Agoraphobia?
 

If a pilot (it's always someone else but yourself!) that during flight sometimes has felt uncomfortable in flight. What can be read about agoraphobia seems to describe it quite well.

The questions is, does this mean that on the JAA medical form

"118. Psychological/psychiatric trouble of
any sort?"

is to be answered as "yes" even if the applicant never has been diagnosed with any psychological/psychiatric trouble of any sort?

If it does come to the knowledge of the AME, what is the outcome in most cases regarding class 1 medical (primarily JAR)?

Well,not until it's diagnosed.


I guess, what your describing, is looking out of the window, seeing a large expanse, and getting overwhelmed.

The stage at which this affects your ability to control the aircraft, is when you need to seek professional help. You owe that to your crew and charge. Is that likely to complicate things, - yes.

Or are you just getting a bit jittery. (Happened to me all the time when I saw that tyre on the C172 so still, and so high up:))

Perhaps this is the forum to 'air those fears.

GingerNut

This is quite common I will give an example. I was asked by a PPL friend to fly him in his aircraft to N Ireland. The PPL had an IMCR but only felt comfortable flying VFR in VMC conditions.

On the day of the flight the weather was not brilliant with a 700 foot cloudbase so I filed for FL80 airways to cross the water.

As we climbed in IMC the PPL started heavy breathing in the right seat. At Fl 80 we were in the blue just on top of a solid overcast.

He complained that he could not breathe and could we go down a few thousand feet. I asked why we would want to descend into solid IMC loose our glide range should we loose the engine? He looked uncomfortable and panicky with a fast breathing rate.

As we passed the IOM the cloud started breaking and the sea came into sight. My PPL suddenly relaxed. Ten minutes later we were still at FL80 but now VMC with well broken clouds and the coast in sight.He now relaxed completely and enjoyed the flight.

On the return the weather was good so I filed VFR and he flew back with me in the right seat at 3000 feet. He was now happy relaxed and enjoyed the flight. The guy flies solo on short sight seeing trips but always VMC.

There were two Airline incidents that come to mind both involving first officers. The one was where the first officer freaked out and demanded the Captain descended from FL380 to 10000 feet as he was convinced there was something wrong with bthe pressurisation.The other was the much publicised First officer who went berserk and had to be restrained flying across the Atlantic.

Is that what the thread poster is talking about?

Pace

It's difficult to say, these things seem to get a bit wooly sometimes. When you start to label things as "phobia" (an irrational fear of something), you then start medicalising a problem, which I suspect, would have implications for a pilots career.

I guess what he's describing is anxiety. I suspect most pilots suffer from this to some degree from time to time. In fact, if any were to deny this, I'd worry slightly.

Anxiety is a normal symptom, and I guess having some degree of worry, flying around Winter Hill in something that resembles the inside of my dads Anglia van, is not actually irrational. I guess this can be extrapolated to the big boys.

I guess the test as to whether or not this is a problem, is when the physical symptoms of anxiety, (they can be so severe they can mimic a heart attack sometimes), affect the safety of your flying.

I think in both the airline examples the first officers lost their medicals.

I have no doubt that the PPL I flew with who held an IMCR would have not coped on his own.

He displayed panic symtoms with me flying as P1 (but that doesnt surprise me many do :) (only joking)
Should he carry others using the privalages of his IMCR then the answer has to be a definate NO. I would not be happy with him flying my family.

Should he fly VMC only? I would still have my concerns although he is a very detailed but over worrier and cautious pilot.

Pace