What does an AME doctor do at check?
 

I recently went to a FAA class 1 and JAA class 2 medical, with an AME recommended by a friend.
What happen?
He looked at me, took some notes, ECG rest, which was abnormal, but sorted now and not an issue, besides that he did NOTHING!

I saw other pilots was in there for renewal, was in approx. 10 mins, and around £240 lighter.
The only test he did was ECG resting, besides that NOTHING / NADA.

Is this normal for renewals? The FAA class 1 was my first in 17 years.

we are not all the same . . . . . . . . .
 

These days I'm trying to keep clear of this forum, but I just can't let that pass without comment, as it tars us all with the same brush - and very unfairly.

Today I have had four pilot visitors, two private and two professional. Each one was with me for just over one hour, longest was one hour and twenty minutes. Three out of the four needed ECG's, none needed an audio today. The maximum paid was £ 189.18 by the ATPL who had the ECG, and that sum included VAT at 17.5%.

IF your story is true in every detail, you may find paragraphs 2 and 3 here helpful
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/49/2007091...sProcedure.pdf

Ya'think thats bad.

I once flew to Tenerife, took the wife and kids, cost me a packet, and all I reckon the pilots did was press a few buttons and drank a bit of coffee.



In all honesty, most of "clinical examination" is a load of boll*cks anyway.

90% to keep the patient happy, 5% to avoid getting sued, 5% to actualy find anything out.

Having said that, the man who does my classII is very thorough, though I expect he gleens more information from the history sheet we all tell lies on, than what he finds out with his stethoscope.:oh:

I do not believe this is the rule, but rather the exception. I was recommended this AME by a PPL I know.
I remember many years ago I applied for an FAA class 1 in another European country, and that doctor checked things I rather not remember, but he did a proper check up on me.

With regards to this I was just surprised, no eye check, ears, nothing except the ECG rest, which he did not know how to evaluate.

For USA they did not even require extra test for class 1 (FAA), but CAA class 2 required ECG excer., Echocardigram and 24 hour Holte.

I was quite surprised of this difference too.

For FAA the standards are clearly written down, and the AME's have a thick manual to follow. Obviously those standards vary with Class 1,2, or 3.

If the AME fails to examine and document to those standards he/she won't last long in the job. That doesn't mean that there aren't some who won't take their responsibility seriously. In most cases the pay for the work does not cover expenses.

I doubt that things are different for CAA/JAA.