The owner of the operator I fly for has used Warfarin for many years. He has a licence and flies regularly. Perhaps standards are different in the African country we live in. In September he had a heavy nosebleed. This has happened before. At dinner that night quite by chance I happened to meet someone from Los Angeles who specialises in the human blood system and writes university papers on the topic. I mentioned my boss’s problem. The expert confirmed that Warfarin has a very thin tolerance between an inadequate dose and too much. He also has the same problem as my boss. He advised that there is a much better product available that he uses. This is called Plavix. He suggested that my boss should ask his GP to look into Plavix to see if it will be suitable for him. Anyone using Warfarin might want to do the same. I mentioned it to my boss upon returning to base. I am not sure if he has taken this up as I have since seen him with a similar nosebleed. Perhaps Plavix is not obtainable here or is too expensive.
More than two decades ago in Canada before I had any thought of flying, let alone flying for a career, I came across an interesting fitness book written specifically for pilots. I bought a copy on the basis that if it works for pilots it should be more than adequate for the general population. I have had no reason to regret this purchase. Indeed, I consider that this book, or an equivalent, is an essential part of any professional pilot’s kit.
Title: Canadian Pilot’s Fitness Manual
Author: David Steen
Publisher: Delacorte Press/Eleanor Friede, One Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. New York, NY 10017
ISBN 0-440-03670-4
Published 1979
This was written in co-operation with the Canadian Airline Pilots Association and the Fitness Institute of Toronto. My version dates from before DVT became well known. I suspect that a current edition would include reference to DVT. Even without reference to DVT I consider this book to be well worth having for any professional pilot. The DVT issue can be added by using the handouts from airlines.
I suggest any pilot who is remotely concerned with personal fitness and retaining a medical validation should have a copy.