UK Pilot Physician??

[macs86]

Hi all,
I'm a medical student with a ppl. I love flying and would really like to work in a job where i can be a doctor and fly regularly. The US navy seems to have the perfect answer to this: ‘Pilot Physicians’ get to fly helis and jets and still practice as doctors and aviation/diving medics! Does anyone know if there is a similar type niche in the UK forces?
Cheers for any help with this.

[Melchett01]

I'll caveat this answer by saying I have very little knowledge of the RAF's medical branches, but in ahem years service, I think I can only ever remember seeing one or 2 Medical Officers who wore Wings - and that was during a trip to the decompression chamber at North Luffenham as it was back then.

If we do still have MOs that fly, I can't see it being a full career stream, more a lucky posting after which you would probably go back to diagnosing bad backs, sprained ankles etc.

And frankly, with the number of aircraft we now have, coupled with the lack of money, it all means that front line crews for whom flying is their core duty are struggling for hours so I can't see there being many hours available each month for an MO to stay safe let alone competent. However, I am ready to stand corrected, but somehow I think you're going to have to make an either or choice.

[Two's in]

The Army used to have a handful of Specialists in Aviation Medicine (SAMs) , all qualified Medical Doctors who then had to pass the Army Flying course and serve a flying tour. Not sure if they have become the victim of the cuts or not.

[cazatou]

I believe Australia has a "Flying Doctor Service" - but that is Civilian manned not Military.

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

I know of one individual who qualified as a doctor - from university and his house year - before joining up as a pilot (He was actually sponsored through uni by the RAF.) He then went on to become a FJ pilot and eventually a TP. I think that he did some aviation medicine related job as well.

Duncs:ok:

[Tashengurt]

RAF SAM Farnborough certainly had some flying medics. Some were on exchange from the US though.
I seem to recall a pilot on 43 who was a qualified doctor. He gave me a medical prior to a trip so I hope he was!

[lightningmate]

The RAF has had no Medical Officer Pilots actually employed in a Flying Role since 1989. There is a US Exchange Post within RAF CAM that is filled by a US Flight Surgeon/Pilot.

There have been some medically qualified guys who jumped ship into the GD Branch - having seen the light :)

lm

[Trim Stab]

The Army used to have a handful of Specialists in Aviation Medicine (SAMs) , all qualified Medical Doctors who then had to pass the Army Flying course and serve a flying tour. Not sure if they have become the victim of the cuts or not.


The Army stopped training gasmen to fly in the early 90s. RN about the same time, if not earlier.

[KeyPilot]

There used to be indeed RAF pilot doctors, running the course in airsickness desensitisation from ?Farnborough on the ?Hawk. I believed it carried on into the early 90s, but others may be correct in saying the programme finished in 1989.

One of the more esoteric but still notable capabilities we have now lost!

[Sootakin]

Macs86, pm for some thoughts on this please.

[create_it83]

Feel free to PM me too.

[lightningmate]

KeyPilot

The Motion Sickness Desensitisation Programme is still available using the Aviation Medicine Flight Hawks at Boscombe Down. Clinical supervision of the Programme is maintained by Av Med Specialists but much of the flying is conducted by an RAF GD pilot, as well as the US Exchange Flight Surgeon/Pilot.

However, the days of 4-6 folk on the Programme at any one time are long gone, it is a rare event these days for anyone to be referred.

As you say, it was a key Programme in its time, very high success rate and many senior and/or very capable aircrew owe their careers to the dedicated staffs that supported the Programme.

lm

[peppermint_jam]

A mate of my sister is married to a Typhoon pilot that's also trained as a GP i believe, don't think he practices medicine at the moment though.

[26er]

Some airlines have aviation medicine docs who fly. BMI certainly had one until recently. She may still be doing it.

[air pig]

Hi,

Know a guy who is a Consultant Intensivist and has a CPL, and flys for an air ambulance company in the UK. PM me if you wish.

Air pig

[PA 18 151]

Got invited to interview at ULAS back when I was a medical student and I got to the stage were I was given a choice.

1) Become a doctor in NHS
2) Become a pilot in RAF

I chose 1) and was told not to let the door hit me on the ass on the way out of the room.

Of course they said I would be welcome to join as a medical officer, in fact there was a degree of begging for me to do that, but I would be looking after the pilots, not joining them. I had previously rejected that, no idea why, but I did.

In fact I have no idea why I wanted to be a doctor either, but I digress.

But to become a pilot? They felt that wanting to be a doctor displayed all the wrong stuff.

Could have changed since of course, this was 30 odd years ago.

[Pontius Navigator]

Back in the 60s the RAF had a number of other branches trained as aircrew. Remember in those days the RAF was flying at the edge of technology. Aircraft such as the PR9, V-bombers and Lightning were flying at extreme altitudes where the knowledge of human physiology was still limited.

It was essential to have properly qualified personnel to explore these boundaries. More recent boundaries of course were supersonic low altitude escape and also heat stress when wearing full AEAs.

[chopd95]

Either:
1) you have from time to time permitted me to commit aviation, or,
2) that was a not uncommon ocurence at ULAS ?