100 out of 25,000?
1. we have 25,000 pilots? I guess the number must include ATC as well?
2. I must come across a lot of pilots as I personally know of 2 of these hundred who have had it happen in the last year, which seems statistically unusual given only 0.004% get rejected. I would advise you stay away from me. I am bad luck.
3. If the hazard is so significant (for say a PPL) their driver's licence should also be pulled surely? If there is a serious risk that someone becomes incapacitated whilst driving that is a significant danger to the public as well.
4. The major cause (by far), of medical incapacitation of pilots in flight in Australia is... food poisoning and lasers. CASA's AVMEd section would be doing far more for aviation safety by testing airport cafeterias perhaps? And supplying us with mirrored Raybans.
From ATSB (
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/2015/ar-2015-096)
In the past 5 years, there have been 23 pilot incapacitation occurrences reported per year on average. Nearly 75 per cent of the incapacitation occurrences happened in high capacity air transport operations (about 1 in every 34,000 flights), with the main cause being gastrointestinal illness, followed by laser strikes.
My medical was suspended a few years ago, meaning I couldn't work. They then gave me the ability to fly multi-crew which was next to useless as I do not do multicrew flying. They said I had a condition that made me a hazard to air navigation despite the specialist saying I was fine to return to flying. CASA said they would review the suspenson every 12 months but could give me no timeframe or criteria they would use to re-assess it and no guarantee it would be re-issued. I was devasted. I believed my career was over. Fortunately I came across a DAME (by chance who was at my local GP's and who heard about my situation) who took up my cause.
After several specialists reports and multiple tests and correspondence CASA decided I was actually fine and re-issued my medical with no conditions. It took 2 specialist reports and thousands in tests to convince them I had suffered an infection, not a brain injury. 6 months no wages.
