Procedure following Heart Attack

[dkatwa]

hi All
suffered a heart attack last July. Not flown since and,in fact, forgot to mention this to CAA as my licence also expired in June 2012

What is the process to get the licence back? I went to a medical doctor today to get my Class 2 renewed and he handed me a piece of paper (Class 1/2 certification - Coronary artery disease) and asked me to see my GP for referral to a heart specialist. I will see the doctor in the next few days.

However, what should I expect/ prepare in order to get my Class 2?


thanks

[Fly-by-Wife]

what should I expect/ prepare in order to get my Class 2?
Disappointment?

FBW

[Heston]

Search the CAA website - somewhere you will find a list of approved (by them) cardiac specialists. You will have to have a private consultation with one of them, so its going to cost you. Your GP will do the referral to the consultant.

Whether or not you get your medical back will depend a lot on the exact nature of the heart condition that the attack has left you with. Surprisingly, if you are doing well it may not be a problem.

If you fly for recreation, which I assume to be the case, then be aware that the medical requirements for the NPPL are less stringent, so that may be an option for Plan B.

Good luck!

[muffin]

Or consider an LAPL. The medical requirements are very similar to those for professional driving which are on the DVLA web site. Google At a glance.

[Pace]

DKATWA

I am sorry but none of us here know what we are talking about me included!
You are far better posting in the medical section where there are trained and qualified Doctors and AMEs who will respond.

Regardless all the best as this is one of the few careers/hobbies where you can be a pilot one day and a non pilot the next!

I wonder how other professions would feel if say a Lawyer, Banker, Doctor had to attend a medical to be told your no longer a Lawyer , Banker, Doctor etc?

Pace

[Pilot.Lyons]

Ouch FBW bit harsh

Could be any of us one day

[mary meagher]

Harsh but funny, all the same - if you can't take a joke, shouldn't have joined....

My AME some years back said he would like to have a look at an exercise ECG. I was determined to pass, so spent 3 weeks practicing by going up and down the stairs at home, got able to ascend and descend 30 times without stopping.....
and knackered my knees....

So a few years later (really pushing my luck now - friends said "Mary, are they still letting you instruct?" "Sure, why not?" I replied. "Aren't you approaching seventy?" "No," says I, being a smartass, " its getting further away all the time...."

And the knee still giving me gyp big time, went in to the Nuffield and had a knee replacement - titanium, nothing but the best on the NHS. Unfortunately a complication made the decision for me, and I handed in my medical. Anno domini gets you in the end. Life's a bitch, and then you die.

[justinmcarter]

(For a class 2 medical holder) you don't need to see a 'CAA approved' cardiologist. Any consultant cardiologist should be able to provide a report for your AME. You'll likely need to pay for the consult however and any tests needed to meet the CAA requirements (it's unlikely to be able to cover this fromt he confines of a routine NHS clinic appointment for example). Sure those on the old list of CAA approved cardiologists will be familiar with the requirements but you needn't be restricted to that short list. if you take the current flow chart with you, any cardiologist will be able to determine if you fulfil the requirements (provided they have access to the relevant information about you) and prepare a report on it.

The current flow chart is at

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/2499/Coronary%20Artery%20Disease%20Post%20Intervention.pdf

Happy to help further as needed. I occasionally do this kind of review for fellow aviators (in my capacity as a cardiologist!)

JC

[silverknapper]

A friend is in this situation. And I think it depends on the damage sustained. After a few tests he now has to pass the Bruce Protocol stress ECG and he gets his class 2 back. I'd guess no two cases are the same.

Good luck.

[abgd]

I wonder how other professions would feel if say a Lawyer, Banker, Doctor had to attend a medical to be told your no longer a Lawyer , Banker, Doctor etc?

Life can be full of surprises, whatever path you choose to take. Doctors can be stopped from practicing on medical grounds or told to change specialty, though it's relatively uncommon.

[dkatwa]

Thanks for the useful information guys. I am going to my doctor tomorrow and ask for a referral.

Thing is, my heart has been sorted out now so I am in a better position and I suppose the twice a day in the gym which I did for about a year, helped me to survive.

Will keep you posted!

[Pilot.Lyons]

I can take a joke thank you. In fact I'm very good at telling them too.

Just thought a serious thing like what killed half my family isnt that funny... Especially when you can loose your flying licence over it

Would you like to loose your licences?

Im sure like most of us the answer is no.... So on that note, no its a crap joke really isnt it?

Didnt see on the small print the need to "take a joke" or not to sign up either?

Now i have opened myself to an onslaught of abuse..... Im ready now..... Fire away :)

[Pace]

Pilot Lyons

After a few months of absolute stress I was really scared at my first class medical a couple of days ago that my BP would be through the roof or some other item would have changed into a no go zone!
I was stunned that I sailed through with glowing comments ;)
As I posted earlier this is one of the few professions/hobbies where you can walk into the AMEs office one day as a pilot and walk out as an ex pilot :eek:
Often because you have through no fault of your own a bad set of genes.
Hope all works out ok in your case

Pace

[Pilot.Lyons]

I know what you mean pace, I'm glad it worked well for you and hope it will continue too.

Thanks for the comments, I appreciate that

[englishal]

In my experience, the AME's will do everything they can to help you get your medical back if it is suspended on medical grounds - mine has certainly been extremely helpful.

Anyway the CAA would prefer you were treated for a condition but healthy, than untreated and possibly a risk - as would we all I presume.

If my medical ever goes for good, then I'll hang up the wings and buy a boat again :}

Good luck :ok:

[Tone]

I had my PPL withdrawn by the CAA following a heart attack this year. I was out for a walk and simply fell down, no chest pains or any other symptoms. After intervention by family & friends came around after 10 minutes to the sound of 'Staying Alive' Had I been flying it would have been the end of me and (no doubt) the dozens of terrified and screaming children in the school playground.
With various bits of stenting and assorted medication I am now back to normal but I recognise that the risk of another episode is greater than average. I would dearly love to get back in the air again but is this being somewhat selfish? Those kids are still in the playground. Giving it some thought I have decided to hang up the headset. The challenge now is to find something to replace aviation, nothing springs to mind at the moment but something will turn up. GA is a great pastime but it's not everything, I feel greatly privileged to have been able to fly - now time to move on.

[mary meagher]

Dear Pilot Lyons - Sorry to hear about your family. I presume you are taking steps to avoid a premature exit, like cutting down on the fags and the beer and the stress, etc etc.

In case you were so annoyed by my remarks that you didn't read the entire post, you may realise that I DID have to hand in my license.....

Tone, you are a sensible and responsible person, and STILL A PILOT. This is something you will always be; as I am still a pilot. Just take somebody with you as a safety pilot, good company. As I still do.

Glider pilots who are getting older often invest in a high performance two-seater; so they can still fly with a safety pilot should some problem with the ticker turn up.

As far as being able to take a joke, when you have accepted that you will not live forever, and can still see the funny side of life, your time remaining on the planet will still be pleasantly amusing.....

[Fly-by-Wife]

Could be any of us one day
Will be all of us, someday.

And yes, I lost my license due to ill health.

FBW

[CaptainChairborne]

Ouch FBW bit harsh

Could be any of us one day

Could?

Will!

I've got some bad news for you mate, you are going to die someday. You, everyone you know and everyone you are related to. Doesn't matter how curt or terse someone is on an internet forum, it's the way it is

[Pace]

FBW and CC

Yes of course we are all going to die and loose our medicals, hopefully loosing our medicals happens after the dying bit :E then we wont know anything about it :ok:
sadly some loose their medicals for no reason of their own due to a bad throw of the dice on the genetic front.
Some at 40 some at 50 some at 60 some at 70 some at 80 some at 90!!!
feel sorry for those that do at 40 :(

Pace

[cockney steve]

@ Tone... It's a bit negative to give up because you had a medical problem....As Mary said, take a safety-pilot...there will be thousands who would relish the thought of flying free or even cost-sharing and don't forget, they don't have to be qualified. AFAIK there's even a course especially designed for Pax who "may" find themselves flying with an incapacitated P1 , necessitating taking control and safely landing the aircraft.

If you've really finished with flying consider dinghy or small keelboat-racing,
A lot of your pilot knowledge will stand good and the competition helps you learn to harness the wind to best effect. Capsizes don't matter! yes, you get wet but even in some of the speediest sailing-boats, you'll not get injured when you overcook it!
There's nothing quite like the surge of acceleration as it unsticks, comes up on the Plane and the spray flies past. :)

[Tone]

Thanks C Steve. Tried the dingy sailing when I were younger and loved it. Now more into 35' jobs in Croatia & Turkey. It's good to sit on deck with beer or G&T and talk about flying. I've not given up on life - just aviation. Gosh just look at the price of Avgas!

[Heston]

I've not given up on life - just aviation

That can't possibly be true! What are you doing reading and posting on an aviation internet forum? You may think you've given up aviation but its still got its hooks into you :ok:

[stevelup]

One word... lose :E

[Pace]

I knew an ex world war 2 spitfire pilot (past away a few years back) He was retired and had lost his medical years before but turned up at the flying club every month to take an aircraft up for 1 to 1.5 hrs with an instructor in the right seat.
If you love flying you will fly it does not have to be solo

Pace

[OpenCirrus619]

Tone,

Have you thought of diving (SCUBA - not Sky)?

Friend of mine did the basic PADI (Open Water) course just before we were going to spend a couple of weeks sailing in the BVIs - so he wouldn't be left out (the rest of us were intending to fit in a few dives).

Unfortunately he lost his medical a couple of months later ... and took up diving seriously. He now reckons it's much closer to "flying like a bird" (i.e. no aeroplane) than anything else and always seems to be on / preparing for / coming back from a diving holiday somewhere hot.

Just a thought.

OC619

P.S. Mixes well with the 30-40' sailing boat as well.

[Maoraigh1]

Have you thought of diving (SCUBA - not Sky)?
Any problem would be more likely to have serious consequences underwater than in the air.
(I knew a weightshift pilot who had a heart attack in the air. He landed successfully - but in a field with no mobile phone reception. Fortunately the farmer had seen him, and came over. He survived, and flew again.)

[Pace]

The effects on the heart scuba diving with high levels of nitrogen in the blood would not be conducive as a new hobby for a heart attack victim!
Shallow diving maybe or the use of Nitrox maybe.
For serious diving NO not a good idea.
There is not a good record for over 50s diving sadly

Pace

[OpenCirrus619]

OK - not a well thought out suggestion :(

OC619

[dkatwa]

Well, following a long medical (including stress ECG) at the local hospital and lighter to the tune of £1k, I have now got my medical back. No need for a safety pilot.
However, I need to do the same ever year at least for 5 years and I don't actually fly at the moment. Was hoping to fly over in Canada where I plan to move next year.
Will probably decide on grounds of cost that it is not worth it...:rolleyes:

[Ebbie 2003]

The info on diving is piffle.

Unless warned off exercise (they don't do that) there is no reason not to dive - it's good exercise and does not stress the joints - normal drift dives are not going to raise the heart rate (fighting a current can).

The depth one dives to causes no particular additional stresses on the body - max depth on air is around 130ft for 3 minutes for a no decompression dive - nitrogen is forced into the tissues - it causes go issues but if one ascends too quickly instead of releasing slowly it releases in one go - like opening a shaken fizzy drink and evolves bubbles - these bubbles for in joints etc causing the pain associated with the bends. The point is depth is not what does it but time under water - a 40 minute dive at 50ft forcing in as much as a couple of minutes at 130. Just as with flying one must plan - modern dive computers have educed significantly the chance of a miscalculation.

If you've been told exercise is ok irrespective of age diving can be part of it - just make sure those you're diving with know not to ry battling any 20kt currents!

[mary meagher]

dkatwa, are you really moving to CANADA?????

And you spent all that money on renewing the medical, and havn't flown since?
Dear chap, do a couple of circuits at your local club with an instructor, just to see if you have forgotten everything entirely being so long out of practice, and
if planning to move to Canada, it would be the best place in the world to fly light aircraft. They also have gliding clubs in that country, with the companionship found in these places. Avgas is cheaper, skies are huge, ATC is friendly and welcomes your presence.....

Have a look on the web to check out the flying clubs where you plan to be living, and go there for a week or two on holiday, you then have your network of friends already in place ....