hearing aid
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hearing aid
Hello all, my question is for my ATC colleagues. If we have continues hearing problems at any age, could we use hearing aids during working and for passing the medical examinations?
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: England
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For the last few years before I retired, by hanging up my headset, I wore hearing aids and held a Class 1 medical.
One problem was that the audiogram had to be done without wearing them and obviously I was below the standard but with them, no problem.
The paperwork for audio section of the medical was also a problem but my enlightmed AME used to put something to the effect "abnormal but corrected by use of hearing aids" That then let him issue the medical.
Since retirement I now have much better hearing aids, but they couldn't have been worn with a headset.
As I was one of the first to wear them operationally, I had to get Tels to confirm they didn't interfere with any equipment and also have an LCE sit with me the first time to make sure I hadn't missed anything.
HTH
One problem was that the audiogram had to be done without wearing them and obviously I was below the standard but with them, no problem.
The paperwork for audio section of the medical was also a problem but my enlightmed AME used to put something to the effect "abnormal but corrected by use of hearing aids" That then let him issue the medical.
Since retirement I now have much better hearing aids, but they couldn't have been worn with a headset.
As I was one of the first to wear them operationally, I had to get Tels to confirm they didn't interfere with any equipment and also have an LCE sit with me the first time to make sure I hadn't missed anything.
HTH
We had a pilot who was blind in one eye. It was the right one (if I remember rightly) and his licence was endorsed,'with co-pilot only'.
Whether his med. certificate was endorsed I don't know; we only realised he was deaf in one ear when his OJTI got fed up with shouting at him and said 'you're bloody deaf in that ear aren't you?' and he admitted it.
When I was at LATCC,a colleague became quite profoundly deaf,but his hearing was restored to normal by taking steroids,however taking this drug precluded the issue of a class 1 medical,so he was caught in a kind of catch 22.
In my own case,I was referred to a specialist by the CAA ,who prescribed medication to control a (not hearing related) condition.After about 16 years taking this drug,declaring it at each medical,I saw a new doctor at my medical down at Gatwick,who said I could't have a class 1 while taking this.Summoned back a week or so later to see the Chief Medical Officer,he over-rode this & gave me my class 1.Following year,exactly the same thing happened again.Guess what I'm trying to say,is that,in my experience,it all seems to be very subjective,and it all depends on who is doing the examination on the day.
In my own case,I was referred to a specialist by the CAA ,who prescribed medication to control a (not hearing related) condition.After about 16 years taking this drug,declaring it at each medical,I saw a new doctor at my medical down at Gatwick,who said I could't have a class 1 while taking this.Summoned back a week or so later to see the Chief Medical Officer,he over-rode this & gave me my class 1.Following year,exactly the same thing happened again.Guess what I'm trying to say,is that,in my experience,it all seems to be very subjective,and it all depends on who is doing the examination on the day.
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My old AME said "if you don't meet the eyesight standard, you get glasses to correct it and get a Class 1. There should be no difference with hearing - get it corrected with hearing aids and get a Class 1"
