[Evaluation of current guidelines for flying capacity and internationally proposed revisions]

Despite several modifications of medical requirements for German flight personnel, these requirements have often been criticized by ophthalmologists because of their margins of interpretation. In many controversial cases regarding pilot licences, the final decision has to be made by the national aeromedical review board. The progress in ophthalmologic microsurgery, e.g. intraocular lens implantation and refractive surgery, has led to a certain insecurity among surgeons as to how to deal with these developments within the requirements. Besides, new cockpit designs with multiple colour displays have changed the demands on the pilot's visual system, especially with regard to colour perception. New European requirements which will probably become effective in 1994 are compared to the existing German standards.