pilots.Kind regards,Sip
@Amirul Feissal it is great to hear from that who has taken the NZ OCVA. I personally would love to know more about it so I look forward to hearing more from you! Welcome on board.
We all know how "easy" and superficial drive licence medical assessments are, surely they're nothing close even to a class 2, it's shocking that a regulation like that is established in the first place.
Obviously they're not ICAO compliant (as they state) but the level of safety should be the same, at the end of the day flying over London is not any different from flying over Paris or a small town in Ireland.
This applies especially to hearth diseases, as they can go easily undetected even in a Class 1 examination, let's imagine what could happen in an aircraft. The asymmetry of the evaluation is evident.
Hey everyone let me know what you think about this.
In the UK and some other EASA states, they allow pilots to fly using a self-declared medical, which means you sign yourself as medically fit to fly up to PPL level aircraft less than 5700kg MTOM on the basis that you can drive.
But here's the interesting point :
It is valid for flying with the following operational conditions;
• With not more than three passengers on board;
• in aircraft with a Maximum Take-Off Mass (MTOM) of 5700kg or less
• In Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) or when exercising the privileges of an Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC)/Instrument Rating (Restricted). The privileges of a full Instrument Rating (IR) are not applicable.
• by day or night when exercising the privileges of a Night Rating provided that colour safety has previously been checked by an AME.
• PMDs are not valid outside of UK airspace, as it is not an internationally-recognised medical standard unless permission has been granted by the State of the airspace you are flying in.
So you could be technically flying up to 3 passengers at night or IMC conditions with heart conditions, eye conditions or all other sorts of things but a colour vision deficiency has to be checked by the CAD test with very restrictive pass marks ?!
Hi everyone, this is the first video I have seen of a practical colour vision assessment , this is from the South African Aviation Authority. Now, this is 10x better than the CAD test, however, there are many issues with this test procedure as it focuses on colour naming- which is a pointless exercise in all the scenarios he received as a test subject, furthermore, the regulation format is terrible. Even if someone passed this test they would be restricted to flying only in South Africa and non commercially ! There seems to be no logic in this regulation. In Europe we need to use this as a bad example of introducing practical assessment(this is not what we want), we need to be following suit of the New Zealand and CASA approach , a real-world practical flight test is the way forward. Link is here to the regulation : www.caa.co.za/Avmed Amended Protocols/Colour Vision Protocol.pdf
Hi Jason this really is fantastic and very true ! It is amazing to have members like you that have such a great amount of experience and clearly show that 'lab based' CVD testing is discriminatory and wrong. I'm hoping we can push EASA and the UK to implement a practical assessment of CVD like in New Zealand, Australia etc. I have sent you an email today , I look forward to hearing from you . Thanks !!
I am an 11,000 hour airline pilot. I have flown Air New Zealand Dash 8’s, Saab340’s, Qantas B737-300/400 and 800’s, Air New Zealand A320, A320NEO and A321NEO. I have 5500 hours command on jet aircraft and 1000 hours Training Captain experience for Qantas on B737-800. I am Colour Deficient. It is so frustrating to see your regulator still have issues with this out dated draconian Restriction. if I can help in any way, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I fail Ishihara, Farnsworth Lantern, CAD. All of which are simply testing methods to establish if an individual is colour deficient. Not one of these tests can identify the safety of an airline pilot. I have never in my career as an airline pilot ever had an issue with colour deficiency. It’s a load of bullshit.
EASA to review Colour Vision requirements in full glass cockpit environment and modern ATCO consoles.
Looking to begin 2024 , complete by 2026
More information can be found here: https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/research-projects/vision?utm_campaign=d-20230426&utm_term=pro&mtm_source=notifications&mtm_medium=email&utm_content=title&mtm_placement=content&mtm_group=easa_research_project
Hello Sip
Do let us know what your AME suggests.
In regards to the OCVA, you are right in saying you don't need to fly the aircraft and thus don't need technically any experience however if you do this, everything you'll see will be alien to you, especially in combination with all the differences in aviation to that of the EU. We recommend that you at least have a few hrs with an instructor to understand everything going on around you and that you are comfortable with what you're looking at.
Also, I agree you need to look at the first lot of testing options used in the US.
Secondly, in response to converting an FAA medical to an EASA medical, this is unfortunately not possible. Both medicals are separate as they have differences in medical regulations. With an FAA medical you can only work on an FAA license, but as mentioned that doesn't necessarily mean you have to work in the US as many pjets etc are N registered in Europe, but you'll likely need quite a few hrs to get those positions.
Kind regards
Jordan Penning MSc BSc (Hons) ARAeS
Hi all, I recently found out about this organisation and it gives me a comforting feeling that I am not the only one with CVD. I'd love to share my future experiences to you. My name is Sip, 24 years old and from Belgium. Last year I got accepted into a flight school. I passed all tests during the medical, except the Ishihara Test. After that I did the additional tests which I all failed: - CAD - Anomaloscopy - Farnsworth Lantern The AME told me that I can forget a medical class 1. As a result I received a medical class 2 with "Restriction Night Flying". My only option left would be to do an OCVT in the US. Since this is a childhood dream, I am prepared to do these extra tests and go all the way. I am a bit lost at the moment. Outside EASA everything is a bit unknown to me. I have read that a lot of people go to the US/NZ to do the OCVT (Operational Colour Vision Test). My question now is: Where can I start and who do I contact? I would love to hear from you. Let's open up the gate for CVD people to the aviation world, together! Kind regards, Sip
@Amirul Feissal it is great to hear from that who has taken the NZ OCVA. I personally would love to know more about it so I look forward to hearing more from you! Welcome on board.
We all know how "easy" and superficial drive licence medical assessments are, surely they're nothing close even to a class 2, it's shocking that a regulation like that is established in the first place.
Obviously they're not ICAO compliant (as they state) but the level of safety should be the same, at the end of the day flying over London is not any different from flying over Paris or a small town in Ireland.
This applies especially to hearth diseases, as they can go easily undetected even in a Class 1 examination, let's imagine what could happen in an aircraft. The asymmetry of the evaluation is evident.
Hey everyone let me know what you think about this.
In the UK and some other EASA states, they allow pilots to fly using a self-declared medical, which means you sign yourself as medically fit to fly up to PPL level aircraft less than 5700kg MTOM on the basis that you can drive.
But here's the interesting point :
It is valid for flying with the following operational conditions;
• With not more than three passengers on board;
• in aircraft with a Maximum Take-Off Mass (MTOM) of 5700kg or less
• In Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) or when exercising the privileges of an Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC)/Instrument Rating (Restricted). The privileges of a full Instrument Rating (IR) are not applicable.
• by day or night when exercising the privileges of a Night Rating provided that colour safety has previously been checked by an AME.
• PMDs are not valid outside of UK airspace, as it is not an internationally-recognised medical standard unless permission has been granted by the State of the airspace you are flying in.
So you could be technically flying up to 3 passengers at night or IMC conditions with heart conditions, eye conditions or all other sorts of things but a colour vision deficiency has to be checked by the CAD test with very restrictive pass marks ?!
What're your thoughts?
Hi everyone, this is the first video I have seen of a practical colour vision assessment , this is from the South African Aviation Authority. Now, this is 10x better than the CAD test, however, there are many issues with this test procedure as it focuses on colour naming- which is a pointless exercise in all the scenarios he received as a test subject, furthermore, the regulation format is terrible. Even if someone passed this test they would be restricted to flying only in South Africa and non commercially ! There seems to be no logic in this regulation. In Europe we need to use this as a bad example of introducing practical assessment(this is not what we want), we need to be following suit of the New Zealand and CASA approach , a real-world practical flight test is the way forward. Link is here to the regulation : www.caa.co.za/Avmed Amended Protocols/Colour Vision Protocol.pdf
Let me know what you think ?
Hi Jason this really is fantastic and very true ! It is amazing to have members like you that have such a great amount of experience and clearly show that 'lab based' CVD testing is discriminatory and wrong. I'm hoping we can push EASA and the UK to implement a practical assessment of CVD like in New Zealand, Australia etc. I have sent you an email today , I look forward to hearing from you . Thanks !!
Hi everyone,
I am an 11,000 hour airline pilot. I have flown Air New Zealand Dash 8’s, Saab340’s, Qantas B737-300/400 and 800’s, Air New Zealand A320, A320NEO and A321NEO. I have 5500 hours command on jet aircraft and 1000 hours Training Captain experience for Qantas on B737-800. I am Colour Deficient. It is so frustrating to see your regulator still have issues with this out dated draconian Restriction. if I can help in any way, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I fail Ishihara, Farnsworth Lantern, CAD. All of which are simply testing methods to establish if an individual is colour deficient. Not one of these tests can identify the safety of an airline pilot. I have never in my career as an airline pilot ever had an issue with colour deficiency. It’s a load of bullshit.
kind regards
Jason Hayes
jasonhayesnz@me.com