Medical condition assessment
 

There seems to be recently, certainly through our flying club a lot of members failing medicals. They are just that age I suppose.

But what I am starting to object to are members being told to download forms such as hearing assessment. I am then asked to check them practically in the aircraft to see if they can hear radio communication and sign off.

Now i am not an AME or a Doctor or a hearing specialist.
Why can't the AME for the fee they charge, do the class 1 audio test and just satisfy themselves. Why pass the buck to a flight examiner or instructor.
The person coming to me could be as deaf as a post, am I going to ground a customer? Why put me in a situation where I have to tell someone I can't sign them off, which as not yet happened.

The latest has been a psychological type test for me to determine if a student has any problems functioning in the aircraft.
After that German wings incident, where's the come back.

I work with an FHA restriction. Over the years my hearing has degenerated to a point where I fall below the standard required but the Authority under which I work have taken the pragmatic approach and allow me to demonstrate that I still have the ability to work in the environment... thankfully for me it works. Having a good understanding to some of the problems I face and tricks I use to make my life easier I think I am well placed for FHAs.

Did one for somebody the other day that was a blatant waste of my time, his time and, mor importantly, his hopes. There was no way with his level of deafness he would ever have been able to operate the RT inside CAS and that was obvious from the minute he walked through the door, so I do empathise with your thoughts. It wasn't easy to tell him - even though he had a pretty good idea himself what the result would be.

In general, being at the sharp end, FI's and FE's have better access to cockpits to check range of movement, dexterity and function in an operating environment so I don't really have an issue with those if it allows someone to continue working or get back to work (or play) after rehabilitation/physiotherapy. But, I am no psychologist so when they start asking about state of mind, I'm out!

B. E. B.
It sounds as though you are referring to the Medical Flight Test which in the past was conducted either by a CAA Staff Examiner or a FIE. I have done many of these over the years, in particular with disabled pilots, and if there were any specific issues, they were discussed with the CAA doctor who had initiated the requirement.

With the demise of the CAA's medical department it seems that these assessments are now put out to industry with no guidance or instructions and a rash assumnption that an Examiner will know what to do. If you are not happy to do them, then smply refuse. The CAA may then get the message that perhaps it is not a good idea to assume that Examiners who have had no previous involvement in this activity will automatically know what to do.

And to add, apparently am intitial class one medical can only done at three clinics in the London area, and for whatever reason NATS at Preswick or Bournmouth can no longer do initial class one medicals. Why?

So if you live in Scotland, it's probably easier to travel to Dublin for an initial class one.

But then remember that would make the IAA the state of licence issue...

Never ever did an initial! My Class 2 conducted by a RAF AME just turned into a Class 1!

My initials for NATCS were done at the RAF Central Medical Establishment (CME) in Cleveland St, London, first in 1968 for Air Traffic Assistant then again in 1971 for Air Traffic Control Officer Cadet and PPL.

of course, if you are deaf-as-a-post you can get a NPPL (Microlight).

Had great fun teaching a deaf lady in a weight shift - where you are sitting behind the student, both wearing safety helmets, so they can't lip read!

(For information, we did short 15-20 min flights with intensive ground briefings)