Merged: Employment Medical at Tiger, Jetstar and Virgin Blue?
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Newcastle
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RAAF and colour vison
However, do you have any experience with RAAF selection and these issues?
I know the RAAF used the FALANT in the 1990s but I don't know what procedure they use now. Rumour says that it depends a lot on whether they feel short of pilots at the time
.The current RAAF fighter is the F/A-18, and their current maritime patrol aircraft is the Orion. These were designed for the US Navy. The US Navy uses the FALANT, so it would be difficult for the RAAF to argue in court that a pilot who can pass that test can't fly those two planes.
Their other planes were all designed for the US Air Force. At the time they were developed (pre-1990) the US Air Force used the FALANT, so again it would be hard for the RAAF to argue that a pilot who can pass the FALANT can't fly those planes.
The problem you may have is that the USAF dropped the FALANT during the downsizing after the Berlin Wall crumbled. The FALANT was developed for the US Navy and the USAF suffers from acute 'not-invented-here' syndrome
. The RAAF will unfortunately use the F-35A currently under development for the USAF. This aircraft's cockpit is being designed on the assumption that the pilot has normal colour vision
. I suspect that the tactical display on the F-35A's Multi Function Display will include many colours for different units (friendly aircraft, friendly SAMs, Friendly AAA, unidentified aircraft, neutral aircraft, hostile aircraft, hostile SAMs, hostile AAA, friendly ships, neutral ships, unidentified ships, hostile ships.......etc etc etc.) If this does indeed happen then a pilot without normal colour vision will be unable to fly and fight in that plane without risking firing on neutral or even friendly units. So I think the days of pilots without perfect colour vision flying western fighters may be coming to a close
.This problem is unlikely to happen in civil aviation. If a civil aircraft can't be flown safely by a pilot who's colour vision just meets the American standard (the FALANT), then that plane is unairworthy in the United States and must be modified accordingly, at the manufacturer's expense
. This rule doesn't apply to military aircraft.Best of luck!
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Join Date: Apr 1999
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Jetstar Pilot Pre-employment Blood Test
Anyone know if Jetstar do a pre-employment blood test for pilots? If so, what do they screen for? (Eg: Blood Lipids, Liver Function, HIV, etc etc). Answers on a postcard or feel free to PM me. Cheers, PG
Join Date: Nov 1999
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You have to do a Urine drugs test at an approved centre and if Australian based also a Breathalizer test for alcohol. Thats it! No blood tests or even medical questionaires assuming you have a clean class one medical.
