Sleep Apnea and Meniere's Disease

[Earl david]

I'm wondering what others experience has been with returning to flight status following diagnosis of Meniere's and Sleep Apnea.
In the first instance, it has been 3 years since any vertigo, just residual hearing loss in one ear.
In the second, it requires use of a CPAP machine for sleep with no residual effects. The original symptoms were tiredness and heavy snoring.
I don't need to return to licence status for income, just for continued enjoyment of flying. Could be in a private capacity.
Any input?

[ausdoc]

Obstructive sleep apnea, well controlled with CPAP, should not be too much of a problem for certification. CASA may want results of sleep studies done with the CPAP in place.

Meniere's is a bigger problem. It depends on the course of the disease, and any treatment you may have had (especially destructive treatments of the vestibular system). If your ENT specialist/neurologist can write a supportive report, confirming the absence of any vertigo for a number of years, I think that a private certificate should not be a problem. A Class 1 would be determined on an individual basis.

The hearing loss may be an issue for a Class 1 (commercial) certificate, it depends on the amount of loss. You can be completely deaf in one ear and still get a Class 2 certificate.

Hope this helps.

[Lon More]

I don't know after all this time if this is still of interest

There is a history of Necrolepsy in my family although I was unaware of it. I was an ATC Supervisor until Dec. 2003 when I fell asleep during a meeting. I was immediately suspended and subsequently diagnosed as having sleep apnea; looking back I was displaying the symptoms for some 20 years. but just put them down to the strains of the job. I dozed off at the radar scope for a few seconds, fortunately I could chose whether or not to perform this function. Strangely enough it never seemed to be a problem during night duties.

I am awaiting a CPAP and have joined a national help group.

IMHO I find {B]Ausdoc's[/B] response a somewhat dismissive. National legislation here places it in a somewhat grey area in that, whilst it is not named, it is similar in nature to a number of illnesses where a driving licence is withdrawn and would not be returned until it has been proven that the CPAP has been effective for several years I have been unable to check the relevant ICAO doc. to check the recommendation, if any.

In my own case I have reached retirement age, so professionally there is no problem, but the results with the pump were encouraging.

Earl David how did things pan out for you?