stress,

[gregers]

Hi Folks. i have Been off work with stress due to a rather vicious separation/divorce (i'm not the guilty party btw) i have been told that having suffered with stress will bar me from holding any flying job and/or holding any flying licence (one of my ambitions is to gain my glider pilots licence) is this info i have been given true?. over to you knownedgable folks.

all the best,

Greg

[bafanguy]

gregers,

Sorry to hear about your situation ( the world is literally crawling with women so don't sweat that part ), but who said you can't hold a medical due to stress ?

Pilots get nasty divorces every minute of the day and still work/fly. Perhaps in the heat of it all, one shouldn't be out there operating an airplane but this would only be temporary until the dust settled. The seriousness of being distracted by events at home is something that only you are best qualified to judge. Go about your business...stay away from the shrinks and wait until you feel more relaxed.

You didn't let your Uzi fall out of your jacket during the medical, did you ? Just tell them it's for sport shooting.

Ran across a guy recently who forfeited a huge lump sum retirement because his ex was waiting to get half of it the day he retired. Now...THERE'S a nasty divorce for you.

Good luck. Let us know how you're doing.

[RYR-738-JOCKEY]

I dunno who told you those sort of things, but pilots are only human and humans suffer stressful situations from time to time, and there is no reason you can not hold a medical after a divorce.

[WG774]

Forgive me if I'm telling you something you already know, but the best stress-buster I know of is exercise - the more intensive the better.

A hard run can work wonders in terms of burning off excess adrenalin generated by stressful times such as ongoing legal proceedings (been there...).

Take care!

[gregers]

Hi Folks. thanks for the replies, firstly sorry about the spelling in the first post, had a very late night and rather early morning - rescued a half starved and somewhat poorly cat yesterday (from the outskirts of Finningley / Robin hood airport) and we were up most of the night with her. i have met and am living with a great woman who is very supportive, and at the moment i am not working in the aviation industry, i used to spanner on light civil stuff, its the oil industry that pays my wages atm. The licence i am after is for personal pleasure, the job i'd like is either on the pan ground handling or onboard working with the self loading freight.

all the best.

Greg

[Oh that's super!]

I should not think it would be a problem for a glider licence at all, unless you have suffered from a substantial psychological illness - in which case you may need to give yourself plenty of time to recover.

Having said that, why not go glider flying with an instructor? It might be a very good stress buster that could well help you to feel better. As long as you're with an instructor, you should be fine anyway, so try it out.

Flying has been a saviour for me at the time of stress - flying with an instructor is pretty stress-free (just make sure you pick a nice one though, not the stressy sort) and they'll make sure safety is maintained.

[Bahn-Jeaux]

Didnt see anything about stress when I went for my class 2 and wasnt asked.
The only thing I know of that it would affect in the UK, is the ability to own firearms as at my renewal, I have to give permission for the police to check with my Doc if I am a raving loony etc.
I suppose if you have a diagnosed history of suicidal tendencies then that would preclude you from flying but run of the mill stress and anxiety brought on by events rather than a clinical condition should not affect you.
You can always give the CAA a call and ask.

[gregers]

Thanks for the input folks. I will indeed give the CAA a call and ask them. all this kind of reminds me of the film Catch 22, "you can't fly if you're crazy but you gotta be crazy to fly"!!!. ;) :) . i'll give the powers that be a call soon and let you know what the score is. but for now i'll have to stick with flight simming in the cesspit 182RG and Chipmunk :ok: with the occasional bit of gliding thrown in too.

all the best.

Greg

[robbor]

Hi Greg

Sorry to hear about the domestic situation. There is no reason why a challenging though normal life event should stop you from flying or obtaining a medical certificate. This would only be the case if the problem was enduring and on the list of prohibiting mental/medical conditions. That said, it is always wise to take a measure of your own emotional blood pressure, so to speak, and if you feel distracted or unduly distressed, avoid flying simply because sommon sense says that you are likely to be less efficient and possibly less safe. I am an aviation psychologist (with a PPL) rather than an examiner, but your situation is a frequent one and the best decisions in cases like this are made by the individual themself, unless they are in complete denial, which hardly seems to be the case if you are looking for views from colleagues! Good luck.

Rob

[Piltdown Man]

You have been fed a line. Ignore what you have been told. Firstly, there is no such thing as a glider licence in the UK. Secondly, if your GP says you are fine and you have no other medical problems, there is no reason as to why you shouldn't pass any medical examination you attend.

[liveinpeace]

I suffered Stress/Anxiety and mild depression after a minor but painful operation. I ended up seeing a shrink and taking anti-depressants for a year or two. Woke up one morning and decided I would beat it without medication as I wanted to learn to fly. So weaned myself of the pills, took lots of exercise and lots of new hobbies. once I had been clear for 6 months applied for my class 2 medical, The AME suggested beforehand I got a letter from the Psychiatrist I saw to support my application. The medical was referred to the CAA as a matter of course (I was warned it may mean a trip to Gatwick to see a CAA Doctor) but it was granted without any problem whatsoever. Went solo a few days later. All that was 5 or 6 years ago, never looked back. Go for it it is a fantastic thing to do!

[gregers]

Many thanks folks for the great feedback. much apreciated. I am looking at local gliding schools for rates and joining fees etc and also have bought a restoration project for myself. its an old Auster fuselage frame that i intend to restore, hopefully when its done to ground running status.

many thanks and all the best.

Greg