Wolf Parkinson White Syndrome
Interesting Report. I had WPWS and displayed not-so-fast jets.
I left the RAF in 1975 because it had been discovered that I had WPWS. This caused my aircrew category to be downgraded to “As or with a Co-pilot”. CME did not offer surgery to repair the condition and the Air Sec told me that I had no chance of becoming CAS without a clean aircrew category. Well, that settled it for me, and as I had been formalising my ATPL and discussed the civil medical condition with a local AME (Army doc as it happened), CAA gave me a Class 1 medical certificate, limited to “As or with a Co-pilot”. This limitation was no hindrance to the civvie world, and that is what I entered. CAA had me visit CME(?) whenever the medical was renewed to see that the condition had not deteriorated. I was looked after by an RAF senior doctor.
When I finished paid civvie flying, I approached the CAA to have the “As or with” restriction lifted so that I could get some PPL flying. This was accomplished after a 24 hour heart monitor test, and I was back to flying single pilot, with a Class 2 medical. Being over 50, ECGs were required annually. I began flying vintage aeroplanes (Piston Provost, SAAB 91 and Chipmunk), obtained a Display Authorisation and extended it to Jet Provosts (Mks 1, 3 and 5a). I stopped displaying these types in 1998 and acquired a DA for Microlight aircraft. It amused me that I was restricted to aerobatics in microlights down to 400ft agl. At that time microlights were absolutely non-aerobatic.
In 2003 I had an operation (ablation) to clear the WPWS which was successful. ECGs were back to normal. I finished flying in 2008 as a microlight pilot.