Issued my Initial Class 1 Medical with an OML restriction. Best course to take?

[Red2]

There’s a guy on my course at cae on the easyJet program who had his initial class 1 issued with OML restriction (also due to mild peanut allergy), so at least easy doesn’t seem to mind.

[Spencer94]

Originally Posted by Red2

There’s a guy on my course at cae on the easyJet program who had his initial class 1 issued with OML restriction (also due to mild peanut allergy), so at least easy doesn’t seem to mind.

That's brilliant to know, thank you! Is there any chance that you could ask them if they could answer a couple of questions for me / put me in contact with them please?

[Contact Approach]

Red2, we're a friendly bunch thats why! Like I mentioned previously Spencer, just go get it done and enjoy your career!

[TryingToAvoidCBs]

Although I entirely agree with the cautious comments on here, I'd like to inject a drop of hope.

At the grand old age of 19 I was told I required heart surgery due an on going problem from birth that never quite fixed itself. I cancelled my plans to join the RAF and headed off to Uni for 5 long years and forgot about aviation. 7 years passed, and having eventually had heart surgery twic,e but also been signed off as "perfectly fit and healthy" by my cardiologist I approached the CAA to see what hope I had of getting a medical.
It wasn't easy. I waited 10 months to get a class 2 so I could at least start my PPL, and almost 2 years to get a class 1. Although I was never refused a medical, and I don't have any restrictions, it was a long road for a couple of years. Gladly it all worked out and I'm now an FO on the 737 (not the blue one).

My advice would be if at all possible attempt to contact the recruitment depts of a few airlines and asked them directly. What have you got to lose?.....apart from 100K

Good luck

[Red2]

Originally Posted by Spencer94

That's brilliant to know, thank you! Is there any chance that you could ask them if they could answer a couple of questions for me / put me in contact with them please?

Sure, I’m not sure if it possible for me to receive DMs, but if you post any questions I’ll ask him when i get a chance.

You can’t use the Private Messaging system, add url links or images until you have an established posting history.

[Spencer94]

Contact Approach, I am strongly leaning towards towards doing it, maybe I just have to bite the bullet, but for now I will continue to search to get a little more confidence in the idea.

TryingToAvoidCBs, That is a great story and I'm made up for you that after all that time it has worked out! I'm hoping I can have the same success and a story like that certainly injects a little more hope. I am considering attempting to get a clean Class 1, hopefully by proving that the severity of my allergy is low, but I don't have too much faith in the idea. I have spent some time today emailing the recruitment departments of several airlines and I'm just hoping for total honesty from them.

[Spencer94]

Originally Posted by Red2

Sure, I’m not sure if it possible for me to receive DMs, but if you post any questions I’ll ask him when i get a chance.

You can’t use the Private Messaging system, add url links or images until you have an established posting history.

Thanks Red2, that would be perfect! I'll have a little think about a couple of questions this evening and I'll post them tomorrow if that would be alright.

[Nurse2Pilot]

Originally Posted by Spencer94

Nurse2Pilot, I believe it is because it is 'advised' that people with a peanut allergy carry an epipen. My thoughts exactly, in fact, there's no guarantee that the captain beside you wouldn't develop a peanut allergy and not know about it.

Do you carry an epipen with you at all times? Have you ever had to use one?

I have witnessed fit-and-healthy patients with no allergies go into anaphylaxis due to some drug or antibiotic, I personally know at least two individuals who are fit, play sports (basketball), go hiking, biking, etc. but both have suffered strokes and it was because of the nature of their circle of friends (nurses, doctors), they got quick help and recovered from the heart attack but fact still remains they were very fit, no health problems, but still got a heart attack.

[Spencer94]

Nurse2Pilot, I haven't in the past, however a stipulation of the OML is that I carry 2 during flights in order for the medical to be valid. I have never had to use an Epipen.

They have been my exact thoughts from the very beginning of this medical calamity. I know of my allergy and the best ways to avoid a reaction and this greatly reduces my chances of having one, but other pilots they may not know of an allergy they have, have an anaphylactic reaction and don't have any way of dealing with that situation in the cockpit. People can develop allergies or other medical conditions at any stage in life without knowing about them. I may consider this argument if I decide to try and get the OML removed at some stage.

[Spencer94]

Sorry, it's been a couple of days due to work.

I have a few questions for the person on your course if that's okay:

- Did easyJet know about the OML on your medical at any point before they offered you a place on the MPL course? Did they say anything in particular about the OML? Do you have any advice about starting training with an OML, were you worried at all before you started your training?

Red 2 I'm very grateful for your help with this because its probably the closest I've got to a definitive answer and it's given me a little more confidence that I could actually do this.

[miller745]

Originally Posted by Spencer94

I emailed the schools about their Integrated ATPL courses and got a reply earlier. They say that as long as my Class 2 allows me to fly solo then they would train me. However in the same email they also said that I may have a problem securing a job afterwards considering the OML on my Class 1. I have asked them if they know of any airlines that would or wouldn't consider hiring me just to gauge if its possible but I haven't got a reply yet.

Just a thought, if you lower to a Class 2, it will probably come with an OSL restriction which means you can't go solo. I think OSL is the non-commercial equivalent of OML restriction.
I have OSL on my Class 2 which I'm appealing to the CAA for it's removal so I can solo.

[Red2]

He contacted CAE to confirm that he would be eligible for the easyJet program - they checked and said it would be fine (his class 2 permits him to solo). At the end of the course you start as an FO with easyJet, so employment wise it wasn’t too much of a concern. Also the MPL is a multi-crew restricted license, so the OML would sort of exist anyways.

I think, for peace of mind, you would be best contacting CAE in a similar way just to confirm that the OML won’t be an issue. Again, all of this is specifically for the easyJet MPL - it could very well work differently at other airlines.

Hope that helps.

[Nurse2Pilot]

Spencer94, can you tell me what steps exactly you had to do? You mentioned seeing an immunologist but what questions were asked and what were the answers?

[Vernand]

can I ask your help, I’m stuck in the OML loop

Originally Posted by Field Required

LSC172, the rules have since changed. I also benefitted from the change like the OP.

Spencer, you will be fine provided you go down the airline route - multicrew.

hello LSC172,

Could you help me out a bit, I am stuck on the OML loop, the Portuguese Authority does not want to issue me the medical 1 with the OML limitation, due to the way the OML limitation law is written, it misses the statement refering initial applicants, as seen below:


(d) Operational limitation codes
(1) Operational multi-pilot limitation (OML – Class 1 only)
(i) When the holder of a CPL, ATPL or MPL does not fully meet the requirements for a class 1 medical certificate and has been referred to the licensing authority, it shall assess whether the medical certificate may be issued with an OML ‘valid only as or with qualified co-pilot’.
(ii) The holder of a medical certificate with an OML shall only operate an aircraft in multi-pilot operations when the other pilot is fully qualified on the relevant type of aircraft, is not subject to an OML and has not attained the age of 60 years.
(iii) The OML for class 1 medical certificates shall only be imposed and removed by the licensing authority.

if anyone could help me out, on how to fight/ appeal to this? Maybe even cases I could use ? Or other EASA aviation authorities I should go to ? I have full reports of my doctors all translated to english ready to go ! and even the Portuguese authority (ANAC) doctor says that for him everything is ok, except that the OML could not be given to an initial medical certificate. Right now my only escape is to go to the USA get an FAA med1 (which I am in process of requesting) however I really want an EASA Medical certificate as I would like to do the ATPL.

Thank you OP and all in this forum for any help!

[Jjimmyy]

Hi Vernand,

I've just had my initial class 1 issued with an OML restriction in the UK. As far as I am aware the UK CAA is the only EASA member state who will issue you a Class 1 initial with an OML restriction. Each case has to be assessed by the CAA if you require an OML. My advice would be to come to the UK (before Brexit!) and get your EASA class 1 issued here with the OML. Then apply for a change of state of medical issue to which ever country you will be doing your training in. I know my flight school required your EASA class1 to be issued by the UK CAA.

Good luck!

[Vernand]

Thank you very much for your reply Jjimmyy, and for your message. I cannot open it until I post a certain amount of posts here in pprune, but thank you very much any ways sir.

[TomahawkEI]

Good info right there

[Vernand]

Meanwhile I scheduled an appointment for 1st class med at Aviation Medical services in Horley on the 31st of January, I will let you know how it went.

[jordiandorra]

Hi Vernand/Jjimmyy! This is Jordi from Andorra. I have exactly the same problem. I've applied for initial 1st class in Spain and the authority is agree to issue the 1st class + OML restriction as proposed by the Aeronautical doctor, but not as inicial, it concludes as unfit because I couldn't fly solo for training and obtaining the license.
Did you finally get your initial 1st class + OML in UK? was this center aviationmedicalswessex?

Any other help is very welcome.

Thank you,

[Whiskey Bravo]

Couple of potentially incorrect posts here. The condition creating the OML restriction for Class 1 does not automatically translate into an OSL restriction on Class 2. The standards are very different and it is perfectly possible to hold an un-restricted Class 2.