Molemot...had one just before xmas well the probing finger...all ok...going for a blood test this week,

Bose...how on earth do you decide what size to order...cant believe I'm asking this....

Ahem......

Can I suggest you ask for a sample pack of small medium and large. :p

As the little girl said to the little boy, that's a handy thing to have on a picnic...

NO MORNING COFFEE OR TEA. Diuretics both, but coffee is the worst.

I used to sit on a large bath towel, and land in a discrete corner of the airfield. Once, when I was tending to business behind the glider, the CFI spotted me and came over to discuss my landing....quite impossible to stop in midstream, I had to listen while he discussed at length the finer points, as though there was nothing unusual about the situation. A man of dedication.

Dont overhydrate. Just carry a small bottle of water in the aircraft, drink a bit if you feel thirsty; your body will ask for water if you need it. Dress warmly if it will be cold...if I was strapped into a glider I would keep handy a small baby blanket, and cover up if cold and tuck it behind me but in reach if not needed. Wear a hat (without a visor that would obstruct your vision) if sunlight may be a problem.

My longest flight in the UK in a glider was a 511 kilometer task, took me 8 hours and 53 minutes. After landing and putting things away, a beer tasted very good indeed.

When I fly anywhere in power, I stop and refresh me and the airplane every couple of hours. That way neither of us ever ran out of fuel....

I never relished the idea of sitting around in my own pee. Gave that up around 2, IIRC. Likewise those tubular shaped doodads never seemed designed for my johnson (you decide!).

So I elected to go with the inelegant method -- a wide mouth Nalgene bottle. Others aboard were instructed to look out their side windows for the Air Police.

Avoid caffeine (both tea & coffee) which is known to be an irritant to some over-50 folk's bladders.

Do not drink out of a ring pull soft drink can and then try to reinsert the resulting output into the can. Those edges are very sharp!:uhoh:

Unfortunately you can't rely on drinking when thirsty to avoid dehydration and being dehydrated has a significant adverse effect on pilot performance. As we get older thirst or the realisation of being thirsty diminishes so we dehydrate more easily. If one flies several bright sunny warm days in a row it's easy to get into a downward spiral without some dedicated fluid intake. Pee should be very pale.


Finally found the URL I was looking for: http://www.danlj.org/~danlj/Soaring/...oaringMag.html

Molemot's advice is very good. I had the same problems and am very glad I visited my GP. I no longer have a prostate and don't miss it. But I do have my life.

Not having to visit the loo for reasonably long periods is a bonus.

A

In the Airforce we had diapers for long sensible flights.

LOL!

I'd go along with the prostate check biz for anyone else peeing a lot at that age. I found out I had an enlarged prostate and had the old biopsy which fortunately turned out to be negative, but don't ignore it. Funnily enough I never want to pee when I'm flying. I've done some 5 hr plus glider flights and not noticed I want to go until I land.

I've got into a really bad/good habit (depending on your perspective) of having a number 1 just before getting in the plane (after having done the pre-flight checks), and then going again pretty much as soon as I get out after landing.

The funny thing is I never seem to need to go during the flight regardless of how long it is.

I always have a bottle of water to hand during a flight as well, and am careful to have a sip regularly.

Funny I thought it was just me had these problems.
Yes I do the same as londonblue. On the other hand, I've been taking Saw Palmetto from my local Holland and Barrett. It helps to a certain extent - last night I slept for 5. 5 hours without having to get up for a pee; normally it's only 2 - 3 hours. When I'm awake, I can sometimes go 4 hours, other times it's only an hour.
I'd like to go for a check with my GP, but every time I try to book (except for my FISO medical which was private) I'm told something like 'no appointments until next month'. My surgery only opens 3 full days and 2 mornings per week and my GP only does one full day and 2 half days and no, it's not a tiny village.

As someone who had a radical prostatectomy (prostate removal) 10years ago I say that any male over 50years old should without question have a yearly PSA test.
I caught my cancer early but my brother who wasn't diagnosed with prostate cancer early enough is sadly no longer with us. Medical statistics say that one in two males will get prostate cancer.

Apologies for being morbid but I feel very strongly about this!

I long for the days when I was a young whippersnapper and could drink six pints of real ale without looking for a loo. I could also last for 6 hours in a glider without a problem.

Those days are long gone. Just before I gave up flying I found that my trips in my PA-28 were getting shorter and shorter until Shoreham to Compton Abbas was becoming a bit of a challenge.

I had regular PSA checks but one day blood raised its ugly head. I had a boroscope inspection which told me that I didn't have bladder cancer (good) followed by the news that I didn't have prostate cancer (even better).

However, my prostate was enlarged which is quite normal in ancients like me. This causes pressure on the bladder and the urethra which means that the bladder does not empty completely. This, in turn, provides a perfect breeding ground for stones (that probably started in the kidney) and your bladder then starts to try and get rid of them which causes extreme incontinence (you have no idea how debilitating this can be).

So, after the removal of two stones (around 2 cms across) I am completely back to normal. I can get through the night again but I doubt I shall ever manage to do a 500 kms triangle in a glider before I pop my clogs.

So, my advice to anyone who is finding trouble staying on the bladder ladder, go and see a good urologist sharpish.

chevvron...take what ever they offer...even if you need to wait a month.

I must be lucky with my GPs surgery...phone at 8.30am and you will be seen that day.

I bought a couple of pee bottles from aviation suppliers in the USA, a tad awkward to use, but a lot better than sitting in agony! There is also a version called Jill's John for the ladies, but I have no experience with that!

Unfortunately with my laid back position when flying I dont think that type would work for me...gravity would conspire against me.

As an older glider pilot with less capacity than when younger I find the solution for me is the external male catheter coonected via a tube to a large, reusable, collection bag intended for strapping to a leg. I have a leakproof,quick-release, connector a few inches from the catheter. This allows me to get 'dressed' well before entering the glider and to connect to the bag when necessary. I can disconnect from the bag before landing. I put the bag on the floor - not strapped to my leg.

Easy to use from a reclining position, discreet, removes all worries about attempting long flights, I can drink as much as I want on a hot day to avoid dehydration without any concerns. No risk of bladder damage in a 'firm' landing. Only once have I filled the bag- but plugging into a spare took only a few moments.

Don't let pee worries spoil or restrict your flying.

Jim are those you describe anything like this one...

25 male external catheter small 25mm PRIVATE LISTING | eBay

Nick.

Have you tried this:


:eek: