CAA/JAA Aviation Medical & related issues
 

Dear all,

Very quick question for you... Any idea how long a JAR Class 1 medical result (at Gatwick) takes to come through? I've heard it takes anything up to 2 weeks. Any advice on the matter appreciated - thanks.

[This message has been edited by Finals to land (edited 11 February 2001).]

I had mine done last week. Whilst there, I was told two weeks. Some get it sooner, some later. If you don't get it within two weeks, they apparently don't mind you calling them.
They give you an idea of the result on the day - but subject to ECG analysis etc.
Hope this helps - mine should be back in a weeks time!

well, hello grant

Cheers for the advice folks... fingers still crossed!!! Good luck with yours.

Medical Certificate
 

I have secured my funding for flight training and was all set to confirm my place at school, when I received a letter from the CAA, suspending my Class 1 medical certificate.

I have been diagnosed with a disease called Crohn's disease and am currently liasing with my consultant and the CAA, to get certain questions answered.

In conversation with the CAA, they have told me that it is likely that I will have a O.M.L. put onto my medical certificate, and that they might only allow me to fly with somebody else, who has an equal or higher flying qualification than myself, at ALL times.

Can you advise : -

Can I still undertake ALL of my flight training with this restriction?

Will this O.M.L. stay on my certificate ad infinitum?

Will the O.M.L. effect my future employment chances?

Thanking you in advance for your help/ advice,

1st class medical requirements
 

Does anybody know if there are any type of height to weight requirements for a first class medical ?

If so what are they ?

Any help would be appreciated

Class 1 Medical .........do it now..!!!
 

As a word of advice to all of you just starting out.........go and get a Class 1 before you spend anymore money!!

When I made my first steps on this long and arduous journey I thought I'd get around to the medical eventually but for now I should spend my cash on the real deal ...time in the cockpit.
Now, 2 years later, having done all my ATPLs and progressing towards CPL & IR training I thought I'd better get that Class 1. Going down to Gatwick you can imagine that I suddenly felt very conscious of the fact that if I failed then I would have just wasted a large amount of time and money.

I'm happy to say everything was A-okay, but it made me think.

The Class 1 is just a series of tests to check your degree of "normalness". They're not looking for astronauts !

I have mild, sport induced, asthma and I put down that I was allergic to horses. Obviously I had to do the running around the block tests etc but the Doctor never made anymore reference to it and didn't even ask about the allergies.
Obviously don't go bananas on the truth and tell 'em every little ailment but just declare real material conditions.

It's valid for a year, costs £400, but won't cost you that much every year after. It's just the initial medical that does the works.

It's better to know now rather then later...!!!

feetnkneestogether

Can you explain how you go about arranging a first class med ?

Absolutely, there's no way I'd even think about starting my CPL training without a Class 1 medical.

EGDR,

Phone the CAA Medical Centre on 01293 573700 and just make an appointment for a Class 1.

Then get your cheque book out !!

But yes..do it first, normally no problems, but I have experienced that awful feeling with days to go to my start date at OATS 13 years ago only to find out that a blip on my EEG meant that I could not get a Class 1.

Still, here I am thirteen years later and back on the right track.

Good Luck

feetnkneestogether;

Could you please tell me what is currently involved as part of the class 1 eye test examination.

I am particularly interested to know if a topographical map of the cornea is made.

Thanks in advance.

ASI

ASI,
I have no idea what he was doing with the topography of my retina...........!!?@$

Why not ask him.

Look at the CAA SRG website or else phone them.

OK, I just did the JAA medical at the Gatwick. Since I have an ICAO ATPL there are some elements that aren't done eg EEG, X-ray etc. However, the eyes are looked at. If you wear spectacles and your diopter limits are greater than (maybe) + or -3.0 I think you will get drops. I didn't as my specs aren't too strong.

Distance vision is checked. "read the bottom line" sort of thing. L&R eyes and then both eyes, uncorrected and corrected.
Close up vision is checked. As above.
Colour vision is checked.Ishihara plates.
Retinas are looked at as well. (ie look at the bright light while they get very close to you with another bright light!!) They are looking at the back of your eyeball for any irregularities. No "mapping" was done as such.
Peripheral vision is checked.
Eye muscle balance is checked. They are looking to see if you are cross eyed here. I am. Then they check to see if you get double vision because of it. They do this by using a light on the end of a stick and moving it around, not unlike the peripheral vision check. They also check to see if you can track items close to you. I don't like that one.
No glaucoma check.
L&R eye dominance is checked as well.
Usual medical history questions are asked too. All in all, it was a pretty thorough eye exam.

As it happens, I had my Class 1 this morning.

£400 to have your nuts felt by a complete stranger, an absolute bargain.

The eye tests are fairly thorough but little modern technology is used. The only automated measurement was with a Keeler puff tonometer to measure intraocular pressure.

There is no corneal topography performed and I did not see a corneal topographer in the room. Peripheral vision is tested by the use of a stick with a piece of plastic on the end, although there is a visual field analyser in the room.

Fundus examination is performed with an ophthalmoscope and on a slit lamp.

They do not see the normal range of patients, so probably require less complicated diagnostic equipment than a normal optometrist. Also their customers i.e. us, do not pay extra for special examinations so they have a limited revenue stream for investment purposes.

Why are you interested?? Have you had refractive surgery??

Any other questions fire away.

Cheers

------------------
Half man, Half jalfrezi.

Another reason to do it now is, as usual, most things always become more difficult.
The latest story is that standards are going to be increased and will include fitness/'lifestyle' type tests, which will be more worrying for some than a gentle genital grab. Renewals of existing should not be affected, so old b....... will have the usual grandfather rights.

Wouldn't be playing the old Ortho K game by any chance then ASI?

PS initial issues -5D now if that helps!

Magoo

Mr Magoo;

I have not had the same sort of success with Bates methods as you have and am currently considering ortho-k as a future possibily to get through the initial class 1 - it seems that others have managed to do it..??

Thanks for all the replies.

ASI

[This message has been edited by ASI (edited 28 March 2001).]

Does anyone know if there are height/weight restrictions ???

ASI, ref your query re corneal topography, I believe the US military have used these techniques to screen for laser correction. JAA medical has not adopted this method as yet and relies to a certain extent on the honesty of the candidate as lasik and PRK can not always be easily detected, even with slit lamp, fluorecene (sp?) and 30X magnification. Nevertheless, despite the fact that it may be difficult or even impossible to determine beyind doubt through slit lamp testing for instance that lasik or PRK had been performed, there are other clues which will provide the examining opthalmologist with strong evidence relating to the structure of the eye. Personally, as a wannabe who's undergone lasik, I was given lots of advice from an assortment of professional pilots, along the lines of "say nothing, they'll never know" etc. I decided to be up front and got my initial Class 1 without difficulty. That's not to say that something will not arise at some time in the future to prevent me from flying professionally/at all. For now though, two years down the line from the lasik procedure having been carried out, my vision is excellent and well within Class 1 standards. If you want any further info ASI, feel free to email/post.