You can't become a pilot if you're colourblind. Or can you…?

Written by James, Pooleys Ambassador

"You can't become a pilot if you're colourblind." I first heard words like these as a teenager, and for years I believed them. The problem was, they weren't entirely true. This is a statement and question I've asked myself countless times over the last 20 years, and more recently it is a question I am asked almost weekly by aspiring pilots across the world.

Can you become a pilot if you're colourblind?

It's a topic that very few people really know the answer to, and even I don't claim to know everything about what it takes to become a pilot if you're colourblind. The reality is that colour blindness varies greatly from person to person, so your experience is almost always unique to someone else who is colourblind. Whether you're colourblind or not, I think this is something we should all have a greater understanding of, particularly within aviation.

Before we delve deeper, let me give you a little background about me. I'm James. I'm married, have a four year old running around, another baby on the way, a busy day job, and a love for aviation that has never gone away.

Oh, and I'm colourblind.

In my case, I have red green colour vision deficiency, the most common form of colour blindness. But here's something you might not know: colour blindness is normal. Around 1 in 12 men are colourblind (although only around 1 in 200 women). Next time you're down at your local flying club, assuming there are more than 12 men there, chances are at least one of them is colourblind.

For most of life, that isn't a problem. In aviation, however, things become a little more complicated.

So, let's unpack the question: can you become a pilot if you're colourblind?

Defining "Pilot"

To the next generation of aviation enthusiasts coming up, becoming a pilot often means no less than flying an Airbus A320 from Belfast to London every day. But if you're reading this, you may already appreciate that aviation is far bigger than that. Whether you're flying a glider, flexwing microlight, helicopter, Cessna 172, vintage taildragger, or an Airbus A380, if you're at the controls of something in the sky, you're a pilot.

Well, here's the good news.

There are no red green colour vision restrictions to obtaining a UK CAA Class 2 Medical. If you are colourblind, you can obtain a Private Pilot Licence.

You can become a pilot.

I am colourblind, and I gained my PPL back in 2012. At one point I never thought that would be possible, but it was. I simply needed to speak to the right people and understand what options were available.

Let's leave it there. End the article with a resounding yes, you can become a pilot if you're colourblind.

Maybe not quite.

What if you want to become an airline pilot?

Why Does Colour Vision Matter?

Before we go any further, it's worth acknowledging that colour vision standards exist for a reason.

Pilots need to accurately identify navigation lights, warning lights, approach lighting systems, charts, displays and cockpit indications. Aviation is built around safety, and colour vision testing plays an important role in ensuring pilots can safely interpret critical information. The challenge isn't whether someone is colourblind. The challenge is determining whether their level of colour vision deficiency affects their ability to operate safely.

The Airline Pilot Question

This is where it genuinely does get a little trickier.

Ten years ago, if you had asked me whether a colourblind person could become an airline pilot, I probably would have told you it was impossible.

Today, science has your back.

New assessments such as the Colour Assessment and Diagnosis (CAD) test have been developed. The CAD test is one of the most advanced and widely accepted colour vision assessments available today. It allows specialists not only to identify colour vision deficiency, but also to measure its severity. In simple terms, if your colour vision deficiency is severe, the answer may still be no. However, if your colour blindness is mild enough, you may meet the threshold required to obtain an unrestricted UK Class 1 Medical.

According to the CAA, the CAD test is considered passed if the threshold is less than 6 SU for deutan deficiency, or less than 12 SU for protan deficiency. A threshold greater than 2 SU for tritan deficiency indicates an acquired cause that should be investigated.

The technical details can seem overwhelming, but the important takeaway is simple: being colourblind is not automatically the end of the road. If you are colourblind and considering a career in aviation, speak to an Aeromedical Examiner and explore every available option before ruling yourself out.

So many people assume that failing an Ishihara test means their dream is over.

My advice? Keep going.

Complete every assessment available to you. Explore every avenue. Rule out the options properly and, at the very least, you'll know you gave yourself every possible opportunity. For over ten years I flew happily with my PPL, assuming the airline dream had long since passed me by.

Then one day I sat the CAD test.

At this point I'd love to finish the article with a textbook Hollywood ending and tell you how I passed the CAD test and flew off into the sunset.

Sadly, that's not what happened.

I failed.

But for me, there was still value in knowing. I finally understood what was and wasn't possible. I can still obtain a Class 2 Medical. In fact, I can still obtain a restricted Class 1 Medical which could allow certain types of limited commercial flying.

The result wasn't what I had hoped for, but it gave me clarity.

So, Can You Become a Pilot If You're Colourblind?

Absolutely.

I'm colourblind.

I'm a pilot.

If you're colourblind, you can be a pilot too.

It might even mean you can become an airline pilot. It might not. But even if that particular door closes, there are countless other opportunities waiting for you in aviation.

For many of us, aviation isn't simply a career. It's a passion, a community, and a lifelong pursuit.

As I mentioned at the start, I have a wonderful family, a nine to five job that I genuinely enjoy, and weekends that often involve flying.

Colour blindness never stopped me.

If you're not colourblind, I hope this article helps you better understand the challenges faced by those who are. And trust me, there are more colourblind people around you than you probably realise.

If you are colourblind, don't let it stop you pursuing your ambitions.

Colour blindness may close some doors. For some people, it may even close the airline door. But it doesn't have to close the aviation door. I may never fly an Airbus for a living, but I've spent more than a decade flying aircraft, sharing aviation with others, and doing something I once thought would be impossible.

I'm colourblind.

I'm a pilot.

And if you're colourblind too, there's every chance you can be one as well.