What happens in the Class 2 Medical?

[theapplepie]

I have already read this page btw, before you link me to Google :P

Initial JAR Class 2 (Private Pilot) Medical Examination | Medical | Safety Regulation (http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=49&pagetype=90&pageid=528)

However, I'm still paranoid about what they'll make me do. I'm incredibly sensitive even about just taking my shirt off (there's a tangible reason for this I won't go in to) so in order to escape any nasty surprises can anyone outline exactly what happens during the medical? I hear they'd want to look at your genitals is well?

Sorry for the rather awkward question. :8

[JOE-FBS]

I've had two of these medicals so far. They involved disrobing down to underpants but no further.

My AME has a notice reminding candidates that they can have a chaperone present.

[BEagle]

See Initial JAR Class 2 (Private Pilot) Medical Examination | Medical | Safety Regulation (http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=49&pagetype=90&pageid=528)

If the idea of removing your shirt may cause you anxiety, it would be sensible to mention it to the AME in advance. He/she is, as a doctor, bound by the oath applicable to his/her profession and will discuss any issue with you in the strictest confidence. The doctor is only checking that you're fit to fly, not judging a beauty contest.

A chap I once knew had the misfortune to be born as a 'blue baby' and had needed some pretty serious surgery to correct matters. This left him with an enormous scar (legacy of the sawbones we had in those days!). He never mentioned it when he met a new doctor - until he took his shirt off which invariably aroused the quack's professional curiousity. He developed a wide range of inventive tales of explanation, including wrestling with sharks, playing with his pet crocodile and fighting hillbillies with chain saws!

So try not to worry - and in any case, most of the horny-handed old nut-grabbers know that pilots have a deep, instinctive but rather unwarranted distrust of them!

[S-Works]

I'm incredibly sensitive even about just taking my shirt off (there's a tangible reason for this I won't go in to)

You cant tease us with that one. These are anonymous forums...... ;)

[Ds3]

Just had mine so fairly well versed on the procedure:

Eye tests - check squint etc, along with the usual short and long range sight.
Blood pressure - usual cuff on the arm
Diabetes - pee in a cup!
Haemoglobin - pin in the finger to test a blood sample
ECG - shirt off for this I'm afraid, sticky pads in various places then linked to the machine that reads your heart beat.
Liver - push down on the area while you breathe in and out
Forms - various to complete and sign, health, family health and history, hospital visits etc etc.

Think that's about it. Didn't have to strip to underpants though, glad I didn't go to JOE-FBS's AME :rolleyes:

[Morris542]

The most distressing part is paying for it all...

[IO540]

The also check if your g00lies hang down within 5mm of each other.

On a Class 1 medical the limit is 2.5mm.

Females are exempted from this requirement, but only on renewal medicals.

Don't knock the CAA; they know best what is relevant to aviation safety.

[englishal]

Mine doesn't, maybe yours just fancies you :}

[Milton1995]

Im going to get mine done on monday, and, after reading the comment about the 5mm hanging 'g00lies' I'm not really comfortable with a guy with his tape measure down below.
Does this happen on every medical :(

M1995.

[The500man]

They don't actually measure (I don't think, I may have mentally blocked that bit out though), they just make sure they are attached. They do this by giving them a firm tug! ;)

[Ds3]

Yup afraid so. They also check shape and size so it all gets very intimate...





:rolleyes:

[jxc]

Then there is violation bit they do just like family guy !

Seriously now I have had class 2 and a class 1 (Gatwick) and don't remember having my balls grabbed or taking of trousers and definitely did not have no finger up the bum !:=
Had to take shirt off for ecg
pee in a cup and the doctor does not watch

All very harmless

[stewmath]

I heard they check your prostate by sticking a finger in your bum

[patowalker]

They do, but only if you pay extra.

[salmabambi]

Enough of the nonsence ..... its a medical not a perv's day out.

Class 2 medical ----

You will be asked to pee in private on a stick to check for diabetes and any kidney problems..... 4 different tests are on the one stick. You will have a standard eye test for short / long sight ... with without glasses if you need them. Your eyes will also be checked for colour correctness ..... you must read coloured numbers from a card with different coloured spots, you will be weighed and your height messured. You will be asked to fill a form on your and your immediate family medical history ... any heart conditions .. drug use.. mental illnesss ... do you smoke ... are you on any medication ... suffer dizziness .. etc etc. If you are over 55 years of age ( i think ) you will require an ECG. For this you will need to have electrodes placed on your chest, arms and legs and remain still for a moment while it is recorded. I can only speak for men ... but this is done while stripped to underpants and while laying on a standard Doctors surgery type bed. Also for men .... you will be required to turn and cough ... to ensure all's well with the undercarrage !!! -- this is done outside of your underpants and certainly not intrusive. You will certainly not have anything placed in your bum !!! . For some reason you will be asked the approx number of hours you have flown in the last year. .... hey it's the CAA !!!
Thats about it. Look upon as it as a good thing. For most this is the only medical you will have in a year or two - depending on age .... so make the most of it -- afterall you are having your health checked in a reasonably thorough manner. --- surley a good thing if not only for your flying.:8

And remember that when on these forums that some of the replies are from ACTUAL pilots !!!!.

I was always impressed by a work mate who used to " fly" 2 - 3 times a week for a couple of hours at a time and was an enthusiastic contributer to this forum ...... he used to say " I'm off flying tonight " to anyone who would listen ... made my flying a couple of hours a month in an Arrow look feeble !!! ---- until after some months it dawned on me that he was flying radio controlled models !!!!!!! .:ugh::ugh::ugh:

[Ds3]

I'm 32 and had the ECG - no record of any heart problem so presume it was standard procedure.

No stripping to underpants though just shirt off, and definitely no checking of the undercarriage. Can't see why they would do that - they're looking for things that may affect you when flying so it's not really related?

It does cost a lot of money, but as you say it's good to have a fairly comprehensive health check regardless of the flying aspect.

[IO540]

It's fun to see how much one can write without a smiley and how many take it seriously :)

They do check your goolies but I think it is just a test for a hernia (they ask you to cough at the same time) though I can't remember whether this was in the CAA or the FAA medical; I have a Class 1 of each. Class 2, maybe not.

ECG is pretty standard, unless one is "very young" which in GA means under 80 :)

[WILCO.XMG]

im getting this done on satueday so i little bit interested.

i am diagnosed with mild asthma although ive never had an attack and havent used an inhaler since my early teens.

what should i do?

[The500man]

what should i do?


Spin round three times, shake your fist in the air, and then spit? :)

Seriously, for a class 2 I don't think you will have a problem, but you'll find out for sure when you go!

[ozbeck]

What amazes me about these replies is the fact that there are any differences at all between the experiences. I would have thought that the routine was very, very, tightly controlled.

The doctor I go to does do a check of my testicles but I have never read a chart with coloured spots.

It does cost a packet of dosh, but the upside is that once a year (for me) I have a pretty good medical going over that could throw up early symptoms of something nasty.

My doctor has an excellent sense of humour which makes the experience not so bad. When I first went (many years ago) the ECG involved a whole raft of wires attached to a mechanical printer with a chart. One year it changed to a few neat wires attached to a PC - no buzzing noises and a lot faster. When I commented that there wern't many wires and buzzes the doctor just said 'Oh well, of course I could still provide that but it will, of course, cost a little extra'.

Overall it is not such a bad experience, but you can't avoid it so get used to it.

[IO540]

but I have never read a chart with coloured spots.That's because the colour vision test is done only once per lifetime.

There are 4 methods you can use (Isihara plates, Wright-Holmes Lantern test, Spectrolux, 1 other?) and once you pass any one of these you are done for the rest of your life. But if you fail any one of them you are not allowed to re-take that test ever again until you die, anywhere in the world.

Yes it is bizzare.

A lot of people fail the Isihara plates. They are not really a CV test; it is a very difficult colour pattern recognition test which means almost nothing regarding CV. This was established years ago (http://www.peter2000.co.uk/aviation/misc/JAR_colour_study.pdf) but the aviation people still offer the Isihara test as the initial one. The Lantern test is about the only realistic one.

For obvious reasons ;) ;) many ATPL candidates get their initial CV test done as far away from the UK CAA as they can...

I have a pretty good medical going over that could throw up early symptoms of something nasty.

Highly highly unlikely he will find anything you can't feel yourself - except perhaps in blood or urine tests.

One AME I know reckons the medical is almost worthless for determining if the pilot is going to drop dead before the next medical, but the fear of failing it (and losing one's job) is what keeps pilots that little bit healthier than the population average which nowadays is pretty dire obesity-wise.

[gchangflyer]

Yes, It is amazing how many differences there are in medicals,even under the same Aviation Authority.

I've only ever been to one AME, for almost 10 years now for both class 1 and 2 medicals, but my girlfriend, who has a student pilot's licence, went for her medical and had to get a breast exam quite unexpectedly (she's 25).This was out of nowhere as she has no history of family breast problems etc. She wasn't told about the breast exam prior, but was allowed to keep her bra on and it was done under her top but over her bra.

After hearing this, I asked around amongst my female colleagues who have all had both class 1 and 2 medicals , and none of them had ever had a breast exam?

My girlfriend does have rather delicious breasts,I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it, though I know the AME she used and I have a lot of respect for him.

Oh and I do a 'colour blindness' test every year for my class 1. If thats the one with the pastel coloured dots that are supposed to hide a number? Yeah, I do that every year!

[thing]

I had my goolies checked but my AME has a beard.

[flybymike]

A lot of the female AMEs have one.

[jxc]

gchangflyer

If her AME needs a second opinion I will on this occasion offer my services for free :)

[UV]

although ive never had an attack and havent used an inhaler since my early teens.

what should i do?

say nowt...seriously. You will only regret it.

[IO540]

Oh and I do a 'colour blindness' test every year for my class 1That's completely bizzare. Are you required to do so in writing?

I am not a doctor but what does checking boobs have to do with assessing the chances of pilot incapacitation which is what this is supposed to be all about?

[Redbird72]

i am diagnosed with mild asthma although ive never had an attack and havent used an inhaler since my early teens.


It shouldn't be a problem at all; I'm the same as you - started using an inhaler in my early twenties, never hospitalised, never had an attack. AME took my word for it, didn't ask for a GP report but may have done a peak flow test (5yrs ago now, can't recall).

BTW, word of warning - once you have asthma on your records, GP's can be very quick to attribute any respiratory/ENT issues to it, without looking further. Early this year my GP had me convinced that my asthma had seriously worsened (potential to lose my class 2!), but when I pushed to see a consultant, it turned out to be acid reflux :ugh:

[McGoonagall]

That's completely bizzare. Are you required to do so in writing?

I'm required to do the Ishihara test everytime my train drivers medical comes round. Some quite senior drivers have failed the test in later life having passed it throughout their careers without problem. Subsequent alternative tests have seen the majority pass although one or two were finished with driving.

[IO540]

OK; I thought you were a pilot of an aircraft.

Interesting they do that, because the "prevailing wisdom" in aviation is that CV very rarely degrades as one ages.

[mad_jock]

Dinna be scared of the medical.

In some ways it returns your faith in the medical proffession.

The doctors have alot more time to deal with you than they would in a normal NHS situation. The are all aviation savy and enjoy talking about it.

They do sometimes go over the minmum required, a finger up your bum when your over 40 and ****ing in a box is just there way of doing the job properly for your better well being. I would suspect they would like to do it for everyone on thier books but time and resources means they can't. Getting your breasts examined might be embaressing for some but they are just taking an opertunity which most of the rest of the population don't get, to give you a right good check up.

There is an AME in ABZ who is very proud of the number of early cancer cases he has found on medicals. Most of which are still in this world flying aircraft.

And all the AME's I know if you have an issue with taking your shirt off will be more than happy to sort through any problems.

One I know has done time in Africa sorting out torture victims and doing plastic surgery on them to give them better self respect to aid with the mental healing. I doudt very much that you will have something special that they haven't seen before.

[stewmath]

Ive never had an issue with the Ishihara test, i can spot the numbers in them in a split second to be honest. Dunno why people worry about them

[mad_jock]

Sometime if you can spot things thats an issue. What to some people looks to me as if its jumble of dots looks to them as a number.

So sometimes seeing things is just as bad as not.

[theapplepie]

Thanks for the replies, including the saractic/humourous, really made be chuckle! :ok: I think I'll just go ahead and see what happens. I'm also surprised there's so much variation though, I hope my AME isn't one of the more eager types apparent in this thread ;)

As for the reason why I hate taking my shirt off, it's just an annoying deformity I was born with on my chest, nothing interesting, no sharks or alligators unfortunately :p

[S-Works]

I went out with a girl who had three nipples once. Did not know wherevto start..... :p

[Domzy]

Ive never had an issue with the Ishihara test, i can spot the numbers in them in a split second to be honest. Dunno why people worry about them


Because some people cannot see them (like me) well not all of them anyway. I know im very slightly colourblind and will hopefully be doing my PPL in the near future. I currently work as a firefighter and was told that i couldnt join as i was colourblind. I took this further and found out i had to do further tests like the colour arrangement test and the lantern test, which i did and passed and as it it turned out i was only very slightly <5% colour blind and was eliglble to join the fire service.:) As mentioned ive already sat a lantern test to join the fire service, so if i had to take my medical (and fail the ishiara test plates - which i will) would i be allowed to use previous lantern test results to back up the fact that i can distinguish red/green/white light or would i have to sit a CAA/FAA approved test?

Sorry for hi-jacking the thread but if anyone can shed any light (pun intended) on this id be grateful.

p.s this is my first post :)

Dominic.

[McGoonagall]

I know im very slightly colourblind and will hopefully be doing my PPL in the near future.

If you only intend to fly for fun then go for a NPPL(A). This requires a medical declaration which your GP will, after examination, sign. It is of a similar standard to a HGV driver.

[Domzy]

Well i would like to get night rating, ifr, possibly even ME in the future. looked at the nppl, and dont think thats for me tbh. If it came to it i would still do the ppl with daylight only restriction. This may be a stupid question but can i still get ifr rating without a night rating?

[IO540]

The Isihara test is not a colour vision test. It is a test for the ability to see colour patterns. If your colour vision is absolutely perfect then you will pass the Isihara test, but many people (mostly males) fail it.

I fail it comprehensively but pass the Lantern Test 100%, with and without glasses.

And I can spell out every colour you stick under my nose.

It doesn't matter (because there are other options) provided your AME tells you there are the other options.

BTW, I cannot see any reason why an AME should do a digital examination of somebody's prostate, in the absence of symptoms of the various possible disorders. Maybe an AME will drop in here and set us all straight?

You can get a day-only IMC Rating, and you can get a day-only IR (at present). The latter option is not advertised, and I vaguely recall there are limits like no commercial work.

[Domzy]

It is of a similar standard to a HGV driver.

Funny you mentioned that the service are putting me through my LGV license, of which i have my medical next tuesday. ill enquire when im in if i can get a copy of my previous lantern tests etc. does anyone know what the pass/fail marks are for the specified tests?

[Domzy]

I fail it comprehensively but pass the Lantern Test 100%, with and without glasses.

And I can spell out every colour you stick under my nose.


I am exactly the same, the fire service allows only 2/16 discrepancies with the ishiara test - of which i couldnt identify 6 of them. The lantern test i believe to have got 100% also or there abouts.

and i too can name every colour under the rainbow - so frustrating though trying to explain it to the ignorant who believe i see the world in varying shades of grey!

[PompeyPaul]

My doctor always insist on inserting a suppository. The thing that amazed me was he managed to have his hands on my shoulders whilst doing it? Is this not standard medical practice?

[McGoonagall]

You've been drinking in The Fleece for too long.

:}

[Milton1995]

does he give you a lolly after? :E

[IO540]

I take it you lot are to be found in the Ramrod Bar on Mikonos.

No wonder they don't have any parking at LGMK unless one pays the handler 200 euros.

And they stopped selling avgas a few years ago, presumably because nobody stopped for long enough to fill up.

[Milton1995]

only when my girlfriend is outta town :ok:

[IO540]

In that case it's no wonder your AME pays extra attention to your appendages ;)

[mad_jock]

IO540 shall we say the prostate exam is on offer and you can refuse it if you like.

But....

Apparently if they catch it before you show signs of any other symptons its means you have alot less invasive procedures to fix the issue and also alot more chance of your old chap continuing to work afterwards as well. Same with the pooing in a box with colon cancer.

Anyway my doc now has a ultrasonic thing which does the same job as the finger and apparently he uses it on the outside not the inside :p

[IO540]

MJ - I've had these tests. I have not had the PSA test because it is ~ 75% false positive and then your only option is to have the biopsy whose mortality is comparable to the risk of a man in his 50s having prostate cancer and dying of it.

On a more serious note, I thought that an AME will not generally perform the job of your GP.

[youngskywalker]

Well, my 57yr old Uncle would still be alive today if he hadnt done the bowel screening tests! Yep, they killed him! Told he had cancer, had big bowel op to remove tumor. Instead they bodged the op, put C-Dif into his blood stream and died two weeks later from multiple organ failure. Oh, and he never had cancer!

Having said that, the vast majority of people probably would benefit from those tests but there are always exceptions.

[FlyingGoat]

I have not had the PSA test because it is ~ 75% false positive and then your only option is to have the biopsy whose mortality is comparable to the risk of a man in his 50s having prostate cancer and dying of it.

There's a lot of misunderstanding about the PSA test (http://goo.gl/ixbU2) - for a start, the results aren't a straight positive or negative. What's more informative is the trend over time, and rate of change, if any. Prostate size is related to PSA - another neglected aspect. There are also alternatives to biopsy, including PCA3 (http://www.pca3.org/public/pca3/pca3-background-information) and MRI (http://www.ajronline.org/content/185/5/1214.full). Mortality and morbidity from biopsy is negligible (see ERSPC 2010 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20950305)).

What's more interesting is reliable research which shows that approx. 40% of men in their 40's, 50% in their 50's, 60% in their 60's etc. have at least the initial stages of prostate cancer - you won't find many GPs who are aware of those stats, and it's not an argument for screening - most will die of other disease or natural causes.

More info on PCA3 (http://prostatecancerinfolink.net/?s=pca3) here and on combined MRI/Biopsy here (http://www.prostatemapping.com/).

Caution with the above - I have no medical qualifications.

[mad_jock]

On a more serious note, I thought that an AME will not generally perform the job of your GP

My AME does a better job than my GP practise which is a huge PIA to get to see or speak with some one.

I just phone the AME surgery and tell them I am one of his pilots and the lady on the desk either puts me straight through or he rings back.

Also if he picks something up in your medical he will run up the paper work and refer you to the hospital for further tests on the NHS with you as a visitor on his books.

Its well worth the cost of the medical to be honest.

[WILCO.XMG]

Dear All,

Im sitting my Class 2 Medical today. Tried and failed getting in touch with the examiner. Does anyone know what i need to bring up with me.

ID?
Gym Clothes?

Anything else specific?

WILCO.

[mad_jock]

Passport and thast about it from memory.

And have a full bladder.

[flybymike]

Never been asked for a passport (what for?), Occasionally for licence, and occasionally for Spectacle prescription. I'm sure your mum told you to wear clean underpants in case of medical inspections....

[WILCO.XMG]

Passport was for ID.

Unfortunatly he asked me to strip to underwear straight after i peed in the cup.

Little bit nervous for for wee pee drips. Hopefully my camaflouge togs disguised it.

:E

[UL730]

Not a good time to show symptoms of paruresis :suspect: