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Cat 1 Medical


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The Cat 1 medical is a very simple process, and once you've done one you'll see why we are all teasing you here, stop worrying about machines etc.

Ask local pilots about local doctors......some are really thorough, some casual. Local pilots will send you to a good one. Mine is very pro-active....anytime he sees something slightly irregular, he checks it out with a cross-test to satisfy himself, and especially to mollify the poohbahs in Ottawa that love to ring alarm bells unnecessarily when they read his report.

 

If you FAIL a test it will be for a very clear and obvious reason, and subsequently you should not be flying.

I have known a few pilots that failed. They were all out-of-shape and had to follow an exercise routine to get back into the shape they should have been in in the first place, (they were all re-certified).

I have known of multi-fatality accidents that were suspected to be caused by pilot health problems....but these guys all had passed Medicals within the last 6 months.

 

Consider the forced Medical as a blessing......look at many people you know, or used to know, that could benefit from a Doctor checking them over occaisionally.

Yes, losing your medical can be frickin' inconvenient, especially to a guy in his 50s with 15,000 hours and no other job skills !!! But the Doc is pulling your licence for a very clear reason. The best way to avoid it is keep yourself in good health.....you don't have to run 30 miles a week......just go for a walk once in a while and take it easy on the greasy food.

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IF the medical is pulled for a valid reason and based on the experitise of the Regional Medical Office, then "Yes" that is what should happen for the safety of all concerned. Problem is, that they decide to pull a license based on THEIR knowledge and that knowledge may not be in an area of specialization for them. THAT is why the Appeal Board was instituted.

 

I happen to have been a witness in two cases already and the medicals in question were pulled for diabetes. Reason for the appeal? Two Regional Aviation doctors did not agree with the blood sugar levels of the pilots concerned. They disputed the Canadian Diabetes Association, 5 diabetic Specialists with a total of 150 yrs of practice, one of their local certified medical examiners and the Diabetic Department of a two major hospitals. It was found out during the hearing that two of the Aviation Medical doctors involved didn't even agree with one another. The result? In both cases they were laughed out of the hearing literally and the one pilot with Type 2 still has great numbers all around and the other has Type 1 and was considered fit to fly.....a "heavy" in Eastern Canada. Do those two Doctors still hold down their positions and occupy their seats to continue judgement?........you bet they do.

 

I'm lucky because my CAME has an extensive background in aviation medicine with the Air Force and I get "the whole 9 yards".....no mercy given, including using "tuning forks". It was he that warned me not to have fillings done on my teeth by just any old dentist. He explained why and since that date many years ago, I ceased to have problems with fillings. My regular Doctor didn't know that and why should he....aviation medicine is not his "specialty" or training.

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Albert -----no I don't, but I do a simple thing that I never did long ago. The first thing I do is advise the dentist that I'm a pilot and ask him make sure he takes note of that when he doing the filling. If he says that "a filling is a filling and I do them all the same", then I look for the exit. The ones that know that I'm talking about will say something like "Duly noted and I'll take extra care". Finding a dentist 500 miles north of Bumfu*k, SK isn't easy. :lol:

 

Have a shot of single malt Scotch for me at Christmas(two fingers).......even if you don't like it.....ice only by the way.........and have a happy and safe one. :D

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you all make some really good points as to not volunteering any extra info, but you have to be honest with yourself too...

 

when i had my stroke in march of '93, i reported it and lost my cat 3... and for good reason!! i still experience trouble with my balance and vertigo at times and even for a fun driver like myself, that was reason enough to accept that i had to ground myself 1st and face the facts...

 

i still don't know if i will recover enough to ever fly as a ppl holder again... could be that all i will have are some great memories and be able to say i used to be a private pilot...

 

if YOU know of any reason you should not be flying, don't try and hide it regardless of what level you drive at...

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I'm lucky because my CAME has an extensive background in aviation medicine with the Air Force and I get "the whole 9 yards".....no mercy given, including using "tuning forks". It was he that warned me not to have fillings done on my teeth by just any old dentist. He explained why and since that date many years ago, I ceased to have problems with fillings. My regular Doctor didn't know that and why should he....aviation medicine is not his "specialty" or training.

 

You've piqued my interest Cap, what's so special about fillings for pilots ? I could understand fighter pilots who undergo large variations in altitude and G-forces, but us helo pilots ? Educate me please !

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Do those two Doctors still hold down their positions and occupy their seats to continue judgement?........you bet they do.

 

And therein lies the hypocrisy with wich we are goverened by these parasites.

 

Regardless of their actions there is zero accountability on their part ( any TC official ).

 

On a moral judgement level I personally put them just marginally above child molesters, and do my best to have as little contact with their ilk as humanly possible.

 

Chas W.

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So you DID slap him!

Thanks fellas

 

I am curious about the filling thing too... I had a poor filling done which resulted in a $900 swipe of the debit card. Hard when you are a saving your *** off.

Oh yeah and my Ex is with a dentist now. I hate Dentists!

Let's hear it Cap!

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twin_star ------THAT's not the info I'm referring to about not volunteering. Unless somebody has a 'sucide complex', then they are scared and nervous and are going to volunteer it anyway.

 

Skidz ------- even though you aren't powering through the sky at great altiudes, a filling that would suffice for 'Joe Citizen' MAY cause you problems even at the altitudes that you work at. I refer now to the fact that not everybody is a 'lowland pilot'. If care is not taken when a filling is put in, there may well be tiny air bubbles in the filling from not being compacted enough by the dentist. Over time, sometimes a short period and sometimes slightly longer, these fillings can come loose........and I trust I don't have to explain why the tiny air bubbles would cause the problem. Advising the dentist will let hom know that he better be paticularly careful with what he is doing or he's going to cause you problems and himself too, when you show up and get in his face. Some dentists don't realize the significance of that and in which case 'caveat emptor' my friend. I speak from personal experience ans queried my CAME about it. He advised what the prblem probably was becasue they had to be careful of that in the Air Force. H e directed me to a particular group of dentists and said I shopu;ld ask them further questions. They were he ones that filled me in with all this info and my problems ceased from that point onwards. It isn't that dentists are stupid or incapable.......it's that the majority will take that extra care because they realize the potential problems and why....but they won't necessarily take that 'extra care' if YOU don't tell them what you do.

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