Originally Posted by
Sandy Reith
43inches, with respect, not sure why PPLs would be less likely to disclose medical conditions, CPLs and ATPLs would have more to lose and generally fly far more hours than the PPL who only flys when the spirit moves.
Be that as it may, making comparison to the risks of driving v. flying, consider that most PPLs would be in cars a lot more hours than flying. I think we all accept the incalculably small risk that we might be harmed due to someone’s medical incapacitation on or near our roads, noting that medicos and the system do prevent some people from driving.
I think it’s also AVMAD’s intention to protect the public from falling Cessnas due to medical incapacitation. I have a better idea, install meteor shields over all public spaces.
The nature of commercial flying in itself brings most obvious conditions to light. Most commercial aviation is two crew with a multitude of support staff, if somebody is not able to perform their duties due to a condition it will be reported fairly soon. Private operations there is no one in general involved other than yourself, like driving in cars. I would agree there's probably a lot of CPL/ATPL that have been less than honest with some answers on the medical applications, wrt to smaller things.
I think there are many that do not realize how much non compliance occurs in aviation, especially away from cities. It wasn't long ago that a station owner was killed flying home, basically unlicensed with a stomach full of alcohol and got caught out by last light and crashed. Had he not crashed, no one would have known he was doing it regularly.
I knew of several AFR where a candidate turned up in their own aircraft from the country with an expired AFR, one argued about the price and flew home without conducting said AFR. Another was operating as a flight instructor for several years without a medical and so on, only got caught out because they turned up for an interview at a city school and when asked his medical expiry he said he hadn't had one for years.