Small frame + low BMI

[alexjolly]

I had my class 1 two months ago. I am quite slim and athletic and i also got told that they had to consult a GP to clear my ECG. the condition you have is apparently common in slimmer people as it suggests that your hearts pump is large compared to your body mass.. (which defo makes sense in your case). with any luck you will get a phone call from the caa in the next week clearing you with regards to the heart condition. I had the same problem and it worried me for the best part of a week, but the fact is that everyones hearts are slightly different and the condition you have is probably just a variation of normal. hope all goes well!

[priapism]

Right bundle branch blocks ( RBBB) are very uncommon in younger people. That said ,occasionally they can be present in people with no clinical manifestations of heart disease .
I think you should follow up with a cardiologist , as included in the most common causes of bundle branch blocks are Hyperkalaemia (excess potassium),
cardiomyopathy, infection and aortic stenosis.
A good cardiologist will take bloods and do an ultrsound of your heart to exclude any of these.
If cleared by a cardiologist , you should have no problems with future medicals.

[gingernut]

Your BMI is a little on the heavy side (28), but in terms of risk, your waist (and hip) measurements are likely to give a better indication.

Are you a wig wam?

[dream747]

Thanks guys for the replies. I will let you guys know when the result comes.

Are there a lot of difference in requirements for the class 1 and 2?

[Dan Winterland]

13 of the 15 England team that won the last Rugby World Cup are obese according to their BMI. It's a crock of **it in my opinion. (BMI of 27.6 BTW!)




Good luck Dream747.

[gingernut]

Were you close enough to the team to know what their waist measurements were?

[Whirlybird]

I've had a Class 1 for several years...and I don't think I've ever managed to pass the blowing-in-the bag lung test thingie. My AME says he wouldn't expect me to; I'm female and 5ft 2ins and the test is designed for normal size people - in other words, male giants. Anyway, the CAA don't seem to be worried about it.

[dream747]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

An update, suprisingly, I passed the class 1 medical examination, without clearing the "blow in the bag" test for the lungs and even more suprisingly not needing to visit a cardiologist. About the lung thingie the DME added a note as well that I'm small built so naturally he doesn't expect me to have a big lung capacity like those giant adults.

And the DME verifed that BMI is not an issue and I'm a living example.

Cheers!

[slim_slag]

Excellent news dream747, not really unexpected, but glad it turned out OK.

Obviously your regulator allows its medical examiners to use their clinical skills to make medical decisions. Too often we hear another story on here.

Hope you have a great career.

[dream747]

Thanks slim_slag. My medical examiner was most concerned about the RBBB and almost certain that I wouldn't be able to clear the class 1 without seeing a cardiologist for clearance of my heart so to say that I was quite suprised to clear the class 1 without having to do so.

However I wonder if I would be able to pass as smoothly the class 1 for other aviation authorities?