AVIATION COLOUR VISION STANDARDS A CVD Pilots Perspective Capt. - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

• Capt. John O’Brien

CVDPA Director

AVIATION COLOUR VISION STANDARDS

A CVD Pilot’s Perspective

“You’re colour blind. You’ll never be a commercial pilot.”

MY CAREER JOURNEY

• Grade 1 Flight Instructor (Multi Engine IFR + Night)
• Multi Engine Charter Pilot (Single Pilot IFR + Night)
• Regional Airline Senior Base Pilot
• Dash 8 Simulator Instructor
• Dash 8 Check and Training Captain
• CASA Flight Examiner (ATPL, IR, TR testing)
• Regional Airline Head of Training & Checking
• 7000 hours flight time

Operational Tests Passed > 60 (all first attempt) Clinical CVD Tests Passed = 0

OVERVIEW

• The ICAO CVD standard
• Colour usage in aviation
• The Australian CVD experience
• The future – where to from here?

“The applicant shall be required to demonstrate the ability to perceive readily those colours the perception of which is necessary for the safe performance of duties.”

(ICAO Annex 1, Chapter 6)

THE ICAO COLOUR VISION STANDARD

“The problem with colour vision standards for pilots and air traffic controllers is that there is very little information which shows the real, practical implications of colour vision defects on aviation safety.”

ICAO Manual of Civil Aviation Medicine 2012, Section 11.8.29

What else does ICAO say about CVD standards?

COLOUR IN THE COCKPIT

COLOUR IN THE COCKPIT

COLOUR IN THE COCKPIT

Colour Vision vs Visual Perception

What other cues does the brain use to process information?

• Brightness
• Movement

Colour Vision vs Visual Perception

What other cues does the brain use to process information?

• Brightness
• Movement
• Symbology

Colour Vision vs Visual Perception

What other cues does the brain use to process information?

• Brightness
• Movement
• Symbology
• Text

Colour Vision vs Visual Perception

What other cues does the brain use to process information?

• Brightness
• Movement
• Symbology
• Text
• Sound

Context is vital!

EFIS display in full colour EFIS display with 50% reduction in colour

JUDICIAL PROCESS: 3 Pivotal Independent Reviews

THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE: What does the evidence say?

• 1. 1987: DoA v Dr Arthur Pape

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• 2. 1989: CAA v Jonathan Denison

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• 3. 2015: CASA v John O’Brien

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THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE: What does the evidence say?

• 1. Arthur Marinus Pape and Secretary, Department of Aviation

(9 October 1987)

THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE: What does the evidence say?

• 2. Hugh Jonathan Denison and Civil Aviation Authority

(7 April 1989)

• Million dollar publicly funded test case.
• Hearings lasted over 35 days.
• The tribunal considered every conceivable use of colour

inside and outside the cockpit

• World’s largest independent examination of aviation

colour vision standards.

THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE: What does the evidence say?

• 2. Hugh Jonathan Denison and Civil Aviation Authority

(7 April 1989)

THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE: What does the evidence say?

• 3. John Gary O’Brien and Civil Aviation Safety Authority

(20 February 2015)

THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE: What does the evidence say?

• 3. John Gary O’Brien and Civil Aviation Safety Authority

(20 February 2015)

THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE: What does the evidence say?

• 3. John Gary O’Brien and Civil Aviation Safety Authority

(20 February 2015)

• “The information obtained by CASA from [CAD] testing of Mr O’Brien is

little more than that to which they were already aware, having had the diagnosis of protanopia confirmed in previous tests.”

• “With this pilot’s impeccable flying record one would have thought that

if Mr O’Brien had encountered difficulties, there would be a record of such.”

• “It is significant that in all of those years when many pilots with various

forms of CVD have flown there has been little research made available to us upon which that contention was based [increased safety risk].”

ATSB and CASA confirms: NOT A SINGLE RECORDED INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT by a CVD pilot in Australia.

THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE: What does the evidence say?

Evidence given to Senate Estimates Committee, November 2013

THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE:

What changed in 2014?

POST - 2014 PPL CPL NVFR No Restricted Yes Restricted Yes Yes IFR Yes No ATPL Yes* No

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PRE - 2014

THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE:

What changed in 2014?

THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE:

What changed in 2014?

Science or Prejudice?

Australian Society of Aerospace Medicine (ASAM) Annual Scientific Meeting Brisbane, Australia, September 2014

Science or Prejudice?

Science or Prejudice?

Science or Prejudice?

Science or Prejudice?

Do you know what we call opinion in the absence of evidence? We call it prejudice.

Michael Crichton

Science or Prejudice?

Left to Right: Dr Pooshan Navathe, Dr Dougal Watson, Dr Michael Drane

THE FUTURE: Where to from here?

The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations state that three levels of colour vision testing are available: CASR 67.150 (6): a. Ishihara Plate test b. Farnsworth Lantern test c. A test, determined by CASA, which simulates an operational situation

CLINCIAL TESTS

THE FUTURE: An operational test…

THE FUTURE: What test do CASA use that “simulates an operational situation” ?

Colour Assessment and Diagnosis (CAD) Test “CASA considers the creation of new aviation- specific tests (such as the CAD test) are better suited than the previously used practical tests for detecting colour vision deficiency due to their direct relevance to aviation specific tasks and aviation safety concepts.”

Evidence given to Senate Estimates Committee, February 2014

Prof John Barbur (CAD Test Inventor)

Evidence given at O’Brien AAT Hearing:

“The CAD system wasn’t designed specifically for aviation. It was designed for assessing colour vision, for detecting deficiency, both congenital as well as acquired, for quantifying the severity of colour vision loss, and for classifying accurately the class of colour deficiency involved. So from that point of view the CAD test, which is based on findings from camouflage studies some 25 years ago is an extremely good colour vision test and that’s as far as we go.” “…the CAD test was not intended in any way to use direct information on operational tasks.” “…that does not make the CAD an operational test.”

THE FUTURE: What should the testing regime be?

Start (Class 1 or 2) CVD Screening (Ishihara) CVD Clinical Diagnosis (Farnsworth or CAD) CASA Flight Test (Night, IFR, ATPL etc)

THE FUTURE: What about the NZ CAA Panel Report?

• CAA Director Graeme Harris and the

CAA Board have accepted the findings of the 2016 independent panel’s report.

• Restrictions such as no night flying and

no IFR flying will be removed from medical certificates.

• A collaborative approach between all aviation industry stakeholders

and the CAA is in progress for completion of the policy.

THE FUTURE: What about the NZ CAA Panel Report?

• Competency demonstrated by a CVD pilot in any CAA flight test,

rating issue or renewal will satisfy the required ICAO standard.

• Changes should be in place within approximately 6 months.
• Consequences will include Australian CVD pilots being eligible to

hold unrestricted NZ CPL and ATPL’s.

CONCLUSION

• Standards must be based on valid and compelling evidence.
• CASA should be proud of Australia’s experience over the past 25 years.
• The changes which occurred in 2014 need to be reversed and proper
• perational testing must be introduced to comply with the CASR’s.
• Australia can join New Zealand in becoming world leaders!