What to expect for a class 1 medical?

[sppl_James]

Hi my name is James, I am 19 and currently studying towards gaining my PPL with a burning ambition to one day acheive a ATPL.
At the moment my flying instructors are suggesting that I should go to Gatwick and try to get a Class 1 medical.

I really would like some advice on what to expect when I get there? How they do things? What they need to know? etc.

I dont think I should have any problems because I keep myself very fit.I dont smoke and drink very little.

Thanks for reading this far and for any replys I get

James.

[Final Destination]

Hi James, I went down to Gatwick last month for my class 1 medical and to be honest the people who work in the CAA are all really freindly (my experience anyway). All you have to do is phone them up asking to book an appointment for your class 1 medical. They will then send you out everything you need to know and take with you. Depending on where you stay I recommend going down the day before and having an early night then arrive about 20 minutes early.(don't do what I did, Travel down from glasgow to arrive at gatwick at 01.00am when your medical is at 08.30. I ended up sleeping in a chair at the airport for 5 hours and was absolutly shattered when under going the medical.) If you need anymore advice or want the information the CAA gave me just send me an e-mail and I will get the info for you.
Good Luck, FD

[FlameBoY]

heya james, i recently got my class 1 here in NZ, dont know how similar it is to where you are, but belive me.. they leave NOTHING untouched. Ya just get the complete work over.. hearing test, eye-sight test, ECG test, and a chest x-ray. After that's it's pee in this cup, blow into this tube, take your clothes off and jump up on the bed! (boxers still on.. although i dont know why, hands went south of the border anyway!).. speaking of which.. is that normal to get a testicular cancer check?
Anyway, they just test reflexes, and make sure you're not gammy or something. Cause you're youngish like me they didn't seem to worried about the smoking/drinking (yet).. but that's pretty much what to expect!
Easyass stuff, good luck with ya ATPL! :)

[Hap]

I had my Class 1 at Gatwick yesterday. It was all good fun really. It's pretty much as Flameboy and Final Destination have described. Apart from the tests mentioned by Flameboy, there's also an EEG which was great - I now know what my brain waves look like!

It took 4 hours including waiting around between tests.

This is a handy page - there are plenty of details there...
http://www.srg.caa.co.uk/pld/med/med_faq.asp

(edited to fix a major typo...)

[This message has been edited by Hap (edited 06 February 2001).]