Medicals? help!!
 

Hello everyone.
I've started flying very recently (4 hours logged) and before that I made sure I did a medical before starting ANY flying.
I'm 16 and I'm new to this whole flying thing. I booked a 'medical' I told them it was my first time and they just booked me in for a class 2 medical.
I did the medical and passed it.
Now what I am really concerned about is, if I can pass the class 1?
For example, the class 2 medical had some eye tests like colour blindness and all that...
Does the class 1 medical go into more deeper tests with the eye colour sight?
I passed the class 2 medical eye stuff pretty easily.
I also heard there are hearing test. My hearing is fine, I have no problems with hearing but how hard is it to pass the hearing tests in a class 1? My blood is fine, I do not have any diseases or anything, does that mean I pass the blood test?
I want to make sure I am physically capable of flying before firing my money away!
Thanks for reading this very long post and helping me out!

Hi cimore000,

I passed my Initial Class 1 done last Friday so hopefully I will be of some help. The Class one consists of an eye sight test which comprises of a 30min test that you would have at your local eye clinic - this will go on longer if you have any problems/issues.

The colour tests involve ishihara tests, if you fail any one of these you need to pay £45 for the lantern tests which involve coloured beams from a machine. If you fail these, then they pass you onto a second lantern with a different pattern apparently.

The blood test is a finger prick test which they measure your haemoglobin levels.

I would say the hearing test is hardest of all - which the technician stated other people say it is too. The bleeps are very quiet.

Aside from the lung capacity checks etc you will be examined by a doctor who will inspect things from reflexes to whether you have a hernia etc. The whole process takes around 3 hours (for perfect candidate).

The class 1 medical does go into greater detail than the class 2. However if you are a normal healthy 16 year old, who has not suffered any major health issues in the recent past, then it would be very unlikely that you would have a problem. To put your mind at rest you might want to check the requirements for the grant of a medical class 1 with CASA.

If there is something specific you are concerned about it would be no harm to speak with an ME beforehand.

Best of luck.

So are the class 1 ishihara tests much harder and deeper than the class 2 or basically the same? If I get 1 wrong for the ishihara plate and I am correct for the rest of the ishihara plates, do i still pass or do I have to be 100% correct for all of the plates?
And how do they test the reflexes for class 1?
I think I had to catch a ruler for the class 2...

If you've passed your class2, it's unlikely that you'll fail class1. (Eye tests are the most likely thing to trip you up, but unlikely.)

Catching a ruler? New one on me. Formal testing of most reflexes usually consists of tapping a tendon with a hammer, tickling things and shining lights in your eyes.

In all honesty, it usually tells the clinician little, but makes him look knowledgeable and helps him justify his bill.

Put a post on here when you pass. :-)

like someone said if you have a class 2 , class 1 shouldnt be a problem, apparently the most common reason people fail is due to eyesight, so if your eyes are fine you should be ok.

The ishihara plate test itself aren't a lot more in depth and should be no problem at all for you.

I passed my class 1 med a few weeks back and it really is not as bad as some people make out.

Good luck mate.

Aussie Class 1 Medical info....
 

G'day Cimore,

I'm also based in Melbourne, and did an Initial Class 1 a few months back with Dr Raoul Tunbridge who operates from Peter Bini Flight Training at Moorabbin.

The initial Class 1 can be broken down into the following:

General:
- Height, Weight, Blood Pressure, Health History Questionnaire (ie: Family history), general check of eyes, ears, mouth, and a feel around the abdomen for any irregularities (ie: Hernia).

Specific Tests:
Blood: You will be given a slip to go to a Pathology Clinic to have Blood taken. From that they will test for Glucose tolerance (Diabetes) and Cholestorol level (LDL and HDL). No biggie as long as you're not a raging sugar- swilling diabetic and have a helf- decent diet with some moderate excerise.

Hearing
Just set in a booth with some Earphones on, and click when you hear a sound- they're just checking for any hearing loss across various frequencies. Some DAME's can do this on site, others will send you to a specialist.

Eyesight
A 30- 45min check with the Eye Doc, checking the stuff that you would have been tested for in your Class 2. The colour tests are as simple as discerning numbers made up of dots, against a contrasting background made up of more dots. People with normal colour vision will get this right 100%. If you miss one or two- don't stress. There are other CASA approved tests in place to determine your ability to hold a Class 1 apart from the Ishihara Plates. There are also tests in place to measure the shape of your Lenses/ Corneas etc.

ECG
Simple- just let the Doc hook up 12 Electrodes on your Chest, Arms & Legs and just lie back and relax. This is to determine the health of your Heart and circulatory system. They are also looking at the Electrical conductivity to the Heart muscles. If there are any combinations of risk factors that you present (obesity/ high blood pressure/ family history of Cardiac problems), you may be asked to do a stress ECG Test. Not nearly as nasty as it sounds- just walk at various paces on a Treadmill whilst hooked up for an ECG. They're just wanting to check that your trace doesn't become üntidy" as your getting the Heart rate up.

I'd say the most common things that trip people up are Blood or Cardiac disorders. But this only affects a very small percentage of applicants. As long as you're reasonably healthy, all will be well more than likely.

I can highly recommend Dr. Tunbridge at Moorabbin, as he really goes in to bat for anyone who displays an abnormality- to get you over the line with CASA. I know from experience, as I presented a slight abnormality in my resting ECG trace. But the Doc was brilliant in the way that he dealt with CASA on the issue. I'm now a very happy Class 1 holder without restriction.

My final piece of advise- do some shopping around on price. I highly recommend Ian Gibson at Mitcham Eyecare for the Opthamology tests. Very thourough and friendly- and only $70.00. I contacted another place in Lilydale who wanted $170.00?!?.

To sum up my Costs:
$230 for Dr. Tunbridge (Inc. Hearing and ECG).
$70 for Dr. Ian Gibson- Opthamologist.
$75 for CASA- for ummm....whatever it is they do....

Hope this helps.
And finally.... RELAAAAAX.

Cheers,
Gearup.