Colour Vision

[sunnyblueskies]

FormerHorseGuard

What a story. Thank you for sharing this.

You said you did everything you wanted in the Military, except being a Pilot. Do you think your color deficiency ever put you or the people around you at risk during your service?

 

[FormerHorseGuard]

I never put anyone at risk, I was a paper pusher for most of it.

I think that in my trades being colour blind is not a real issue but in the hard core trades it might be an issuse.
Example reading about Soldiers in Nam popping smoke and having the chopper crew ID the pick up spot by colour and also having the ememy popping smoke to confuse the chopper crew. I might of had a problem giving the right colour of smoke over the radio I saw.

Loading ammo into a 105MM where the ammo is colour coded, could be a huge problem, wrong ammo, wrong effect on target.
Never been on board a ship underway  so the question of safety lights never came up.
I know looking at the video and still pictures of radar screens on aircraft keeping watch on the coasts, I would never been able to do that job as everything looks the exact same.

I think the whole colour vision rules comes down to the very simple fact, the CF does not want a mistake made that harms a person and to some extend equipment or puts a person at risk of harm ( and yes death) because they are making a guess on what they see. The wrong guess might not harm the colour blind guy when the guess is made, but weeks down the road that guessing of what  colour they saw turns out to be wrong and the barrel is more worn than thought or the wrong wire is replace and it causes a malfunction, people get hurt. They want to take the guess work out the picture and lessen the burden of guilt.
I know you want to be a trade that  requires better CV than you have, find a trade that  allows you  to be a member of the CF that  you  will be able to do and give all attention and enjoy your time in the CF doing.

 

[medicineman]

Medical standards for vision and colour vision aren't purely medically generated - they're more often operator driven, based on what they feel is the safest bottom line profile to do the job...they do it daily, they they know what has to be worried about.  The powers that be in the EME world decided that the minimum CV Cat of X was the safest bare minimum, so that's what they went with.

MM

 

[eaprice]

I have a slight colour blindness that does not affect me in everyday life. Can anybody talk more about the tests they use for this? I am able to pass the Farnsworth D-15 (arrange the colours/shades in the correct order) but I cannot pass the Ishihara Plates.

I am very interested in becoming a pilot but I understand it is a long, exhausting process. Don't want to waste my time just to get to the end and realize that I can't do it.

Thanks!

 

[dapaterson]

According to the medical standards for the CAF, pilots must reach the standard for "Colour Vision - 2", which is defined as:

CV2 – Abnormal Colour Vision (Minor defects) – CV Safe
Fail Colour plates
Pass Farnsworth D-15 Standard test

Thus, not being an expert, my impression is that you meet that standard.


Refs: Medical Standards: http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/about-policies-standards-medical-occupations/index.page
Colour Vision standard: http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/about-policies-standards-medical-occupations/cf-colour-vision-testing-instructions.page
Officer/NCM Medical standards: http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/about-policies-standards-medical-occupations/officer-ncm-minimum-medical-standards.page

 

[eaprice]

According to the medical standards for the CAF, pilots must reach the standard for "Colour Vision - 2", which is defined as:

CV2 – Abnormal Colour Vision (Minor defects) – CV Safe
Fail Colour plates
Pass Farnsworth D-15 Standard test

Thus, not being an expert, my impression is that you meet that standard.

Thank you!!!

 

[Loachman]

You would not "get to the end and realize that I can't do it" (for this reason, at least), as you would have to be declared medically fit prior to being accepted as a Pilot applicant.

There are many threads here on this fine Site that discuss matters relevant to you and your application. I suggest that you begin exploring.

 

[FSTG]

Hello guys,

Been a couple weeks i really look in this forum since i applied as a Pilot two months ago. Doing my CFAT next week. I have read everything on colorblindness but i dont understand the "lantern test can only be conducted as secondary test by aircrew applicants".

Before doing my official medical test with the CF i wanted to clarifiy this. I can't pass the ishihara color plates, at all. I pass every other color test easily, including the lantern test, so i'm technically not G/R deficient. If i am an aircrew applicant and take the secondary test (lanterns) and pass it, does that mean i can still be CV1 ? (i've read that its possible to fail the ishihara plates for other reason than colorblindness, even tho its really rare).

I heard CV2 can't do night missions and they are rarely accepted as pilots even if they meet the standards. 

 

[sarahsmom]

If you refer to this page:
http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/about-policies-standards-medical-occupations/cf-colour-vision-testing-instructions.page

you can see that the only way to be declared CV1 is to pass the colour plates. CV2 means you failed the plates but passed the Farnsworth. CV3 means you fail both.

Paragraph 4 of the General section further states: "Assessment of colour vision by either the Holmes-Wright or Farnsworth perception lanterns will only be conducted at CFEME Ophthalmology Dept for selected MOSIDs. The colour lanterns are no longer used as secondary tests for those who fail the colour plates, except for aircrew applicants."

Pilot is CV2.

 

[army.bread]

Hello, I would like to know what kind of CV I need in order to be a pilot in the RCAF, I’m not sure if I am CV2 or CV3. Thanks, for your answers.

 

[211RadOp]

CV2

http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/about-policies-standards-medical-occupations/officer-ncm-minimum-medical-standards.page

 

[dshishir42]

Hey everyone, I recently completed my CFAT and TSD for DEO regular position for EME/AERE/NCSE (Three Preferences in this order). I talked to the recruiter, and he said my scores are fine for any officer position, and I am about to graduate with my degree in Chemical Engineering in April, 2020. I am physically in great shape, and have a 20/20 vision. I have couple years of engineering management experience, and I feel that I would fare well for these positions based on my GPA, experience, and my interests. I was browsing the next steps in the application process, and I saw that there is a color vision test in the medical. I read the various posts in this forum, and I saw that with a CV3 color vision, I may be out of luck joining the forces in my trade. I know I am CV3 color blind, as when I did my PPL (Private Pilot's License), and I couldnt pass the Ishihara Test, or the Farnsworth D-15 Standard test (My PPL is "Valid daylight only, 2-way radio required at controlled airports"). I am wondering if anyone is familiar with color vision requirement for engineering officer roles (particularly EME/AERE/NCSE). As the recruitment centers are closed because of COVID19, I couldnt reach my recruiter. I browsed the forum, and I saw the following post from Eye In The Sky:

I just pulled up

A-PD-055-002/PP-002 COMM RSCH MOSID 00120, CANADIAN FORCES MANUAL OF MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL STRUCTURE VOLUME 2 PART 2 JOB BASED OCCUPATIONAL SPECIFICATION (JBOS) for COMMUNICATOR RESEARCH. 

Section 1 - General, Special Requirements Para 13 states:

13. This information was verified as correct at the time of publication but may have been subsequently amended. Any questions or suggested changes should be addressed to the OPI with DPCA and DPGP as information addressees.
a. Medical Standards.  CF Medical standards are detailed in A-MD-154-000/FP-000.  The minimum Medical standard for assignment to the COMM RSCH occupation is:

OCC             V CV H G O A
COMM RSCH 4 3 2 3 3 5

OPI - D Med Svcs
NOTE: The Medical standard shown is for initial assignment to the COMM RSCH occupation.  Experienced personnel who have their medical category lowered will be considered for retention, occupational transfer or released by a Career Review Board (Medical) IAW CFAO 34-26.

I have no way to verify if the Med Cat info for Comm Research was changed, but the copy I just pulled off the IntraNet was amended 01 Aug 06.

Maybe a CFRC staff type or someone in the MOC can verify an amendment post-Aug 06.

However, I couldnt locate the A-MD-154-000/FP-000 file, where I could track the color vision requirements for my trade. If anybody has an idea of the color vision requirement, I would greatly appreciate the info.

 

[mariomike]

For reference to the discussion,

Colour Vision 
https://army.ca/forums/threads/13110.75
4 pages.

 

[PuckChaser]

For reference to the discussion,

Colour Vision 
https://army.ca/forums/threads/13110.75
4 pages.

Last post on that link has the minimum medical standards for every occupation in the CAF. I looked quickly, if you're actually a CV3 you'd be out of luck for AERE but EME and NCSE allow CV3.

 

[dshishir42]

Ah, blessed! Thank you PuckChaser and mariomike. The link has all the information that I need. Haha, I was starting to get a bit worried that I wouldnt make it.

 

[mariomike]

Thank you PuckChaser and mariomike. The link has all the information that I need.

You are welcome. Good luck. 

 

[Winds]

The Minimum Medical Standards by trade, along with most of the CAF's administrative policies, can be found on Canada.ca

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/policies-standards/medical-standards-military-occupations/minimum-medical-standards-for-officers-and-non-commissioned-members.html

Also, if you download the "Canadian Forces" App, there is a 'Resources' section with links to the various areas of interest (pay, benefits, CANFORGENS, support services, etc.).