Abstract:
The use of color in Electronic Flight Information System (EFIS) displays of modern commercial airliners has created an environment for pilots in which colour coding is used more extensively than previously. Therefore, more thorough diagnostic analysis of pilots color vision, before a full commercial license is granted, has been proposed. The aim of the experiments reported here is to determine whether a reliable battery of diagnostic colour vision tests is able to predict the colour naming performance of colour defective subjects when using Boeing 747-400 EFIS displays. Results show that observers with normal colour vision and those identified as having mild deuteranormaly made significantly fewer errors than those with other types of defective colour vision. As protanomals, protanopes and more severe deuteranomals can only be identified reliably with a battery of colour vision tests, we propose that the lantern test be supplemented by other tests for aircrew colour vision testing.