Work with SIC limitation
 

Good morning,


Hello,
I am writing to you today because I would like to have more answers to my questions. I had my medical examination, and I came away with a SIC limitation (I must send additional medical exams every 3 years).

I would like to know if this could be detrimental during selections for airline companies or in business aviation, please?

The most important thing for me is not the airlines; I would prefer to work in business aviation.

Thank you in advance for your responses

I wouldn't say it will be detrimental, but you will find it harder to land a job. When doing hiring at my previous three companies (two corporate aviation, one airline) it was always stated in the interview that we were not looking for a first officer, but rather a future Captain. I will grant you that borders on HR gimmicks given that we were very much hiring a first officer, but it was never with the expectation that person would stay in the right seat. We very much looked down the road as to whether the person had the ability to grow into a future command position. We did hire pilots with varying medical restrictions, but it was always on a case-by-case basis, and we were not always able to award a position to a pilot with a restriction because of the job requirements. So, my first suggestion is that you don't apply to a company that you know does single-pilot ops. That sounds obvious, but I've seen pilots apply to an airline where that pilot had a "no night flight" restriction on their medical. You're now restricted to applying to companies where you know they fly two-crew. In the airline world that's not a problem, but many business aviation operators fly single pilot ops, so you'll have to do some research before you send in your application (which you should be doing anyways!). My only other suggestion is that you look at your other skills and what else you could do for the company you apply to. A two-crew airplane requires an FO, but if they can't make you a Captain in the future, that limits what the company can do with you. So remove that limitation for them. Could you teach, could you help with manuals, or safety, or something else in flight ops? What else do you bring to the table other than flying? Many pilots will add those skills in to get them ahead of the competition, but you will have to lean on those a lot more than someone else. It'll be a longer road, no doubt about it, but it's not impossible.

The big thing is to keep your head up. You will likely see a few rejection letters, but understand that it is purely a business decision. Take the rejections with grace, thank them for entertaining your application, and eventually you'll land somewhere. Who knows, you may find that it is through one of those rejections that you ultimately find a gig, so stay professional and something will come your way.

Thank you for your encouraging message, which motivates me to push myself even more to be able to fly.

Indeed, my SIC restriction may be more limiting for certain aviation jobs that I wish to apply for in the future.

I would like to hear about your experience, if you don't mind. In my particular case, I need to provide a Holter monitor and a cardiac ultrasound every three years because I have a benign heart murmur. I have already undergone several tests and obtained my Class 1 medical certification. The doctors wanted to be cautious and protect themselves just in case, and they therefore require these medical tests every three years. Do you know if mentioning this could make employers more hesitant to hire me?

I have a colleague who is currently in the recruitment process with Ryanair with the same SIC case. However, in his case, he must provide these tests annually. It seems that Ryanair was willing to give him a chance, and I would like to know if, given my situation described above, I could be given the same opportunity.

Thank you for your constructive response and for sharing your experience, which gives me even more motivation!

Kind regards from Paris

No, there is generally no requirement for you to advise any company about how you ensure your medical is maintained. All the company cares about is that you have a valid medical and that they can work around any restrictions you have. How you go about ensuring those restrictions are met (through a monitor and ultrasound in your case) is between the regulator, your doctor, and you. The reason I say "generally no requirement" is because there are some airlines who have doctors on staff that will complete a pilot medical for them - rather than the pilot going to their own aviation medical examiner. In those cases, because the company supplies the doctor, it does fall on it being their business. But that shouldn't affect your ability to get or not to get a job, as long as the medical and its restrictions still allow you to do the job they need you to do. The doctors should not be talking to flight ops outside of "pilot x is medically fit to fly." Anything other than that borders on a violation of doctor-patient confidentiality and points to a company I probably wouldn't want to work for anyways.

Now, onto Ryanair. They're an airline, not a business aviation company. In your original post you suggested a preference for business aviation, which is why I suggested in my first response that you find it harder to land a job. If you do expand your horizons to the airlines, you'll find it easier to land a job. You may still have to describe how else you can help the airline given your restriction, but that's not as big an issue with an airline over a business aviation company. In fact, if you have a colleague who is going through that process and they are ultimately successful, they'll be the best resource you have as to what steps to take, especially given their case seems more restrictive than yours. I would strongly suggest you keep in regular touch with that colleague.

Hi Avhjoin

I would recommend you sit down and discuss your condition with your cardiologist. A benign murmur would not need monitoring; I appreciate your comment about doctors wanting to protect themselves but it doesnt really work like that.....the issue we often see is that the doctor makes a diagnosis and says nothing needs to be done but doesnt realise the career issues down the line. I may be over critical but you need to ask if there is an increased risk of the heart deteriorating and or needing treatment in the future. If so how likely, and if not why the need for holters and US???? Only then can you make a rational decision with regards to your future career. Best wishes

Hey! I get where you're coming from. Having a SIC limitation could definitely raise some questions during job selections, especially with airlines. But in business aviation, it might depend more on the specific company’s policies and the role you're applying for. Some companies are more flexible with medical requirements, while others might be strict. It’s worth reaching out to the companies you're interested in to see how they handle it.

Having recently been issued a Class 1 with an SIC limitation, I believe the acronym doesn't mean Second In Command in this context but rather is shorthand for Special Medical Examinations. I may be wrong but I've seen nothing which indicates it prevents the holder from acting as PIC of a multi-crew aircraft. It instead requires the holder to attend specialist medical assessments regarding a particular condition they have.