BA Medical

[thecoltster]

Hi,

I've been involved in a few accidents in my life have had a few knocks in the past that have landed me in hospital ITU's and almost finished me! I've bust 20 odd bones burst a lung and bruised my brain in the past, so on the initial class 1 test I was sent to many other consultants and interrogated mentally and physically by the CAA Gestapo. I got the class 1 and was elated, however it has just occurred to me that if I went for an airline job they have there own medicals, does any one know how in depth they are? I'm quite a fit non smoking lad and enjoy many energetic sports and to look at me you wouldn't know that god's had a couple of swipes at me!
Does anyone know much about airline medicals? I got binned by the RAF a couple of years back for the fact that I'd burst my lung 8 years ago, I can see their reasons, (though my lungs are as good if not better than anyone else’s)in that they need to wean people out so as to select people, is this the same for the airlines?
Any input good or bad will help!!

Cheers

COLTSTER

[scarebus]

I would lie! Let them find out what is wrong with you rather than giving them too much negative information.
Good luck in the future, and please look after yourself.

[Speedbird 2946]

EEEEKKKKK! My word..don't lie!

A contract that passed through my hands was very specific in the fact that your final signature certified that all information given was the truth and that if I had withheld any info that was subsequently discovered by medical staff then my contract could be terminated instantly.

Okay, you are over the biggest hurdle now! If you have the Class 1 certificate then that is sufficient for most airlines. British Airways will demand that you have a medical with one of their doctors also but if you have the CAA's approval then you are in a good initial position. BE, Air 2k etc will ask to see your Class 1, or a copy of it, but there are no further medical tests!

Hope this is of help, drop me a line if you need any more help!

Speedbird 2946

[thecoltster]

Thanks for the input guys much appreciated, I get the impression that really my injuries shouldn't pose a big problem then as long as I can keep my medical current. I'm not sure whether I'll need to get a special ID card or something though, as I set off the metal detector in the US a few months back, and the metal wand the guard used sussed I had plates in my back, wasn't a problem at Heathrow though. Guess I'll have to wait and see? The surgeons can take the plates out if needs be, as they were only ever put in to fix the bone, they serve no purpose now. The only reason they're still there is because there'd be little point to bother taking them out.
The AME I saw recently knew I had plates but I didn't tell him about me setting the security systems off so I doubt there'd be a problem. If anyone knows otherwise please let me know,


Thanks again,


COLTSTER

[Pilot Pete]

I just passed the JMC entry medical and was told in light conversation by the doc that the main reason they give you the tests is to make sure you 'fit' the class 1 (it seems every so often they get a forged one!) also they sometimes need to see you for their own Loss of Licence insurance etc etc, just to make sure you're not going to retire on medical grounds in a month or two!

Don't worry, it was all very straight forward.

PP

[daviesm]

Can anyone tell me how strict the BA medical is? In terms of the physical side if things, i used have a very MILD form of asthma. I still have inhalers but i never have to use them and have never had an actual attack. Do you think that having this on my medical record will hinder my chances (if i got to this stage??)
Any comments much appreciated.

Daviesm

[GJB]

I'm afraid to say, I think this could affect your application. Perhaps you should discuss this matter with the CAA medical departmnt sooner rather than later.

Best wishes.

[greasemonkey]

soory amte but ba will not touch u with asthma

[daviesm]

What is the BA medical process? Would a slight form of asthma be picked up by the process? I hardly notice it myself!!!!

[HWD]

I'm a BA Trainee and two people on my course have mild asthma (to the extent that they occasionally use inhalers).

So it's untrue to say that "BA will not touch you if you have asthma".

Of course it depends on how serious it is, but if you can get a class one medical then BA are unlikely to turn you down on those grounds.

[andylanson]

the CAA say that so long as your asthma is only mild and under control then it is not a problem.
I am going through the BA sponsored scheme selection myself, and there is no mention of asthma causing a problem.

[GJB]

daviesm

there you are then - no stopping you now!

[tunneler]

Right having applied to BA twice before I've decided to try em once again......

Since the last time I applied I've got meself a PPL and a nice pretty Class 1 medical.

My question is this - From memory BA get you to go to your own GP for a quickie medical between Aptitudes and the F/B right?

Just wondering if a Class 1 holder is exempt from having to part with another 50 quid or not?

Cheers
B

[SlamRipley]

I fear that you will still have to go through with the procedure. I have just received my pack to go to the GP with, and in the bit you fill in yourself it says 'do you currently have a class 1? y/n', no mention of exemption if you've got one.
Also BA have their 'extra' requirements re. height/weight and eyesight beyond the Class 1.

[Speedbird 2946]

Holding a Class 1 medical, unfortunately, makes no difference to your BA application. You will still need to see a GP before your FB, and also possibly an optometrist, and the BA doctor before you are cleared for your start date.

Good Luck to you!

Speedbird 2946

[Duncan2]

Hey Tunneler, I was monitoring the forum this time last year when you and Rookie#1 were both applying to BA. I'm in the process of making my second application to BA right now. I am hoping that having got a class one medical and having applied to various other sponsorship schemes in the last year will give me the edge this time. What did you do to improve your chances between first and second attempt and how were these efforts received? I am assuming that you passed the aptitudes at the first attempt, otherwise the question doesn't apply!
Anyway matey, good luck - I hope to see you on a BA course soon!

[tunneler]

Duncan - drop me an email and ill give you the lowdown ok?
B

[Gucci Cockpit]

tunneler

could you please also post on the forum what you did to improve your chances. I would really like to know too. Greatly appreciated, thanks!

------------------
"mayday mayday! The sim has lost one of it's legs!"

[Pielander]

tunneler

I second that! I'm not on my second yet, but knowing my luck.... Well, we'll see after March 29th.

By the way, you were robbed mate! I got by with paying £13.50.

Pie

[wtpurser]

I'm re-applying to BA in a week or so, received the application. But I don't know how far they take the 'weight in reasonable proportion' thing ? I'm not skinny but at the same time not obese , so I don't have an idea of what they want. Is it something that they asess from the medical to see if you are impeded by any extra pounds ?

What about smokers I smoke ocasionally but not all the time, will this matter too much ?

Appreciate any info, so if I need to correct anything than I have time on my side.

[Pielander]

Try searching for this topic on this site. I vaguely remember seeing something about it a while ago. It might have been in the medical discussion section.

I got the general idea that as long as you're not 'obese', and the CAA would not refuse you a class 1, then they're not really that fussy. I'm hoping to find out from first hand experience some time in the near future, pending FB result http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif: :) :)

Pie

[YanYan]

Now you have worried me I vary from 85Kg to 75Kg depending on how active I am throughout the year, I am 5`8".
What is the perfect weight for a PP ?

[Wedge]

Hey guys, stop worrying!!!!!

There is no perfect weight......there is no perfect sponsorship candidate. A few extra pounds makes no difference at all.......they just don't want any really overweight people for obvious reasons.

Smoking is not a problem, probably best not to of course for your long term general health - but they are not going to fail your medical because you have the odd cigarette.

The important thing for the medical is that you don't have any condition that can interfere with the safe handling of an aircraft. The problem is that there are many conditions which you would have thought would be OK which in fact are not. Even hayfever sufferers in theory are not supposed to hold a Class 1.....but in practice..........

[Mr Crabtree]

As long as you are not too fat, but fitness is the key, i know plaenty of fat people who are very fit. the hard thing is passing the lung capacity test i think you have to get a score of 70% which is hard if you are a smoker. My advice is quit the pies.

[Windy]

this issue was raised a little while ago... I believe one of the indicators they use is BMI - body mass index... which is...

weight (kgs)/ height (cm) squared...

so is approximatly 92kgs/1.89*1.89 gives me BMI 26

25 is in theory the "ideal" with less than 20 underweight and more than 30 overweight...

I did orginally have a BMI of 31 I was a little chubby (2 months in the states on hot dogs and dunkin' donuts) but its only taken me a couple of months of 'proper' eating habits to get down to an 'acceptable' weight.

Windy

[wtpurser]

Thanks to you guys for replying. It should be OK if and when a medical might take place, I probably weigh about 95kg but I have never found those weight-height charts to be an accurate way of showing you how much you should weigh. But touch wood , I should be OK on that factor.

Something I found encouraging was a fitness and health test at a local health club which didn't find anything too much wrong with me which was a plus side - but clearly this would not be up to the standard of the CAA but encouraging never the less.

Has anyone ever applied to BA twice ?

If so how much of the information did you keep in your recent application ?
I'm planning on keeping alomost all of it as it got me to stage 2 15mths previous.

Pielander - let us know how you got on in FB sometime...

[Pielander]

I hear ya wt! Waiting period is supposed to be 2-4 weeks, so it'll be a while yet. I don't think it went that well, so it's more of a stay of execution than a period of eager anticipation. Well, there's always next year.

I wouldn't spend another minute thinking about weight until after a successful FB. That's the hard bit! Hardly anybody fails the medical, and let's face it, there's plenty of pie-lots out there with more Kiplings per vertical inch than yourself :)

Pie... mmm, please!

[left outer, right inner]

Hehehe

Good advice Pielander, I totally agree with you. One step at a time.

Again, good luck with the result....fingers crossed for all of us!! :)

LORI

[wtpurser]

I'm not dwelling on the weight thing too much but its something that I want keep an eye on. So I don't get into the situation where there isn't enough time to rectify the situation should it need altering, but probably not. But I hear what you're saying, so it will be one hurdle at a time. The first one being getting my application off ASAP !

Good luck when the result comes along, are you going to re-apply if the decision isn't favourable ?

P.S. I say again, has anyone applied to BA twice or is going to be in the next couple of weeks ?????????

[Irishboy]

Will I fail it for having Varicose Veins???