Worth watching before your next physical.

http://www.faa.gov/tv/?mediaId=1029

"For instance, the doctor enters the exam room to find the patient sleeping, or suffering periods of prolonged apnea. In these cases, the pilot should be deferred."

She didn't go into the full history of increased medical scrutiny. We older pilots remember when our AMEs were first required to computerize the exam. Those who would not do so were fired. My AME, back then, quit. He said that once you were entered in the computer, any problem that came up, regardless of cause, would require him to start the pilot on the waiver application. He said he was the doctor and that he would not disqualify pilots for having the flew or anything that came up after starting the exam (entering you in the computer).

Many AMEs ask pilots to discuss their present health prior to entering them in the computer. The FAA does not like this approach. Waivers take a long time and cost a lot of money and give the agency considerably more power over the process.

This lady is telling AMEs that not enough pilots are being put through the waiver process for any suspicion of sleep apnea.

She is saying, as always, "We are here to help."

Young pilots, you are getting older every day. Remember, you do not have the right to remain silent and you do not have the right to bring your own physician or aviation lawyer to the exam. It might be best to see your family physician prior to any flight physical. Also, meybe your aviation lawyer. It is the world you live in.

Zzz wrote:"For instance, the doctor enters the exam room to find the patient sleeping, or suffering periods of prolonged apnea. In these cases, the pilot should be deferred."

This, of course, could be caused by the lame selection of outdated magazines in my AME's waiting room.

If you get caught sleeping on the AME's couch just tell him that Pilots and Super Hero's never sleep, they just take small power naps for rejuvenation and that he just happened to catch you in a rejuvenation cycle.

Zzz wrote:"For instance, the doctor enters the exam room to find the patient sleeping, or suffering periods of prolonged apnea. In these cases, the pilot should be deferred."

If the AME enters and finds the patient sleeping, doesn't that really just mean that he's a junior FO at a regional airline?

(IOW, It would be easier to take the sleep apnea discussion seriously if work rules for people flying dozens or hundreds of people didn't seem to be designed by scientists doing longitudinal studies on sleep deprivation)

FYI the AME must now enter a response to this page when entering the exam.

When entering the height and weight, your BMI is automatically calculated. If you are 5'11 and a half inches, better to round up rather than down if your BMI is in the borderline....

contactflying wrote:We older pilots remember when our AMEs were first required to computerize the exam.

This has caused a lot of trouble. I have to spend A LOT of time explaining why I checked the box for hay fever on my first physical at age 15. And that yes, I had checked the box for headaches at age 17. And so on. What kid hasn't had allergies at one point? Or a headache? I was a kid, and I was *being honest*.

Some AME's since computerization have given me clear advice- say absolutely nothing.

Doesn't help the system, but then again, my first third class consisted of a reflex test, a color blindness and basic elementary school "E" vision test, a hearing test, and the doctor (a DO) dipped his finger in my urine cup to test for sugars etc. A hernia test too (I'd love to hear stories of how hernias brought down countless planes from the skies). Very weird and almost pointless.

Is flight safety really improved for the dollar spent by screening for apnea on 3rd class tickets? Compared to spending money on BFR training or other area?

No! Safety is not improved. Budgets and empires get larger; more bureaucrats are hired. Follow the money. "That government governs best which governs least." Abe Lincoln said that. He was a politician, but then he actually was honest.

As a medical provider that does a lot of DML exams, I have my staff remind patients to get plenty of rest and fluids before coming in for their exam, and if they have any concern about BP, vision, hearing to go to their family doc before getting their exam. Since it is now computerized, it follows you forever. Gone are the days when you could fail an exam, go down the road and get another and be good-to-go.

As Lesth

contactflying wrote:No! Safety is not improved. Budgets and empires get larger; more bureaucrats are hired. Follow the money. "That government governs best which governs least." Abe Lincoln said that. He was a politician, but then he actually was honest.

Exactly right, no evidence whatsoever that these screenings improve safety, just more intrusion and bureaucracy.

lesuther wrote:and the doctor (a DO) dipped his finger in my urine cup to test for sugars etc.

Did he... umm.... taste it?

That's how they used to do it.

When I was with the 635th Assault Helicopter Company (Army) at Whiteman AFB, all of us with April birthdays would fly a M-Model Huey over to Ft. Leonard Wood for our annual flight physicals. One of the full time instructors, CW3 Mike Henry, once took apple juice into the bathroom in his whiskey flask. Back then everyone could just stand around while the nurse did the little lookie test on all the urine cups. She got a strange look on her face and said there was something wrong with Mike's. He picked up the cup, drank it, and said, "I'll just recycle it and try again."

The CO, also an April physical, and I gave Mike a hard time about trying that too often. What if she were to figure him out and switch?

rw2 wrote:

Zzz wrote:"For instance, the doctor enters the exam room to find the patient sleeping, or suffering periods of prolonged apnea. In these cases, the pilot should be deferred."

If the AME enters and finds the patient sleeping, doesn't that really just mean that he's a junior FO at a regional airline?

(IOW, It would be easier to take the sleep apnea discussion seriously if work rules for people flying dozens or hundreds of people didn't seem to be designed by scientists doing longitudinal studies on sleep deprivation)

The pilot could also be a cargo pilot. The FAA has determined we don't need the rest requirements that the pax haulers now have. Moot point, everybody in my company is always tired. Young, old and in between doesn't matter on 10 to 14 hour legs.

Zzz wrote:Did he... umm.... taste it?

Twice.

I'm so happy I fly LSA.

Those of you who don't, should hope and pray for the legislation to pass congress to eliminate the Class III medicals. Keep writing and calling your reps every month, week or day until this passes.

(If the president will sign it, is another question. The idea of him signing something which limits government is hardly believable to me.)