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Old 31st Jul 2007, 21:55
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6Z3
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: God's Country
Posts: 646
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35 years of helo flying, with Gazelles doing the worst damage, I was actually just successful in my disability claim in that my hearing loss was 50dB in both ears at 1,2,and 3 KHz. Beyond 3KHz I have very little hearing in either ear. Successful is perhaps the wrong word, as my hearing loss has effectively scuppered most of my civvy street options. I cannot pass a Class 1 medical, so flying is out. I find it difficult to converse at normal conversation levels, so meetings and consultancy work is very difficult; even training to be a driving instructor (which I considered) was too difficult. I do use hearing aids which help for short periods before headaches set in. I get £182 a month for my disability. So as I say, successful is perhaps not the right word. Fortunately, Mrs 6Z3 works, and the Service pension is pretty good.
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Not much help to you, but I guess you should be able to pass a Class 1 medical. When I left the mob a couple of years ago the RNID was campaigning against the MoD's shift in policy, now paying nothing unless the disability is 20% (ie at least 50dB loss in both ears at 1,2, and 3 KHz). Previously you could claim a gratuity for disability less than 20%, now you get nothing. You could try and get in touch with the RNID to see how far their campaign progressed. You mention that Tinnitis is a problem; I would work on that element of you hearing damage.
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By the way, had my claim not succeeded, I would have sued the MoD for medical negligence for continuing to appoint me for many years to flying billets knowing that flying had already damaged my hearing (my audiograms started dipping in 1982!), and that it would continue to damage it to such an extent that I risked being be medically discharged. As it happened my hearing loss was just below the 50dB bar.
Good luck with whatever you plan.
PS Another hearing-loss symptom is verbosity!
6Z3 is offline