Tips for class 1 med exam?

[Dakota Queen]

I'm doing my first class 1 in two weeks - any tips?

Any excercises I can do to make my eyesight better!!??

Any comments/learnings appreciated

Cheers

DQ:}

[buzzc152]

Nope. You just turn up and hope they don't find you've got an arm missing or something.

Only thing I can tell you is to bring along a book to read.

[pg wing tips]

Will second what Buzzc152 wrote - just go along with a book ! Most of the stuff is routine apart from the EEG, which is a little unnerving but not unlike being in a nightclub. Lots of flashy lights which you have to look at, no biggy really. Don't worry about your eye sight as long as you are within the guidelines set out on the CAA website - your ok. Any doubts ask your optician.

Enjoy !

PG

[snooky]

Not a bad idea to abstain from caffeine in particular and possibly alcohol for 48 hrs. before.

I have heard of peoples ecg being adversely affected by caffeine.

[Onan the Clumsy]

Any excercises I can do to make my eyesight better!!??

Well there was something the school nurse mentioned to me once :O

[18greens]

And since you called yourself Onan it seems you didn't listen..

The question is , did it affect your eyesight?

[Select Zone Five]

DQ,

Just one damage limitation point really.

If you're worried about your eyesight...ask them if you can take the eye test first. If you fail it, then at least you'll save cash and time by not having to do the rest!

Good luck! :p

[Crepello]

SZF, I don't know if that would work.

Dunno how the CAA works as I did my init Class 1 over here (though I've got to do a UK one due to JAA small print :mad: ), but their website warns that if you cancel without due notice, you'll be invoiced for the full amount, since you're occupying an appointment slot. By extension, this would suggest that even if you do the eyesight test alone, you'll pay full whack.

Back to DQ's question, I occasionally find the eyesight's slightly blurred after a heavy night in a smoky bar - quite seriously - for a day afterwards. I doubt you're planning a bender beforehand but it's the only advice I can offer. Good luck at Gatwick.

[Dakota Queen]

Replies welcome and yes I do plan on getting the eysight done first - a mate of mine, equally as passionate about flying, failed his 2 weeks ago in Dublin on eyesight - a squint. So the doctor only nailed him for that part of the test - EUR40 or so - alot cheaper than EUR750! I guess it depends on who you go to......

I have a latent squint which is my worry - we'll just have to see. Thanks again, all being well maybe in 10 years we can go pulling birds while on a layover and I'll buy the pints!

Later

DQ:} :}

[mgc]

The CAA will tell you the requirement for eye sight, can't remeber exactly what it is, take it to a decent opticiian or CAA medical examiner and ask them to check you out, they may not give you a diffinative answer but they'll tell you if your OK or marginal. (may save you £500 quid or so, but that is still excellent insurance against spending a fortune on training and then failing- which is what the CAA docs said happens to a lot of people who don't want to pay for the medical upfront when I had my class 1!

Best prep for medical? A good nights sleep before hand, your eyes are always better when well rested as oppossed to just comming off a night shift.

AS for the rest of the medical, if you can't pass it look for another job. Hard? yes, but as the CAA building at Gatwick says in big letters outside the main entrance 'SAFETY IS NO ACCIDENT'. Think about it, the CAA puts minimum safety standards in place for a very good reason.:hmm:

[handyandyuk]

A recent post on the CAA site spoke of the eyesight issue. The response was they suggest you should ask for and EYES FIRST exam. Should you subsequently fail this you would only be liable for a £69 bill. Whether this still apllies, I am unsure, but it won't hurt to ask.

Best of luck.

[Circuit Basher]

From JAR FCL3 Page 24 (http://www.jaa.nl/section1/jars/37/12/371205/371205.pdf), I found the following:

(1) At the initial examination the refractive error shall not exceed ±3 dioptres.
(2) At revalidation or renewal examinations, an applicant experienced to the satisfaction of the Authority with refractive errors up to +3/-5 dioptres and with a history of stable vision may be considered fit by the AMS (see paragraph 2 Appendix 13 to Subpart B).
(3) In an applicant with a refractive error with an astigmatic component, the astigmatism shall not exceed 2·0 dioptres.


There are a very significant number of recent threads covering eyesight requirements and JAR FCL3 (the medical bible) is not too difficult to find on the Web, which is the only source for definitive answers.

[long final]

Student-Pilot-UK

It means just that, +/-5 d long/short, 2 d astigmatism.
If you fall between that for the initial you are fine, the -8 d and 3 d for astigmatism is for all subsequent medicals, allowing for deterioration of eyesight.

Hope that helps.

DQ,

The eyes first, cheaper option, does exist at Gatwick, and they may well throw a new class 2 (if that is of interest for you) for free.

They have always come across as more than honest and helpful to me.

Regards
LF

[Circuit Basher]

Long Final - I think what Student Pilot UK was questioning was the fact that the JAR FCL3 extract that I found refers to +/-3d, which was contrary to the +/-5d he found on the CAA page (the CAA version also concurs with what I thought it was).

The confusion between +/-3d and +/-5d is not a new one, however (see link below)!

Previous Eyesight Thread (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65942)

[long final]

Ah, I see - pun most definitely intended ;)

LF