Medical Tests

[Holloway]

So im bookin my medical test and they said I would be there for less than an hour and they want £160!! Bit steap if u ask me??

[RotorHorn]

welcome to the world of the CAA Cash machine. Just count yourself lucky its only a class 2 medical and not a class 1 at Gatwick.... :eek: :eek:

[Holloway]

HE HE :) its not so much the money it just annoys me to give money away :)

[Select Zone Five]

I know what you mean, I was in for 25 mins and then lifted for the cash! (Mine was only £100 though??)

[Holloway]

why was it only £100?? Where bouts?

[Don D Cake]

Mine only cost about £100 too, in Hertfordshire. Get a list of local AMEs from the CAA website, make some phone calls and get some quotes. It pays to shop around.

[Who has control?]

Did the £100 include an ECG?

[Select Zone Five]

Yes, ECG included. I don't want to advertise the doc I used. As Don says, do some shopping around...in this business you need to, you wanna save as much cash as you can :D

[Simon W]

If I recall mine was £100 also and did include the ECG. It was the place at Elstree

[Holloway]

Too Late now I just had it done. I must say I wasnt impressed with what I paid for, I had to wait around for ages and he just filled a couple of forms in and done a couple of tests. Towards the end of the test he actually was quite an interesting character that had been seen and done everything.

Still dont justify the Wadge of cash he had on the side from todays takings!!

:D ;)

Guess its done now for 5 years though :)

[Don D Cake]

Mine was an initial examination for a 40 year old so it included the lot....

[str12]

I did mine at Amsterdam (because I now live there) and was only about 147 Euros - even cheaper than the UK, less than 100 quid.

Yes, you have to pay to get to Amsterdam first...:rolleyes:

Safe flying.

[TheKentishFledgling]

Holloway - if it's the same chap I think it is, he certainly is an interesting character. I found myself trying not to p!ss myself at times (especially about the gin tumbler.......).
He just didn't seem the doctor type ;)

tKF

[englishal]

Yes, you have to pay to get to Amsterdam first...

Hmm..don't think I'd pass the medical if I took it in Amsterdam ;)

My Class 2 inital was 130 GBP all in, and Class 2 renewal was 50 GBP with a free FAA class 2 thrown in for good measure....Christchurch...

Cheers
EA:)

[BEagle]

Why wouldn't you pass a medical in Amsterdam? I hope you're not hinting at what I think you are, because if you are then there is no place for you in any form of aviation.

Typical Class 1 renewal:

Audiogram plus general medical plus ECG: £150 to the doctor and £27 to the CAA for the ECG.......

[Holloway]

QUOTE: Holloway - if it's the same chap I think it is, he certainly is an interesting character. I found myself trying not to p!ss myself at times (especially about the gin tumbler.......).
He just didn't seem the doctor type

tKF

Yeah the Gin Tumbler!! Must be the same guy he he he

[FlyingForFun]

BEagle,

I have to admit it seems you're being a little harsh on englishal. I don't smoke - not tobacco, not marijuana, not even when I was in Amsterdam. But I don't have a problem with other people who choose to do so, even pilots. So long as they leave enough time for the drugs to be completely removed from their system before flying, of course.

I do, however, enjoy the odd drop of alcohol, as I think most of us do. Of course, I'd never dream of flying without leaving more than a reasonable amount of time after drinking. I can't see the difference between alcohol and any other drug. So long as that drug is legal in the country where you take it, obviously! :)

Back to the subject of medicals, though - I agree, shop around. Prices definitely seem to vary. Also, some doctors aren't able to do certain parts of the medical (I spoke to one doctor about my class 2 initial, who quoted me a very reasonable price, but then added that I'd also have to visit someone else for the eye test, and that would require an additional charge. Can't see how a doctor could not be able to do a Class 2 eye test - all it involves is reading the eye chart from a specified distance - but there you go!)

When I started my current job, my company required me to have a medical. (Another thing I can't see the point of. I have no idea how any aspect of the medical could affect my ability to write computer programs. And if my company then rejected me on the basis of the medical, I'm sure it could be classed as discrimination. But I went along anyway.) The doctor asked me how long it was since I'd last seen a doctor. Well, I'd had my class 1 initial at Gatwick just a month earlier, so I told him. It turns out he's an AME, and often does class 1 and class 2 medicals, as well has having a PPL! So we spent the rest of the medical talking about flying! I'll probably go to him for my renewals now... he usually does medicals out of his Gatwick office, but does occassionaly do them out of his office in the City, which is less than 2 minutes walk from my office. I'm sure he won't be cheap, but it's worth paying slightly over the odds to be able to go and get my medical in my lunch break!

FFF
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[Evo]

Can't see how a doctor could not be able to do a Class 2 eye test - all it involves is reading the eye chart from a specified distance


I had to have a full examination with an optometrist (including an Ishihara test and tests for glaucoma) for my Class 2 :confused:

Oh, and when I did my company medical declaration I told them that I had recently passed a CAA class-2 - their response what "why? what's wrong with you?" :rolleyes:

[Holloway]

Me too!! I was there for an hour and they did loads of stuff!! they even put this thing on me and took a presure test!

[FlyingForFun]

Maybe my class 2 doctor didn't do the full eye test then? Or maybe my memory is fading??? :confused:

I know my class 1 eye test was the most thorough I've ever had in my life. Including spotting a tiny scratch on the back of my eye. The doctor was convinced it was an injury and not an infection, and asked if I had any idea what it was. I didn't. It was only a few hours later that I recalled a family holiday one Christmas when I was about 3. I grabbed hold of a decoration on the Christmas tree at the hotel, squeezed it, and it shattered. I got a piece in my eye, and my dad took me to hospital to check there was no damage. That must be what the doctor saw - amazing! He told me I was very fortunate that it was just to the side of the critical area where he'd have had to fail me. Whew!

FFF
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[PA28-161]

Had the Class 1 initial before JAR - £400 or thereabouts as far as I can recall. Was at Heathrow....got some real old RAF type geezer. First test - get in chair in extraordinarily long room with eye chart at far end, doctor wails a book at me. Barely catch it. 'Hmm, not bad,' he harrumphs. Seems the tests had begun!
Was recalled, this time to gatwick, for another eye test - squeak in (mild astygmatism! **** off) but lady doc nice enough to give me card then and there as I was late back for EJ flite from Luton (train journey! cheapest option). Let it lapse, as u do when you're wondering whether ATPLS are worth the money, now looking for time for a JAR upgrade (seemingly around £150 for medical and upgrade). Also I had to get chest x-ray for initial class 1 as Heathrow didn't have the equipment. £40 at local hospital, with lots of 'What's this for? Who are the CAA?' questions. Glad I can do local medicals now the nightmare of the initial's over!

[Kirstey]

Are you not supposed to fly after doing Mushrooms then??? oops.

I can strongly recommend "The Philospher's Stone" variety. You won't need a plane to fly high after some of those.

Viva Amsterdam!

[englishal]

Hey Beagle old chap,

Remember the word J-O-K-E, it is associated with S-E-N-S-E O-F H-U-M-O-U-R...(said in a Dr Evil kind of way:))...Everybody knows you can walk into a coffee shop in Amsterdam and buy a joint. I have no problem with other people doing it, live and let live..... but due to my work, where we have random drug testing, I can't do it anyhow......

(Kirsty, I always find I tend to float a bit too much on landings after the old Mushroom tea ;) )

Cherio
EA:D

[Kirstey]

Absolutly Englishal - The airspeed indicator growing a face and winking at you is a bit of a sod as well!!

Joking aside - smoking dope in a cockpit is really dangerous. The smoke ruins the view!