Diet and lifestyle before CAA Class 1 Medical...
 

Hey All,

I think im going to save up for my class 1 now before I do anything else post-PPL. Just so i know I can pursue a career as a commercial airline pilot from a medical standpoint. I already have a Class 2 which I passed without any problems whatsoever.

I read in one of my commercial pilot books that you should change your diet and how you eat, exercise etc at least one month before the class 1. Is this something that everyone has done? i.e. eat healthy foods and go jogging/ cycling for 8 miles a day, everyday. I'm quite a thin guy and my BMI is normal however i will admit i have been eating an awful lot of junk over the last few months! I'm pretty certain this would be reflected in blood/pee tests carried out on me and obviously i want the best chance of passing the medical.

Hope to hear your views

Lewis :)

There is a medical thread on PPRuNe so i suggest you search through that... It is specifically aimed towards class 1/2 medicals..

In relation to your question, I dont think you have to take it to that extreme.. I didnt and I passed no probs at all, saying that I train three times a week playing gaelic football.... but i really dont think you would have to change you lifestyle and eating habits for it........

HOWEVER,, avoid constantly eating lots of junk food, as this may come back to hunt you in later years such as Diabetes and thing of that nature!!!! Try and make sure your not dieing of the flu and cold before it, (not something people can help) but if you are out running, make sure you waer something warm!!!!

thats pretty much it... it not as bad as you think!!!!

p.s Make sure you get plenty of sleep and rest a week before it as tiredness and stress tends to show itself in the eyesight front.....

good luck with it!!!!

Hi,
Nothing so extreme is needed at all. Just make sure your not hungover and you should be fine. If your already moderatly fit then you should have no problems with the breathing tests etc, other than that eating sensibly in the few days before is a good idea, don't eat any junk food on the day or you'll end up with huge blood sugar spike. If I'd tried to run 8 miles the day before my medical I very much doubt I would have made it there, let alone passed it. Good luck.

Also watch out how much coke and fizzy juice you drink. I was doing a medical (non aviation) and they were concerned with my blood pressure which they put down to too much diet coke. I got it checked out again a couple of weeks later and it was fine again.

Yep - balanced diet, no alcohol 24 hours before, don't breakfast on chocolate - it might skew the cholestoral test. Don't go to any clubs in the preceding days, the volume can damage your eardrums and the sounds in the hearing test are very quiet!

Other than that, at 18 you should be fine.

Thanks for your replies!

Fortunately i dont drink or smoke- i just cant stand the taste of anything with alcohol in it! I've also got back onto my bike. See if i can get back up to the 100 miles a week i was doing a year ago!

But yes, junk food is my 'fag + drink' :(

Dont know what the crack is with your skamed face at the end of that...

I say fair play til ya!!!! Junk food might not be healthy but it 100 times better than fag and drink.... Go on ya!!!!!

you'll have no bother wit ya medical wit that for a lifestyle!!!!!

:ok:

And you want to be a pilot? :eek:

:E

I agree with the posts above.

No need to do anything over the top. My diet / exercise regime goes up and down all the time. I've had weeks where i'm down the gym every night and eating meat, fish and veg (all the good stuff) then weeks where I'm down the gym for 30 mins a week and eating a pizza and whole tub of Ben & Jerrys for afters! I was fine on my medical. One piece of advice is to drink plenty of water 24 hours before the day. I drank hardly nothing and downed a litre of Pinapple juice half an hour before I went in. Needless to say my first Urine sample wasn't up to standards and 2 hours and 32 and half cups of water later I was fine! :rolleyes:

I agree with the alcohol comment. On your Medical form it'll ask you for weekly alcohol consumption in units. I believe the CAA pass bracket is somewhere within the 15-24 units a week.... Anything less and you need to get your ass down the pub more!!! :E Anything more and you'll half way there to the left hand seat.

Just kidding!

I heard it was 15-24 units a day to pass.

Un-real! I said to myself after reading this 'right time to cut down on the junk'....2 hours later im sitting in burger king!! and tonight the family has just ordered in chinese :ugh:

I had a stinking hangover when I took my initial class I and i'd just finished my exams so I was full of caffine too ;)

I was blasted for being too healthy! My resting heart beat was only 45 BPM! I now have to eat steak and chips before a medical and stop running for a week before hand!

No worries!
 

At the age of 18 the only thing you have to worry about are things that no amount of healthy living will address i.e. abnormal heart tracing, poor vision etc, as the teenage body can take quite a lot of punishment. (I know, I've done it!)

The above advice is all good though, and will help when you get into the age range where things get a bit, well, frayed.

No alcohol? Seriously?

:}:}

Yah! No Alcohol whatsoever :}

Shandy's alright!...and a wee bit of smurnoff or however it's spelt! Coke, Fanta and Water are my favs!! :}:}

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: :eek:


(etc.)

DOnt go to uni!!!!!!!! :cool:

It would be like hell for you!!!!!.... :E

Hmm. I stayed in the Chavelodge the night before my Class 1. Ordered the steak pie (disgusting), then phoned out for a pizza (much better). Consumed that with a few glasses of red wine (also disgusting). Skipped rip-off breakfast at the hotel, had a full English in the Belgrano canteen. Also skipped the usual post-breakfast tab (although the CAA have a splendid roof-garden for the social elite). Class 1 issued no problem.

If you're even remotely healthy, can see and hear ok, the medical is a breeze.

fwiw, bring your own lube with you and give it to the doc before he starts otherwise he wont bother using any :eek:

lube..
 

HE DIDN'T!! :eek::eek: