Currency while epilepsy stabilises?

[chrisN]

A friend called me yesterday - a retired GP who flies gliders and drives - that he has been grounded from both for a year, having been diagnosed as having a mild form of epilepsy, apparently due to a congenital condition which has only manifested itself with age. It is now controlled with a drug (dunno what) which he says he prescribed in his GP days similarly.

I know that controlled epileptics can drive again, and at least one was cleared for flying gliders as P1. This chap won't even fly P2 in a tandem 2-seater, in case P1 can't tell if he has dozed off or whatever.

He should know, but I wonder if he is being over cautious.

I would certainly have doubts about letting such an ageing pilot back as P1 after a year total loss of currency - the physical skills might come back, but all that I have read and seen suggests that mental skills - judgement, anticipation, etc., fade fast and come back only slowly if at all.

Any informed views on such matters - the not even P2 currency thing, not the epilepsy/12 months issue (I have looked at the CAA guidance - http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/49/SRG_Med-NPPL_epilepsy.pdf - and seen the time issue there - though not always 12 months, it seems)?

Chris N.

[got caught]

but all that I have read and seen suggests that mental skills - judgement, anticipation, etc., fade fast and come back only slowly if at all.

Hi ChrisN, I'm not sure if this is always true, it would depend on the reason behind your friends symptoms.

I guess the "dozed off" question would depend on how the epilepsy manifests itself in the cockpit- epileptic symptoms can range from mild vagueness, to fully blown seizures, which can appear quite frightening to those around the person. Would P1 be able to cope in these circumstances.

There is also some evidence to suggest that seizure threshold is lowered by certain factors, including tiredness, alcohol and stress. I've never had the pleasure of gliding in a fixed wing a/c but I guess its as stressful as the pressures involved with most flying.

I wonder if your friend's "wait and see" strategy is indeed the best solution.

Happy flying.:cool: